In college life, many students find themselves consuming caffeine daily to survive their busy schedules, regardless of the supposed negative health effects.
“I do not think [coffee] is healthy because it alters your brain, but I do drink coffee to get through the day,” says Narmina Bakhshiyeva, junior chemistry major.
New studies from Cleveland Clinic and Hong Kong University reveal that coffee, in moderation (one to two cups), proves to be relatively harmless toward people’s health, specifically regarding bone density.
Although the 200mg recommended intake of caffeine is relatively safe, coffee should not be consumed while people eat.
“The tannins in coffee and tea decrease calcium absorption, and we need to avoid consuming them with meals since that is where we get our calcium,” said Karen Basedow, registered dietician and assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition. “As infants, we can absorb 60% of calcium from the diet, and as an adult, you only absorb 25%. If that calcium is impacted by coffee or tea from a meal, we are producing less.”
Calcium, the key nutrient toward building and maintaining bone structure, is missing in many diets, resulting in more than 90% of women and 70% of men in America having insufficient calcium levels, according to Framingham State University Food and Nutrition Resources.
The recommended daily intake of calcium is 1000mg, which is possible to attain through a well-planned, individualistic diet and without the need for supplements.
“The best opportunity is to receive [calcium] from food because it provides us with the right balance,” said Basedow. “It prevents us from having too much and we can meet our needs without difficulty.”
While calcium contributes to bone structure, vitamin D enables the gut to absorb the calcium from the food people eat.
New research from a study on an adult population, averaging 67 years old, suggests that while vitamin D is commonly prescribed as a supplement by physicians, it does not reduce the rate of bone fractures or improve bone density.
“When we study adults that are 67 years old on average, we are studying a group of people that are already at a high risk of osteoporosis.
They are given a supplement, but we cannot undo the situation that has been pre-formed in the earlier years,” said Basedow.
Alcohol can also disrupt the body’s vitamin D production and waste calories that can otherwise be spent on nutritious foods.
“Alcohol provides no nutritional benefit. It is a source of calories. Any amount of alcohol is detrimental to brain health and if we did not consume any alcohol, that would be great,” said Basedow. “Although it is unrealistic for the community we are speaking about,” referring to the student population.
Consuming sugar-sweetened beverages and carbonated beverages leads to an increased risk of bone fractures, while wasting calories, accumulating unneeded sugars and increasing the rate of obesity.
“There is an increase in bone fractures in female athletes who are consuming carbonated beverages [soda] versus those who are not. Sugar-sweetened beverages replaces nutrient-dense items in the diet,” said Basedow. “Americans consume 13% of their calories from added sugars and 24% of added sugars are coming from sweetened beverages.”
Basedow said that soft drinks can impact the amount of calcium in bones.
“Soft drinks are given such a name because they have high levels of phosphorus, and phosphorus and calcium compete for bone formation,” said Basedow. “If you replace the calcium with phosphorus, a softer element, you will have softer bones.”
Farzanna Haffizulla, boardcertified internal medicine physician and associate professor in the College of Osteopathic Medicine said that sweet, carbonated drinks impact people’s calcium levels.
“Caffeinated sodas may increase the excretion of calcium in urine, but carbonated water on the other hand, does not have a negative impact on bone health,” she said.
When it comes to bones, Basedow added that Vitamin D plays a role in calcium absorption, which is directly related to bone mineralization, but vitamin D is not found in many dietary sources.
“We are not likely to meet this recommendation [through diet and sun]. It is possible, but practically, it is challenging. Vitamin D supplements are important to help meet our daily recommended intake,” said Basedow.
There are several factors that additionally influence vitamin D absorption through sunlight.
“There are ultraviolet B raysbthat will stimulate your body’s ability to make vitamin D, and where you live, the number of daylight hours, your proximity to the equator, and the color of your skin are all factors. As your skin gets darker, the less vitamin D your body can make,” said Basedow.
A high-protein diet also impacts bones, thus leading to an increased risk for osteoporosis.
“The American diet is high in protein, so we excrete more acid through the kidneys and with that, we have buffering from reabsorption of minerals from the bone, which reduces the calcium [of] our bones and puts us at risk of osteoporosis,” said Basedow.
Haffizulla said that exercise and people’s diet are key ingredients toward a healthy life.
“The bottom line is that reduced intake of sugar and caffeine, coupled with adequate amounts of calcium/vitamin D, healthy nutrition, proper hydration and physical activity, are great ways to stave off preventable illnesses and diseases,” she said.
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