Is Drinking One Cup of Coffee a Day OK When Pregnant?
When you are pregnant, there are plenty of foods, beverages and activities that are off-limits, but for coffee-lovers, a single cup of joe isn't one of the things you need to avoid. You do have to watch how much you consume, however, because drinking more than one cup limit could expose you and the fetus to more caffeine than is healthy, the March of Dimes warns 2.
Coffee and Pregnancy
The main concern about coffee consumption during pregnancy is the caffeine content of this popular drink 12. One 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains about 137 milligrams of caffeine, according to the March of Dimes 2. Caffeine also takes longer to clear out of your body when you are pregnant. Components called phenols in coffee are another potential concern, as they hamper the body's ability to absorb iron, a necessary nutrient. Some women are prone to developing anemia, a deficiency in iron, during pregnancy 1.
Caffeine Concerns
Decaf Black Tea & Pregnancy
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In the body, caffeine dilates the blood vessels, raises your heart rate and increases your blood pressure, which could put strain on a developing fetus. The March of Dimes recommends that pregnant women get no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day because higher amounts have been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage 2. Some preliminary studies on caffeine use in pregnancy have tied high caffeine intake to a higher risk of stillbirth, a lower birth weight in the baby and undescended testes in male children, according to BabyCenter 12. In addition, the caffeine in coffee could trigger heartburn in some pregnant women.
Considerations
If you are drinking one cup of coffee per day, you need to watch your intake of other forms of caffeine, too 3. Tea, chocolate, energy drinks and sodas are other potential sources of caffeine in the diet. Even some medicines contain caffeine. Your body doesn't care where you get the caffeine, so if you have a cup of coffee and a few cups of tea, you could exceed your limit without realizing it. Also watch your portion size -- a 16-ounce mug of coffee has double the caffeine dose of an 8-ounce cup.
- If you are drinking one cup of coffee per day, you need to watch your intake of other forms of caffeine, too 3.
- Your body doesn't care where you get the caffeine, so if you have a cup of coffee and a few cups of tea, you could exceed your limit without realizing it.
Limiting Coffee
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If you decide to abstain from coffee completely during pregnancy or if you are cutting back from a few cups a day to only one, you could experience withdrawal headaches 1. Fatigue, irritability and difficulty concentrating are other symptoms of caffeine withdrawal. Gradually reducing your intake can help ease the transition.
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References
- BabyCenter: Caffeine During Pregnancy
- March Of Dimes: Caffeine In Pregnancy
- Coffee Review: Coffee and Health - Reducing Caffeine Intake
- Zaragoza J, Tinsley G, Urbina S, et al. Effects of acute caffeine, theanine and tyrosine supplementation on mental and physical performance in athletes. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2019;16(1):56. doi:10.1186/s12970-019-0326-3
- Higashi Y. Coffee and endothelial function: A coffee paradox? Nutrients. 2019;11(9). doi: 10.3390/nu11092104
- Temple JL, Bernard C, Lipshultz SE, Czachor JD, Westphal JA, Mestre MA. The safety of ingested caffeine: A comprehensive review. Front Psychiatry. 2017;8:80. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00080
- National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens. Is caffeine really addictive? Updated 2020.
- The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy. Updated 2016.
- Kids Health from Nemours. Caffeine. Updated 2017.
- Beydoun MA et. al. Caffeine and alcohol intakes and overall nutrient adequacy are associated with longitudinal cognitive performance among U.S. adults. The Journal of Nutrition. 2014;144(6);890-901. doi:10.3945/jn.113.189027
Writer Bio
Bridget Coila specializes in health, nutrition, pregnancy, pet and parenting topics. Her articles have appeared in Oxygen, American Fitness and on various websites. Coila has a Bachelor of Science in cell and molecular biology from the University of Cincinnati and more than 10 years of medical research experience.