Walk into any popular city coffee shop and spend a couple of hours there, and you'll probably see a few teenagers, and maybe even younger children, popping into the coffee shop for a cup of invigorating drink.
The image of a 13-year-old drinking coffee seems somehow wrong - a child enjoying an adult's habit. Parents naturally wonder whether this coffee cup will harm the child’s health.
PS: Remember, we are here to make it clear, the final authority in opinion is the parents themselves, and only they can decide what is best for their child.
Can children drink coffee?
Children love to imitate adults, and if they see you drinking coffee, they will want to try it themselves. However, allowing a child under 12 to drink coffee is a bad idea.
pros
Recent studies have shown that drinking coffee may reduce the risk of heart disease and early death. If coffee was previously condemned, today the prevailing opinion is that if it does not disturb sleep , then it is healthy. Research has shown that coffee contains antioxidant compounds, including polyphenols, which in turn have beneficial anti-inflammatory effects.
Minuses
Caffeine is absorbed into the body very quickly, reduces appetite and causes sleep problems. If you consume too much caffeine, your child may experience agitation, muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting, and involuntary twitching. Caffeine toxicity can lead to increased heart rate and irregular pulse.
Quantity
According to doctors, babies can drink weak coffee, but with some reservations:
- For the first time, children should be offered a coffee drink from 1 mug over a period of 30 days. Gradually the volume can be increased to 1 weekly serving.
- If a 7-year-old child wants to drink a coffee shake, he should dilute the strong liquid with the same amount of milk. At this age, you should not consume more than 1 serving per month.
- At the age of 10 years, a coffee mix mixed with a milk component can be drunk three or four times a month.
- Teenagers 12-14 years old are allowed to drink the cocktail twice a week. But such a drink should not contain large doses of caffeine.
It is necessary to completely abandon the aromatic mix if the baby is diagnosed with pathologies of the liver, cardiovascular system, kidneys, if he suffers from tuberculosis, insomnia, stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, or blurred vision.
Also, due to the active diuretic effect, such cocktails should not be drunk if you have enuresis.
What kind of coffee should children not drink?
What do we mean by the word "COFFEE"? We ask this because there are significant differences between coffee and coffee drink.
Some of today's popular coffee drinks contain much more than just coffee. Sugar is the main ingredient in many specialty lattes and cappuccinos offered by popular coffee chains. A glass with more sugar than a liter of Coca-Cola. And yes, it's possible. At some point, the coffee supposedly turns into caffeinated candy.
This amount of sugar significantly exceeds the maximum amount of 25 grams per day that the World Heart Association recommends for people 18 years of age and younger. And doctors who have studied the health effects of sugar say it increases the risk of obesity and diabetes in young people, and possibly problems with cognitive development.
If you are concerned about your child's health, then pay attention to his overall diet, do not demonize coffee, focus it on the overall consumption of caffeine specifically.
Wait a minute! Does chocolate also have caffeine?
Karina Fomicheva:
Yes, but there is less of it. And hardly anyone builds a child’s diet around chocolate, and 25-30 grams and not every day, which is about 10-15 mg of caffeine, is not that much. But chocolate should be limited for many other reasons.
Yulia Kiltina:
The darker the chocolate, the more caffeine it contains. But children usually don't like the taste. And the amount of caffeine in milk is not dangerous, but there is a lot of sugar. You should be wary of the stimulating effect on the nervous system of large portions of fast carbohydrates. For example, if at a holiday a child drinks cola, which contains caffeine, and eats sweets and chocolate, then there will be a significant overkill. And this is all much less useful than a cup of weak coffee with cream in the morning.
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At what age can children drink coffee?
It is harmful for children to start drinking coffee at an early age. And excessive caffeine consumption can lead to negative consequences for a growing body, as proven by health experts.
Then what should be the right age for children to start drinking coffee?
