Caffeine is a stimulant found in various foods and beverages, including coffee, tea, chocolate and soda. Some medications also contain caffeine, including some that can help you stay awake. Although caffeine is safe in moderate amounts, about 100 mg to 200 mg daily, it can cause some side effects and may increase your risk for bladder cancer, especially if you consume large amounts.
Bladder Cancer
Most people who suffer from bladder cancer have what is known as transitional cell cancer of the bladder, where the cancer cells affect the bladder lining and can stretch and shrink, depending on whether the bladder is full or empty. Symptoms of bladder cancer include difficulty emptying your bladder, needing to empty your bladder more often and having blood in your urine.
Caffeine and Bladder Cancer
It is unclear whether caffeine can increase your risk for bladder cancer, as study results are contradictory. A study published in 1982 in the "International Journal of Epidemiology" found no significant association between caffeine and bladder cancer. However, another study published in "Cancer Science" in February 2009 found an increased risk may exist for men who were former smokers or never smoked.
Risk Factors
Although doctors do not know exactly what causes bladder cancer, some things can increase your risk for this condition. These include a family or personal history of bladder cancer, smoking, working with certain chemicals, exposure to arsenic and having been treated with certain cancer medications in the past, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Considerations
Regardless of whether caffeine increases your risk for bladder cancer, consume it only in moderate amounts due to the potential side effects from consuming large amounts. These include faster or irregular heartbeats, difficulty sleeping, increased blood pressure, dehydration, shakiness, nervousness, headaches and dizziness. In very large amounts, caffeine can also cause death.
References
- Food and Drug Administration; Medicines in my Home: Caffeine and Your Body
- "National Cancer Institute"; What You Need to Know About Bladder Cancer; August 2010
- "International Journal of Epidemiology"; Life Time Occupation, Smoking, Caffeine, Saccharine, Hair Dyes and Bladder Carcinogenesis; G. Reza Najem, et al.; 1982
- "Cancer Science"; Coffee, Green Tea, and Caffeine Consumption and SubsequentRisk of Bladder Cancer in Relation to Smoking Status: a Prospective Study in Japan; N. Kurahashi, et al.; February 2009
