Coffee, caffeine and kidney stones in genetic study
What it found
In a genetic analysis of people, those genetically predisposed to drink more coffee or take in more caffeine had a lower risk of kidney stones.
The authors say this suggests coffee and caffeine may cause a reduction in kidney stones.
What they found
Studies in people
Coffee and kidney stones
A genetically predicted 50% increase in coffee consumption was linked to a lower risk of kidney stones. The combined estimate was 0.60.
Caffeine and kidney stones
A genetically predicted 80-mg increase in caffeine consumption was also linked to a lower risk of kidney stones. The combined estimate was 0.81.
Consistency across groups
The link was seen in the UK Biobank study and pointed the same way in the FinnGen consortium.
What the authors conclude
“Using genetic data, this study provides evidence that higher coffee and caffeine consumption may cause a reduction in kidney stones.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say that using genetic data, this study provides evidence that higher coffee and caffeine consumption may cause a reduction in kidney stones.
How it was done
Observational studies had linked coffee and caffeine consumption with a lower risk of kidney stones. The authors wanted to test whether that link is causal.
They used genetic variants linked to coffee and caffeine consumption as stand-ins, and looked at kidney stone data from the UK Biobank (6,536 cases and 388,508 noncases) and the FinnGen consortium (3,856 cases and 172,757 noncases). They combined the estimates from the two sources.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This kind of study uses genes as a stand-in for coffee and caffeine intake, so it cannot prove that drinking coffee itself directly prevents kidney stones.
- The authors note that genetic influences on kidney stone risk through pathways not involving coffee or caffeine could affect the results.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Sweden; Uppsala University, Sweden
The paper
- Title
- Coffee and Caffeine Consumption and Risk of Kidney Stones: A Mendelian Randomization Study
- Type
- Meta-analysis
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Yuan S, Larsson SC (2022). Coffee and Caffeine Consumption and Risk of Kidney Stones: A Mendelian Randomization Study. American journal of kidney diseases. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2021.04.018PubMed 34690004DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error