Caffeine intake in children:
- Children aged 4 to 6 years - no more than 45 mg per day,
- Children aged 7 to 9 years - no more than 63 mg per day,
- Children aged 10 to 12 years - no more than 85 mg per day,
- Children aged 13 years and older - no more than 125 mg per day (This depends on body weight).
The average caffeine content in 250 ml of brewed coffee is 95 mg. But it differs depending on the type of coffee. In addition to coffee, caffeine is found in tea (48 mg per 300 ml), soda (37 mg per 500 ml), hot chocolate (10 mg per 500 ml) and dark chocolate (10-30 mg per 50 grams). It is also added to various sports products, energy drinks, mints, juices, and energy bars.
Caffeine is found in more than 60 types of plants. Coffee beans, cocoa beans, tea leaves are just the most famous and common of them.
From a practical point of view, children under 12 years old should not drink coffee. It is better to reduce the amount according to their age, or not give coffee at all if possible. The absolutely safe age to start drinking caffeine is 18 years old; during this period, their growth and development slow down. The reason is that, unlike teenage children, most children under 12 years of age have enough energy for daily activities and do not need additional caffeine intake.
What's the best way to make coffee for kids?
An acceptable option is to give children coffee with milk, especially when the body is just getting used to it. Milk makes the caffeine concentration weaker (and therefore less harmful to the developing body). Condensed milk is also used for the same purpose. For preparation, it is better to take filtered drinking water. The beans cannot be digested - as soon as the coffee boils, the Turk is immediately removed from the heat and the drink is allowed to settle for several minutes (under the lid). You should not prepare coffee for future use. Children benefit only from a freshly brewed drink, which is prepared using a lower concentration of beans than in adult coffee. If it is brewed for all family members, then half a cup is poured for the child, then topped up with milk. This will help avoid negative effects on the stomach.
Rules for children to drink coffee
- You should not give coffee on an empty stomach - drink it after breakfast;
- the optimal time to take it is the first snack (between breakfast and lunch);
- after a heavy lunch, coffee may be “heavy” for the digestive system;
- caffeine is not recommended in the afternoon - sleep patterns are disrupted;
- You cannot give a drink without caffeine - this unnatural surrogate will only harm the body;
- the soluble product has a synthetic base and a minimum of useful substances;
- coffee bags are a low-grade product that does not provide a long-term tonic effect; green beans are a semi-finished product that reduces appetite;
- it can cause intoxication of the body.
If an invigorating liquid is introduced into the diet of a growing body, then it is prepared from lightly roasted natural grains (they can be ground before adding to the turk). If the beans are overcooked, it is better not to use them for children.
What happens if a child drinks a lot of coffee?
Negative effects of excessive consumption of caffeinated drinks:
- Insomnia,
- Hyperactivity, lack of calm and concentration,
- Nausea and lack of appetite,
- Headache,
- Tremor and dizziness
- Caries,
- Bone loss
- Irritability and mood problems,
- Increased levels of stress hormones;
Symptoms of caffeine overdose may include:
- Vomit,
- Increased blood pressure,
- Cardiopalmus,
- Heart rhythm disturbances,
- Disorientation and hallucinations;
Every year, thousands of people, some of them children, receive emergency treatment for caffeine overdose. Young people with cardiovascular and nervous system diseases are at greater risk of developing problems from caffeine use.
Consequences
If coffee is given to children regularly, they may suffer from side effects. Among them are:
- increased breathing;
- the appearance of headaches;
- the appearance of vomiting;
- increase in limb tremor;
- increase in body temperature;
- pressure surges.
The body’s side response may be different for each person, so treating children with such a drink should be done under personal supervision.
What is caffeine?
Caffeine is the most common naturally occurring psychoactive substance found in plants growing primarily in tropical and subtropical regions of the planet. Plants use caffeine as a natural pesticide because it is toxic to insects and other pests.
Early human civilizations discovered that consuming plants containing caffeine had stimulating effects, and in some cases, these plants were even considered sacred.
