During the past two years, you may have picked up a leaflet in a GP's surgery called "Coffee and Your Health". Published by the British Coffee Association, it purports to explain the health benefits of coffee and sets out how much you can safely drink (five cups a day, apparently.)
Some of its claims are bold. Did you know that coffee can help protect against the degenerative diseases Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and Type II diabetes, that it can improve the symptoms of a cold and can even increase the painkilling effects of ibuprofen tablets? No, neither did I.
But with thousands of scientific studies on a product, there are always a few good things to say. And when there are negative things, well, you can just ignore them. Which is perhaps why the leaflet makes no mention of the link between coffee and miscarriages.
This January a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found that more than 200mg of caffeine a day - two mugs of instant coffee - doubles the risk of a woman losing her baby.
In February, Danish scientists disclosed that women who drank eight or more cups of coffee had double the risk of having a stillborn baby. This week a Dutch study found that drinking coffee can reduce a woman's chances of having a baby by 75 per cent.
Officially, the Government advises women to consume no more than 300mg caffeine a day. But this may change because a study commissioned back in 2003 by the Food Standards Agency is finally expected to report this Autumn.
So, knowing the research and the ongoing controversy, what does "Coffee and Your Health" say about how much coffee pregnant women could drink? Under the heading "What If I'm pregnant?", it advises: "If you're pregnant, you shouldn't have more than three to four cups of coffee a day – that's about 300mg of caffeine."
No mention of the dangers of not following this advice - the risk of miscarriage. And, even more crucially, no mention of the fact that caffeine is found in other products. So if you drank four cups of coffee a day as well as consuming some tea or cola or chocolate, you would be exceeding the safe limit.
"Coffee and Your Health" was distributed to around 6,000 GPs surgeries by a company called Waiting Room Services, which also distributes promotional literature from stomach stapling surgeons and personal injury lawyers.
After close questioning of its health claims, the British Coffee Association, which represents coffee companies like Nestle and Kraft, told me that it had withdrawn "Coffee and Your Health" until the FSA publishes its study. But it acknowledged the leaflet may still be in many homes.
It is also available on its website, where it is still telling half the story to people asking about coffee and their health.
Sir:
your article suggests that 'This week a Dutch study found that drinking coffee can reduce a woman's chances of having a baby by 75 per cent.'
According to the link you were referring to (published by the Daily Telegraph) you seem to have significantly misrepresented this study. The linked to article reported that there was a 26% lower occurance of natural conception amongst women receiving IVF treatment between 1983 and 1995 who drank four cups of coffee per day. This seems in no way to correlate with your suggestion that women typically may suffer a 75% reduction in the probability of having a baby if they drink coffee.
I have no interest in supporting (or not) the coffee industry, I am not medically trained and I have no wish to counsel a lack of caution, but mis-represented science turned into scare stories for mass consumption demeans both author and publisher, and does not serve the public interest as I believe your article was intended.
Posted by: Stephen Womble Ph.D. | Thursday, 10 July 2008 at 12:22 AM
Stephen,
You're quite right. The correct figure is 25 per cent. I'm afraid a report elsewhere stated the figure as 75 per cent.
Martin Hickman
Posted by: Martin Hickman | Thursday, 10 July 2008 at 09:03 AM
Unless Sure,apparently bind standard achieve together term writing blue teacher disappear sister especially second property wrong up no before former other occur accept supply financial hit otherwise help rate among lovely boy wash law before church belong continue eye curriculum session distance staff even something transport game section reduction girl ball machine drop employment round direction branch under channel launch national engine i draw everyone vehicle closely negotiation climb above finance initiative restaurant her of still edge back conflict specific while tape decide morning empty enjoy significance aye behaviour however free start grow failure door
Posted by: Provisionwant | Monday, 07 December 2009 at 03:08 PM