Kids and the Caffeine Craze

Your child loves those coffee and energy drinks, but are they harmful?

How Much Is Too Much?

Health experts recommend no more than:
Age	Milligrams of caffeine
4 – 6 years	45
7 – 9 years	63
10 – 18 years	85
Adults	400-450
A 12-ounce soda has about 45 milligrams of caffeine.

At the convenience store, your youngest grabs a cola, your teen wants the latest latte, and your athlete goes for an energy drink. What do they all have in common? Caffeine—and children today get more than ever. Marketers pitch jumbo colas, flavored coffees and other caffeinated drinks to make children feel trendy and stay charged-up for games or late-night studying.

It’s not just limited to beverages. Your child can get that caffeine kick through “energy” supplements and bars, too.

You don’t have to ban caffeine completely, but too much definitely can be harmful, says pediatrician Amy Vyas, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Just like adults, children can become addicted to caffeine, and they’re more sensitive to the effects because of their lighter body weight. Excess caffeine can make them nervous and moody, raise blood pressure and heart rate, disturb sleep and affect concentration in school.” Highly caffeinated energy drinks can cause an energy “crash” when the effect wears off.

Here are more reasons to be careful about children’s caffeine consumption:

It can rob young bones of calcium. Adding two or more tablespoons of milk offsets this effect, Vyas says. But remember, the more caffeinated soda children drink, the less milk (and calcium) they’re likely getting at a time when they’re building bones and teeth to last a lifetime.

As a diuretic, it can cause dehydration. Don’t give children iced tea to cool off in hot weather, or energy drinks before playing sports. “To replace fluid lost by sweating and keep them going in the game, they should drink water instead,” says Vyas’ colleague, registered dietitian Holly Van Poots.

It can suppress healthy appetite, preventing children from getting their proper nutrition.

It can raise the risk for obesity. Many caffeinated drinks are high in sugar and calories. “Drinking one 12-ounce soda daily can increase your child’s obesity risk by almost 60 percent,” Vyas says. Popular espresso drinks can total a whopping 500 calories (and double or triple the daily caffeine recommendation).

It can lead to tooth decay, from the sugar and acids added to most popular soft drinks. “These acids are found in both regular and diet sodas and contribute to enamel breakdown,” Vyas says.

It can cause hypertension later in life. High blood pressure is common in people addicted to caffeine.

Help your child cut back slowly to avoid withdrawal headaches. “Water, 100 percent juice and low-fat milk are the best alternatives,” Van Poots says. “Even ‘decaffeinated’ drinks still have about 5 milligrams of caffeine per cup.”

Want to Know More about caffeine content in brand-name coffee and energy drinks, teas, sodas, foods and medications? Call 610-402-CARE or click here.

Published from Healthy You Magazine May-June 2007

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