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Pregnant women in Sweden warned to drink less coffee

TT/The Local
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Pregnant women in Sweden warned to drink less coffee
The proportion of caffeine varies depending on the type of coffee. File photo: Stina Stjernkvist/TT

The recommended daily dose of caffeine for pregnant women has been reduced by the Swedish Food Agency.

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The previous advice of a maximum daily intake of 300 milligrams of caffeine per day has been replaced with advice to drink no more than 200 milligrams during pregnancy.

The reason for these suggested limits is that an intake of over 300 milligrams of caffeine per day is thought to be linked to a risk of miscarriage, but newer research also suggests that an intake of 200 milligrams can affect the weight of the foetus.

Caffeine isn't only in coffee but also in products including tea, energy drinks, sports drinks and supplements, Coca Cola and chocolate.

The Swedish Food Agency's calculations state that two to three 150-millilitre cups of coffee (up to a maximum of 450 millilitres of the drink) would contain the maximum amount of caffeine, or four 200-millilitre cups of tea.

But in Sweden, a single cup of standard filter coffee can be as much as 500-millilitres, while an energy drink of just 330 millilitres could contain the maximum amount of caffeine.

The Nordic country has one of the highest levels of coffee consumption per capita worldwide, with a strong cafe culture revolving around the traditional coffee and cake break known as fika

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