This document discusses caffeine intake and fertility. It summarizes recent research that found coffee had no effect on fertility, tea shortened time to conception, and soft drinks lengthened time to conception. It is recommended to limit caffeine intake to less than 200mg per day during preconception and pregnancy. Common sources of caffeine like coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate are listed along with their typical caffeine contents to help individuals stay within recommended limits.

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Caffeine & Fertility
Amanda Clark, ( Adv APD) Senior Dietitian,
Great Ideas in Nutrition, www.greatideas.net.au

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Safety for Preconception
Research shows inconsistent results in
relation to caffeine and fertility.
A recent Danish study found that various
caffeine containing drinks may affect fertility
differently.

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Coffee had no effect
Tea shortened the time to conception
Softdrinks lengthened the time to
conception.
This could be due to other lifestyle factors of
tea drinkers vs soft drinkers.

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Cause for concern?
 There is no Acceptable Daily Limit for caffeine in Australia
 Doses above 200mg/day may contribute to
 Elevated Blood pressure
 Anxiety
 Insomnia
 Headaches
 Reduced iron absorption
 Low birth weight
 Miscarriage
 Less than 200mg per day is recommended for pregnancy, greater than
600mg per day is likely to produce symptoms in most people.

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Cause for concern?
Many people tolerate doses up
to 600mg per day without
problems – individual tolerance
is affected by regularity of intake,
usual dose, body size, health
and genetic factors.

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Coffee and weight gain
As coffee consumption has increased and we have turned to milk based
varieties in ever increasing cup sizes, our energy intake has increased along
with our caffeine. Today’s Grande has over 4 times the calories of the instant
versions of the 1990s.

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Sources - Coffee
Drink Caffeine
1 mug instant coffee 100mg
1 cup brewed coffee 100-350mg
espresso 50-250mg
A recent study of commercially available
Australian coffees showed variation in the
caffeine content of an espresso from 50mg
up to 214mg per serve.

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Sources - Tea
Drink Caffeine
Black tea 40mg
White tea 40mg
Green tea 30mg
Decaffeinated tea 12mg
Herbal tea 0mg
Tea creates calm alertness Caffeine content of tea
Caffeine content is an estimate
and varies based on strength.
Some herbal teas may be harmful
during pregnancy. Check with
your obstetrician.

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Sources - Soft Drinks
Drink caffeine
Cola, 600ml bottle 60mg
Energy Drink, 500ml 160mg
Iced Tea,250ml 50mg
Caffeine containing drinks Caffeine Content

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Sources - Chocolate
Food Caffeine
Milk chocolate, 30g 5mg
Dark chocolate, 30g 20mg
Hot cocoa, 250ml 13mg
Chocolate Caffeine Content

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Tolerance & Dependence
 Anyone can build up tolerance
to caffeine. This means it takes
a larger dose to give you the
same effects you used to get on
a smaller dose
 Dependence means that it
takes up a lot of your thoughts,
emotions and activities.
 People who are dependent may
experience withdrawal including
headaches, tiredness and
mood swings.
How does it feel? What are they?

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Summary
There is no firm evidence that caffeine influences fertility
It is wise to limit caffeine intake during preconception in readiness for pregnancy.
To stay within the limits, limit to 2 cups coffee or 4 cups tea of average strength
per day and avoid energy drinks.
For further assistance on Fertility and Food, contact Amanda Clark
Email Amanda Clark
Visit: www.greatideas.net.au or phone 07 5536 6400
Great Ideas in Nutrition, Coolangatta, QLD. Available in person or via Skype.