New research indicates that pregnant women need to be even more cautious about that cup of coffee they are drinking. Espresso should probably stay off of the pregnancy menu altogether. According to BBC News on Wednesday, Glasgow University researchers found that caffeine levels vary dramatically per serving of espresso. This means that average caffeine levels in coffee, espresso and other coffee drinks are just that, averages. Real caffeine levels can be lower or much, much higher than what one might expect.
Starbucks apparently had the lowest levels of caffeine at 50 mg per cup, but some espressos had as much as 300 mg. The recommended daily maximum amount of caffeine for pregnant women is 200 mg, which would be one to two cups of coffee if all coffee drinks were the same. Fortunately, for the sake of variety in life, they are not. From different coffee and espresso beverages to different coffee beans and brew methods, caffeine content does vary. Unless you have a caffeine test kit with you when walking into a coffee shop, or unless estimated caffeine levels are reported, you don't really know how much is in your cup.
For many people this isn't a big deal — if you're drinking coffee you are probably comfortable ingesting caffeine. For some groups of people, such as pregnant women, this is major. Exceeding recommended allowances for caffeine can increase the risk of miscarriage and low birth weight.
This new study is one more reason that pregnant women may want to simply avoid caffeine altogether to avoid any risk. This is not always an easy change to make, but there are great coffee alternatives, from decaf coffee to a good old cup of hot chocolate.
Comments