Effects of caffeine on bone and the calcium economy
Abstract
Caffeine-containing beverage consumption has been reported to be associated with reduced bone mass and increased fracture risk in some, but not most, observational studies. Human physiological studies and controlled balance studies show a clear but only a very small depressant effect of caffeine itself on intestinal calcium absorption, and no effect on total 24-h urinary calcium excretion. The epidemiologic studies showing a negative effect may be explained in part by an inverse relationship between consumption of milk and caffeine-containing beverages. Low calcium intake is clearly linked to skeletal fragility, and it is likely that a high caffeine intake is often a marker for a low calcium intake. The negative effect of caffeine on calcium absorption is small enough to be fully offset by as little as 1-2 tablespoons of milk. All of the observations implicating caffeine-containing beverages as a risk factor for osteoporosis have been made in populations consuming substantially less than optimal calcium intakes. There is no evidence that caffeine has any harmful effect on bone status or on the calcium economy in individuals who ingest the currently recommended daily allowances of calcium.
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Caffeine can influence objective and perceived cognitive performance by increasing alertness and wakefulness.
“Caffeine can influence objective and perceived cognitive performance by increasing alertness and wakefulness (66–68).”
From The Safety of Ingested Caffeine: A Comprehensive Review (2017) · cites this paper as [67]
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- Authors
- Heaney, R. P.
- Affiliations
- Creighton University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Heaney, R.P
- Venue
- Food and Chemical Toxicology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2002-09
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1263-1270
- ISSN
- 0278-6915 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2171160817
- Cited by
- 211
- References
- 65
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 0.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Food and Chemical Toxicology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Coffee research and impacts
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Bone health and osteoporosis research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Vitamin D Research Studies
- Keywords
- caffeine, bone mass, intestinal calcium absorption, urinary calcium excretion, osteoporosis, fracture risk, milk consumption, calcium intake, caffeine-containing beverages
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Bone and Bones, Caffeine, Calcium, Humans, Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors, Bone Density
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