Sometimes you can hear from teenagers 11-12 years old that they adore and regularly drink coffee. Are young mocha lovers aware that each serving contains a solid dose of caffeine, sometimes as high as 95 milligrams? Is early initiation into a strong, spurting drink acceptable? For decades, mankind has been looking for the answer to the question of how many years children can drink coffee.
Caffeine Sources
For most children, parents are forbidden to drink “drink for vigor” up to 11-17 years (adolescence). However, there are a huge number of different sources of caffeine, which are very popular among the younger generation.
For example, 300 ml of Pepsi contains 38 milligrams of an exciting substance; 500 ml Lipton Pure Leaf (bottled iced tea) - 60 milligrams; a can of Red Bull energy drink - 80 milligrams. There is it in chocolates. Are moms and dads worried about how much caffeine their children consume daily? Or do they consider this the norm?
How old can I drink coffee? So I want to try it faster! The effect of a cup of morning coffee is familiar to many adults: the head clears up, a surge of vigor is felt. “Until I miss a cup of coffee, my brains seem to be tightened by a web,” some admit. Sounds tempting. But is it harmless?
Wake up and sing
Caffeine is a natural stimulant. In different quantities it contains coffee, tea, chocolate. Nevertheless, this substance is also part of a number of drugs. With it, they stimulate mental activity, affect heart contractions (“the motor works like a clock”), activate blood circulation.
Having “fed” with caffeine, we continue to stay awake in the dead of night. True, sometimes (this effect is familiar to avid drink lovers) the coveted portion causes overexcitation, “a storm in the stomach” (upset stomach), a feeling that the heart does not beat, but pounds. And these are only visible manifestations. Judging by the information, the question is how many years you can drink coffee, far from idle.
Scientists do not yet know exactly what the consequences are for caffeine use in children. What happens to the cardiovascular system of eight-year-olds? Or with their brain? Judith Owens, director of the Center for the Study of Sleep Disorders in Patients at the Boston Children's Hospital, asked these questions.
Less pepsi, more coffee
How old can I drink coffee? After conducting a series of studies, she came to the conclusion: there are no reasons justifying the child's early acquaintance with coffee, or rather, with the stimulant contained in it. Yet America’s future continues to absorb the purine alkaloid with drink and food.
The results are staggering: 73 percent of young US citizens (2 to 22 years old) consume caffeine every day. The first studies (1999-2000) showed that 63 percent of those observed receive it along with their favorite soda water (Pepsi and others). In 2009-2010, the indicator fell to 38 percent.
The decline is wonderful if not for one “but”. At the same time, the number of people dependent on caffeine in coffee (from 10 to 24 percent) and energy drinks (from zero to 6 percent) increased. The total amount of caffeine consumed remained stable: from 60 to 80 mg daily for a decade.
Caffeine Consumption
When they say: “Too much caffeine,” you want to know how it looks in numbers. There are different opinions. For example, specialists from the Canadian Ministry of Health, having studied the topic, determined the intake rate for adults with "Olympic" health - no more than 400 mg per day; for pregnant (lactating) women - 300.
And the kids? How much caffeine does it harm? 4-6 years - a maximum of 45 mg; 7-9 years old - 62.5 mg; 10-12 years - 85 mg. For older, but far from adulthood, the recommended maximum is 2.5 mg per kilogram of body weight (note, calculated as a medicine).
In her popular science magazine article, Judith Owens wrote that by reducing drowsiness, caffeine helps a schoolchild or student complete a complex and voluminous homework assignment. At the same time, she urged parents to pay attention to the reverse side of the coin, before recklessly advising anyone how many years to drink coffee.
Don't rush wait
At first, the energy boost is pleasing, but later, side effects, such as increased irritability, even aggressiveness, and problems falling asleep, make themselves felt. Many consumers have coffee addiction. No wonder: according to some parameters, caffeine fits the description of narcotic substances.
In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics formulated and published an important appeal to the nation. Doctors insisted that caffeinated drinks should never be included in the menu recommended by children and adolescents. Most Russian scientists are in solidarity with colleagues.
Yes, tea and coffee are so familiar that it is difficult to find a family in which they are not drunk. You can often hear how, while sipping a cappuccino, adults, looking at the crumbs playing next to them, are discussing how many years children can drink coffee with milk?
If the pediatricians are allowed to give low-brewed tea almost from birth, they recommend that they put off acquaintance with coffee for many years; if the baby is three or four years old, then at least ten years.
Coffee with milk
There is an opinion that at the age of 13-14, the child’s body in terms of maturity “pulls up” to the adult. It is time to answer the question: how much and how much? You can drink coffee with milk for children in the amount of one or two cups - this is the answer. You must admit that milk is a more familiar product for a child’s body and will soften the taste and impact of a new drink for a teenager.
How many years can you drink coffee without milk? Everyone decides for himself. But it is worth remembering that the drink has a diuretic effect, which means that it helps to wash out important trace elements from the body. It is no secret that coffee lovers are recommended to drink plenty of water (up to 2 liters per day), as well as take care of replenishing the supply of useful substances necessary for normal life.
It is impossible to recommend such a thing to a child: growing organs are already working in a tense manner. Is it worth artificially creating “coffee” stressful situations when laying the foundation of health for a long life? Of course, you should not scare children with “terrible, harmful coffee,” but you can and should explain the precautions for use.