Q & A: Is Coffee Good For Kidney Disease?
If you’re anything like me, nothing hits quite like that first cup of coffee in the morning. But, if you have kidney disease, I’m sure that you’ve asked yourself “Is coffee good for my kidneys?”
Health Benefits of Coffee
Hot, cold, iced, and old; coffee is consumed all over the world. It is revered for its caffeine content and stimulant effects, but there’s more to coffee than just increasing our productivity and making the kitchen smell nice.
Coffee has been linked to tons of health benefits due to it’s antioxidant properties. Antioxidants combat free radicals in the body that can cause inflammation and, over time, cancer.
Coffee consumption has been linked to decreased risk of developing certain types of cancer including endometrial and liver cancers. It has also been linked to a decreased risk of developing certain conditions that are linked to inflammation like type 2 diabetes (which is the #2 cause of chronic kidney disease).
Regular consumption of coffee has been shown to decrease the adhesive properties of the bacteria that causes dental caries. Which is great news because if the bacteria can’t stick to the teeth, it can’t break down the enamel to cause tooth decay.
Coffee consumption has also been shown to inhibit platelet activity and decrease blood clot formation, though this does not provide long term protection against clot formation and the beneficial effects likely wear off within 24 hours.
Some people with cardiac concerns, who are pregnant, or who take certain medications may have to limit caffeine. And for those people — or anyone else who just doesn't want the jolt that caffeine provides — decaf coffee is readily available and has many of the same health benefits as fully caffeinated coffee without the concerns that go along with the fully leaded stuff.
Is Coffee Bad For Your Kidneys?
Nope. Coffee may actually be good for your kidneys. A systematic review and meta-analysis of over 500,000 people showed that coffee drinkers were significantly less likely to develop chronic kidney disease (CKD), progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), or develop albuminuria.
Albuminuria occurs in kidney disease when the kidneys don’t work well enough to keep protein in the blood and instead protein passes into urine. This can cause kidney disease to progress faster and increase risks of complications like cardiovascular disease (CVD) and early death. You can learn more about albuminuria from the National Kidney Foundation.
We know that staying hydrated is generally good for kidney health — unless you’re on a fluid restriction. But, if you’re not then coffee can be a good way to get an extra cup or two of fluid in.
I know what you’re going to say.
Don’t caffeinated beverages like coffee actually dehydrate you?
Well, the answer is both yes and no. Caffeine does act as a diuretic — it makes the body peen more. However, most studies show that you would have to take in far more caffeine than what’s in a cup of coffee to lose more fluid than you will take in from that same cup of coffee.
Even though we will always recommend water as your go-to fluid, others like coffee or tea (see the post that I wrote for the best teas for kidney disease here) are still really great options for staying hydrated when you have kidney disease.
Can coffee cause kidney stones?
Nope again! Sugar-sweetened sodas and beverages can increase a person’s risk of developing kidney stones, but unsweetened coffee and tea are actually linked to lower risks of kidney stone development when consumed regularly. So, make sure that you’re limiting the sugar and sweetened creamers!
And truthfully, keeping your kidneys nice and hydrated is pretty much the best thing that you can do to prevent kidney stones. You can also check out my friend Melanie Betz, MS, RD, CSR, LDN for more info on kidney stones — they’re kind of her thing!
Final Thoughts
As with anything, moderation is key. Even knowing that coffee may be beneficial for people living with kidney disease, I still wouldn’t recommend drinking it excessively to any of my patients. That’s especially true if you notice that you’re more anxious, your heart rate or blood pressure increase, or that you’re having headaches when you’re drinking more than a cup or two. Drinking coffee when you’re already dehydrated or when you’re taking a stimulant may also exacerbate some of these effects.
But, I do think that it’s important to know that for most people living with kidney disease, a cup of coffee is not only fine, but possibly helpful.
As always, talk to your doctor or dietitian if you have any questions about how to apply a renal diet to your life. You can also let me know what sorts of other things you’d like to talk about by dropping me a comment below!
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