Coffee contains caffeine, which, if consumed in large amounts can have a negative impact on our health. Therefore, the later children are introduced to coffee, the better, because the effects of caffeine are intensified in children and young people.
This article takes a look at coffee, caffeine, and what happens when children and young people develop a taste for it, and finally, what you can do to influence your child’s social drink choices.
What’s in coffee that can harm health?
All coffee contains caffeine unless the coffee beans have been through a decaffeination process, and even then, traces of caffeine still remain. It’s the caffeine that can negatively affect your brain and nervous system if consumed in large quantities.
Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in the leaves and seeds of certain plants, and we process raw ingredients in ways that releases caffeine into the end product. In this case, we process (roast) coffee seeds (or beans) which eventually becomes the coffee we drink..
How much caffeine is ok for adults and kids?
Although caffeine has been deemed a safe and legal drug, it is recommended that consumption of it not exceed more than 400mg per day for adults, and less than this for young people, who should not consume more than 100mg per day.
It’s important to remember that the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee depends on the beans used, the way the coffee is made, and the size of the serving.
The effects of the energy “buzz” produced by caffeine is intensified if the drink is also high in sugar.
What does too much caffeine do to your health?
Caffeine provides an efficient and reliable energy buzz, which eventually wears off. Over consuming caffeine will reduce the potency of the “boost” so that increased amounts are needed to achieve the same thing.
Too much caffeine will result in the following symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Restlessness
- Inability to sleep
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Dehydration
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
- Dry skin
What does caffeine do to kid’s health?
The affects of caffeine on children are slightly different and have longer reaching effects on their health.
Some of the more adverse effects of caffeine on young people can include:
- Disturbed sleep patterns. Adolescents need more sleep than adults and they need sleep for different reasons, such as healthy growth and development.
- Taking a long time to fall asleep at night
- Restlessness and inability to relax or be calm. The impacts of caffeine on the developing brain (rather than the adult brain) are as yet unknown.
- Increased anxiety
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Acid reflux
- Increasing fatigue (that only caffeine can relieve)
- Dental problems (because coffee is acidic)
What’s the best age to start drinking coffee?
There is no designated age for when it becomes “safe” to drink coffee; in other words, there is no stated legal age, and so common sense and expert health guidance is what will guide you.
Experts recommend that children under the age of 12 not be given coffee. They don’t need it, and they certainly don’t need the caffeine energy boost that comes with it.
Children older than 12 should consume no more than 100g of caffeine per day.
Children and young people don’t typically develop a taste for coffee until their late teens, preferring soft drinks, sweetened milk drinks or juice blends to the bitter flavour profiles of coffee.
However, the new trend in hand crafted artisan drinks has resulted in large and very sweet flavoured milk and coffee drinks which contain high levels of sugar and caffeine.
Trendy drink names and serving styles has made these drinks very popular with young people, who may be unaware of how much sugar and caffeine they are consuming with each one.
What do I do if my kids want to drink coffee?
For young children, experts advise that coffee should simply be kept unavailable, and for older children, who may be purchasing coffee drinks when away from home anyway, the best path to take is to get informed and get involved.
Being informed about caffeine and its associated health issues is a good way to start.
- Be honest and open about your own coffee habits
- Demonstrate an interest in coffee culture rather than in caffeinated energy
- Talk about caffeine (and the hidden sources of it)
- Find out exactly how much caffeine and sugar are in the drinks the family consume
- Don’t drink coffee drinks from mid-afternoon onwards
- Encourage the consumption of other drinks and have them always available (water, milk)
- Watch for signs of over consumption
What’s the safest way to start drinking coffee?
If young people are showing a demonstrated interest in coffee, the best way to help them develop a safe and regulated taste for it is through taste and appreciation experiences.
This means developing an awareness of the complex flavour profiles of coffee beans, which young people tend to obscure through over consumption of sugar, flavouring and syrups (all of which contribute more sugar to the diet).
If an appreciation of coffee leads to an interest in coffee culture (which is invariably paired with good food culture), there are a number of valuable career options (such as barista) waiting to be discovered.
Always begin with less intense coffee drinks, such as lattes or cappuccinos. For cold drinks, try iced lattes or iced coffees. Try to keep coffee as a morning drink.
Avoid the new lines of “monster beans”, which are developed from mixed roast beans in order to produce the strongest cup of coffee imaginable, and which come with very serious health warnings.
Which other drinks have large amounts of caffeine?
Drinks which also contain caffeine range from soft drinks to common everyday brewed tea, and many of these have more caffeine than the average cup of coffee.
Other drinks to be aware of when scrutinizing caffeine intake include:
- Sports drinks
- Energy drinks
- Energy shots (very high in caffeine)
- Tea
- Some cola drinks
- Chocolate drinks
- Iced drinks made with coffee
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.
