If you are one of those people who do not start the day without coffee, recharge the batteries based on a few cups of coffee daily and have become pregnant, you should know that it is not a drink contraindicated during pregnancy, but it is also not recommended to drink in excess, since that during pregnancy it is recommended to limit the consumption of caffeine. Not only do we talk about the caffeine present in coffee, but also that contained in other foods and beverages such as sports drinks, soda or cola, or chocolate.
Numerous studies, several of them with conflicting results, have addressed the issue to investigate the effects of caffeine during pregnancy, if there is a safe amount during pregnancy and what precautions pregnant women should take into account before drinking their comforting cups of coffee .
Effects of coffee on pregnant women and babies
We must remember that Caffeine is a stimulant, and therefore it accelerates the heart rate and can raise the tension, something not recommended if you are waiting for a baby. By increasing the secretion of acids, it can cause heartburn, and we cannot forget that it often causes insomnia and nervousness.
If we talk about the effects on the baby, high caffeine consumption is related to higher risk of abortion and preterm birth.
Regarding the risk of abortion, a study by the Kaiser Permanente Foundation conducted in 2008 with 172 women indicates that drinking 200 milligrams or more of caffeine in pregnancy, the equivalent of two cups of coffee, doubles the risk of having an abortion.
As for the body weight of the newborn, a study that relates the consumption of caffeine with the weight in newborn mice, concludes that a loss of between 21 and 28 grams per 100 mg daily of caffeine consumed by the mother is established. A decrease that would not represent a serious dysfunction in the case of children born under normal conditions, but in those who already have other problems associated or are premature.
Limit the amount of caffeine
There are people who are used to drinking their four or five cups of coffee a day and it is not surprising if we consider that coffee, after water, it is the most popular drink in the world. In Spain, nine out of ten people consume coffee, and 60 percent of pregnant women (six out of ten), many of them addicted to coffee.
Although the consumption of coffee during pregnancy is not prohibited, since caffeine crosses the placenta, its intake should be limited to avoid harmful effects on the health of the pregnant woman and the baby in gestation.
Caffeine reaches the bloodstream in 30-45 minutes after ingestion, then it is distributed through body water, metabolized and excreted in the urine. The average half-life of caffeine in the body is 4 hours, but in pregnancy it is metabolized more slowly, which means that pregnant women generally maintain caffeine levels for longer.
The key is then to reduce the intake of caffeine, drink coffee in moderation and substitute excess coffee with other healthier drinks such as fruit juices or water.
How much coffee is safe in pregnancy?
So, we are already clear that you can drink coffee in moderation in pregnancy, but what is a moderate amount. What do the studies say? What do medical societies recommend? How much is safe?
WHO sets the maximum consumption of coffee in pregnant women in 300 milligrams daily. For its part, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reduces this amount in its 2010 recommendations. Advises pregnant women to limit their consumption less than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day.
This would be the equivalent of a cup of 325 ml (11 oz) of coffee, four cups of 240 milliliters tea, more than five 350 ml soda cans a day, or six or seven bars of dark chocolate.
Therefore, we can say that drinking a large cup of coffee or two small ones a day during pregnancy is safe.
Other foods with caffeine
As we said before, caffeine is not only present in coffee, but also in tea, soda, chocolate, etc.
If he limit is 200 mg daily, as a reference, according to the equivalences that the European Food Information Council gives us, we have the following data:
- One cup of 150 milliliters (ml) of ground roasted coffee contains about 85 mg of caffeine, 60 mg if it is soluble coffee and 3 mg if decaffeinated.
- One cup of tea leaves or bags is 30 mg, instant tea is 20 mg
- Cocoa or hot chocolate, contains about 4 mg of caffeine
- A glass (200 ml) of caffeinated soda contains between 20 and 60 mg of caffeine.
