Expert: Plenty of caffeine alternatives
Monday, 21 Jan 2008 11:53
Pregnant women can easily find alternatives to caffeine, a female health expert claims.
Dr Tracy Flanagan, director of women's health at the healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente in northern California, said there are a number of ways to 'pick yourself up' without a caffeine buzz.
Her advice follows a study from researchers at Kaiser Permanente which found that pregnant women who drank more than two cups of coffee a day significantly increased their risk of miscarriage.
The UK's Food Standards Agency currently advises that pregnant women should not drink more than 300mg (three cups of coffee) of caffeinated drinks a day.
"If you definitely need caffeine to get you going, try keeping it to one cup or less a day," Dr Flanagan said.
"Avoiding it may be even better. Consider switching to decaffeinated coffee and other decaffeinated beverages during your pregnancy.
"Learn to perk up instead with natural energy boosts like a brisk walk, yoga stretches, snacking on dried fruits and nuts."
