Can Coffee Deplete Calcium and Promote Breast Fibroids?

I heard that the caffeine in coffee can rob your body of calcium. Is this true? Also, can the caffeine promote growth of fibroids in a person's body if they already have them, say in the breast? I have tried to switch to decaffeinated coffee because of these reports I have read.

Yes, caffeine does cause the excretion of calcium from the body. Please see our Q&A items on osteoporosis for other foods that cause calcium excretion. These are on our web site at www.richters.com. Choose "Q&A" from the main menu, and then enter "osteoporosis" for the search.
Thomas Bartram, "Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine" (available at Richters) states that "excess caffeine in coffee, tea, cola and chocolate has been shown to be a factor in fibrocystic breast disease in women, and breast cancer increased". Because decaffeinated coffee is said to contain toxic chemicals, it is preferable to switch to coffee substitutes like dandelion root, roasted barley, or some mixtures that are available in health food stores. They really are very tasty! In order to decrease your coffee intake, try starting by mixing half coffee with half of one of the natural coffee substitutes. You can add a dash of cinnamon for an even more interesting flavour.