Expansion of horizons, travel and active trade have led to the fact that caffeine has spread throughout the world, and today more than 80% of the world's population consumes caffeine in one form or another.
In addition to coffee, caffeine is found in tea (48 mg per 300 ml), soda (37 mg per 500 ml), hot chocolate (10 mg per 500 ml) and dark chocolate (10-30 mg per 50 grams). It is also added to various sports products, energy drinks, mints, juices, and energy bars.
Caffeine is found in more than 60 types of plants. Coffee beans, cocoa beans, tea leaves are just the most famous and common of them.
Without breakfast
Suddenly you find that your child doesn't have the time, appetite, or even desire to eat breakfast.
This eating behavior is not uncommon. According to nutritionists, up to half of adult men and adolescents of both sexes, as well as up to two-thirds of women, regularly skip breakfast. They do this completely in vain, because breakfast is the most important meal of the day, which allows you to effectively control hunger, maintain a healthy weight and maintain a good mood throughout the day. Diet for clear skin
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How to get more energy naturally?
What to do with a child who really wants to drink what is in a cool jar or glass?
Sit down and talk to him about it. Ask why they want it. Is it because friends drink it? Or do they feel a lack of energy?
If your child is complaining of lethargy, you can work together to find natural ways to perk him up. We suggest starting with the basics:
- More movement, sports, activity,
- Healthy sleep,
- Balanced food,
- Multivitamins,
- Sufficient amount of water.
The benefits of coffee for children's bodies
Coffee beans, if they are high-quality and natural, contain a number of valuable vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other important and valuable substances. If you correctly approach the introduction of a drink to the children's menu, you will strengthen the child's immune system, have a positive effect on his psycho-emotional state, and also achieve a number of other positive effects.
A properly prepared drink, consumed in moderation by children, will contribute to:
- healthy blood circulation;
- improving mood;
- stimulation of cognitive functions of the brain;
- eliminating fatigue;
- protecting the body from radiation.
Coffee is also good for children's bones, but excessive consumption will lead to the opposite consequences.
The positive qualities of the drink are due to the presence in its composition of:
- retinol;
- calciferol;
- calcium;
- phosphorus, magnesium and other macro- and microelements.
These substances are important for an actively growing and still fragile child’s body. But, if you are wary of giving your child coffee, you have an alternative - a decaffeinated drink.
Alternative to coffee and coffee-containing drinks
Many children are simply seduced by the color of beautiful coffee cups, soda cans and their taste, they want to have something in common with the society that surrounds them. So help them find alternative drinks.
There is no alternative to coffee with the same coffee taste. But what about other drinks, such as energy drinks. Of course, decaffeinated soda is an option, but there are healthier options.
We offer the following sugar-free and caffeine-free alternatives:
- Flavored water (for example, flavored with fruit essences).
- Plain water infused with chopped lemons or berries.
- Herbal teas (serve hot or cold).
Caffeine: benefit or harm
In small doses, caffeine has a positive effect on the brain, reduces drowsiness, and improves performance. Tones blood vessels and heart function. Stimulates the production of the joy hormone in the brain, which can improve mood.
But if you use coffee only for mood, addiction will occur very quickly. The drink should be perceived as a treat, not a mood stimulant.
Coffee is contraindicated for people with hypertension and heart disease. At the initial stage of hypertension, you can drink coffee with milk, but not more than 1 cup per day. Milk limits vascular stimulation.
For ulcers and gastritis, any coffee will stimulate an exacerbation and should be avoided.
What parents can do
It's best for parents to teach their children about common sources of caffeine and how to read food and drink labels. Talk openly and freely with your child about caffeine use to understand their beliefs about the risks and benefits of caffeine use.
If you are concerned about your child's caffeine use, talk to your child's pediatrician, child psychiatrist, or mental health professional about the need for more intensive help or advice.
