Higher Coffee Consumption Could Lead to Lower Bone Density…or Maybe Not

Tue, Aug 18, 15 by Jim Couch

According to a Swedish study released by a group of researchers in March, 2010, coffee consumption could lead to lower bone mineral density, or BMD.   This seems to match up with another study released in 2008 regarding tests on dialysis patients which showed lower BMD from those patients who drank coffee.

In the Swedish study, 359 men and 358 women aged 72 years were studied over a two year period.  Among men who consumed four or more cups of coffee per day, there was a 4% decline in bone mineral density compared to those men who drank no coffee.  This study showed no effect on BMD among women.

In the dialysis patient study, 30 individuals were studied, and the conclusion without regard to the sex of the patient was that regular coffee consumption could lead to lower bone mineral density.

So…doesn’t this all fly in the face of all the good things reported about coffee: that it can help prevent heart disease, cetain cancers, Parkinson’s, Type 2 Diabetes, Gout, and many others?  Are we going to live longer, and later just end up with osteoporosis?

Not necessarily.  First is moderation –we all know that too much of anything is bad for you, even too much water.  According to Prof. Roseane M. Santos, a leading authority on coffee and health, “Moderate caffeine consumption doesn’t cause osteoporosis in the elderly, nor does it increase the risk of fractures.”   Second, the specific coffee you drink is important – a high mineral content coffee such as HealthWise Gourmet Coffee can more than replace whatever minerals are lost.

Third, if there is still a wanting to ensure that whatever calcium from your bones might be lost from drinking coffee…just add a tablespoon of milk to the coffee, and that should do it!