Many people cannot imagine missing a cup of coffee in the morning. It provides energy and improves the day. Research shows that 5 out of 10 Americans drink coffee every day. One of the first questions people usually ask when talking about kidney health is, "Should I give up coffee?"
Science has studied how coffee affects everything from the immune system to the risk of heart disease and cancer. Most people know that the active chemical in coffee is caffeine, which produces a variety of effects, including stimulating the mind and body, increasing blood pressure, and acting as a diuretic on the urinary tract. But does this mean that coffee affects the kidneys? The short answer is yes, but it may not be as simple as you think. It depends on what kind of coffee you drink, how much and how often.
Amount of coffee you drink per day
The first thing to consider is the nutritional content of coffee. A cup of black coffee contains 116 mg of potassium. It is a low-potassium food. However, many people drink more than one cup of coffee a day. 3-4 cups of coffee per day is high in potassium and can increase potassium levels. Adding cream or milk can increase the potassium content of your coffee even more. Drinking less than three cups of coffee per day is generally considered safe. Black coffee is low in phosphorus, sodium, calories, carbohydrates, and protein and has no nutritional value.
Coffee and Kidney Disease
For some time, coffee was considered potentially harmful to the kidneys. However, the relationship may be more complicated than first thought. There have been many recent studies on the relationship between coffee consumption and kidney disease, such as a 2008 study in Korea that analyzed the habits of 2,600 women. The result showed a reduction in the prevalence of kidney disease.
Another study looked at the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, where coffee-growing villages had a lower prevalence of chronic kidney disease. A 2016 meta-analysis found no association between increased coffee consumption and kidney disease in men, but a reduced risk in women.
Thus, contrary to previous thinking, coffee may play a protective role in kidney disease. However, its effectiveness and mechanism are not fully understood. Some believe that coffee's antioxidant effects may play a role. Therefore, patients with kidney stones, especially those with calcium oxalate stones, may still see coffee as a possible risk factor.
