Sunday, 8 June 2014

The effects of coffee on the kidneys



Coffee may be the most popular drink in the world. It contains a substance called caffeine. Caffeine can be naturally found not only in coffee but tea and chocolate. Medical practitioners usually add caffeine into pain relievers, migraine healers, etc. Caffeine is generally harmless but in some people, it has negative effects such as headaches, stomach upset, and jitters. For people with pre-existing kidney problems, coffee can also affect kidney function.
Here are the effects of coffee (or caffeine) on kidney function:

► Urinate more often. It is caused by diuretics effect of caffeine.

► Dehydration. Since coffee has diuretic effects, you have to make sure that your fluid intake is enough to prevent dehydration. Dehydration is harmful for the kidney because it can cause acute injury and promote infection on the kidney and also urinary system.

► Urinary incontinence. Coffee can increase the risk of urinary incontinence, especially if you drink more than 400 mg of caffeine a day.

► Kidney stones. Caffeine can increase urinary calcium levels. In a research, it was concluded that there was a moderate increase in the risk of developing kidney stones (especially calcium oxalate stones, the most common type of stones) after a significant caffeine consumption.

► Kidney disease. In a study, it is concluded that people with poly cystic kidney disease were more likely to develop larger cysts if they consume caffeine because caffeine can damage kidney function.

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