Comments on: No Joe? Caffeine and Miscarriage Update http://www.marksdailyapple.com/caffeine-miscarriage/ Serving up health and fitness insights (daily, of course) with a side of irreverence. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:54:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: primalman08 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/caffeine-miscarriage/#comment-24690 primalman08 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:16:29 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/caffeine-miscarriage/#comment-24690 I am a skeptic and when I hear "conclusive proof" and really have to wonder. I am sure that this was not a randomized control trial so I have to wonder about other factors involved. At the very least, a study of 1,000 cases will need to be replicated before we can start throwing around terms like "conclusive proof." Having said that, we should all stay under 400-500mg/day and keep it 1-2 cups o' joe for those that are pregnant to play it safe. I am a skeptic and when I hear “conclusive proof” and really have to wonder. I am sure that this was not a randomized control trial so I have to wonder about other factors involved. At the very least, a study of 1,000 cases will need to be replicated before we can start throwing around terms like “conclusive proof.”

Having said that, we should all stay under 400-500mg/day and keep it 1-2 cups o’ joe for those that are pregnant to play it safe.

]]> By: Migraineur http://www.marksdailyapple.com/caffeine-miscarriage/#comment-24681 Migraineur Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:36:39 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/caffeine-miscarriage/#comment-24681 Yeah, like Katie, I have to wonder about our mothers and grandmothers who drank coffee all day, every day. Sure, they had miscarriages, but there could be so many other reasons for these events, and we'll never know what actually caused the problem because it was so many years in the past. Then again, I find myself wondering the same thing about alcohol during pregnancy, lead paint, mercury thermometers, and a host of other things our species has done or used for a long time and continued to reproduce successfully. I think Gary Taubes is right - public health authorities DO dumb things down to be effective in reaching the largest number of people. Having said that, if I ever get pregnant, I don't plan to drink, smoke (I don't anyway), take any drugs that I can possible avoid, be around lead dust, or drink coffee, and I will reluctantly but dutifully take a folate supplement, even though I already get the USRDA of folate through diet. But I have to wonder if all this is overkill. Yeah, like Katie, I have to wonder about our mothers and grandmothers who drank coffee all day, every day. Sure, they had miscarriages, but there could be so many other reasons for these events, and we’ll never know what actually caused the problem because it was so many years in the past.

Then again, I find myself wondering the same thing about alcohol during pregnancy, lead paint, mercury thermometers, and a host of other things our species has done or used for a long time and continued to reproduce successfully. I think Gary Taubes is right - public health authorities DO dumb things down to be effective in reaching the largest number of people.

Having said that, if I ever get pregnant, I don’t plan to drink, smoke (I don’t anyway), take any drugs that I can possible avoid, be around lead dust, or drink coffee, and I will reluctantly but dutifully take a folate supplement, even though I already get the USRDA of folate through diet. But I have to wonder if all this is overkill.

]]> By: Anna http://www.marksdailyapple.com/caffeine-miscarriage/#comment-24661 Anna Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:44:23 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/caffeine-miscarriage/#comment-24661 I'm sure there will be a lot of media buzz about this study. I followed the Yahoo link, which led ot another article with a few more details. But I was disappointed to find no link to the actual study. I did learn that Kaiser Permanente did the study on 1000 pregnant women patients who consumed caffeine as they saw fit, but how was the study conducted? Recall questionaires (notoriosly inaccurate) or daily food logs (somewhat more accurate) or another method? Did Kaiser fund the study or someone else? Do women who voluntarily reduce or stop consuming caffeine also reduce or stop other behaviors that are deemed "risky" or "potentially risky" for miscarriage or pregnancy harm? It was impossible to tell if that was accounted for in the study. I find it hard to take these sorts of news releases seriously without more detail. I’m sure there will be a lot of media buzz about this study. I followed the Yahoo link, which led ot another article with a few more details. But I was disappointed to find no link to the actual study. I did learn that Kaiser Permanente did the study on 1000 pregnant women patients who consumed caffeine as they saw fit, but how was the study conducted? Recall questionaires (notoriosly inaccurate) or daily food logs (somewhat more accurate) or another method? Did Kaiser fund the study or someone else? Do women who voluntarily reduce or stop consuming caffeine also reduce or stop other behaviors that are deemed “risky” or “potentially risky” for miscarriage or pregnancy harm? It was impossible to tell if that was accounted for in the study. I find it hard to take these sorts of news releases seriously without more detail.

]]> By: Katie http://www.marksdailyapple.com/caffeine-miscarriage/#comment-24658 Katie Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:19:31 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/caffeine-miscarriage/#comment-24658 I know that these researchers mean the best--or at least want to do something to continue to get their research grants--but every time a study like this comes out, it makes me wonder how the human species survived before we knew such things as these studies uncover. I know that these researchers mean the best–or at least want to do something to continue to get their research grants–but every time a study like this comes out, it makes me wonder how the human species survived before we knew such things as these studies uncover.

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