Starting at what age can children drink coffee? & bull; hello healthy

In the past, coffee was a drink that was synonymous with adults who had a myriad of activities. However, nowadays you can find tons of coffee shops everywhere. This coffee shop offers various types of drinks with coffee-based ingredients that taste delicious on anyone's tongue, even teenagers and children. Because today drinking coffee has become part of the lifestyle, not a few teenagers and children have started drinking coffee. So the parents worry about their children drinking coffee. Can children actually drink coffee? To find out the answer, read on for full information below.

What levels of caffeine are safe for children?

Basically, it is the caffeine content that makes coffee a risky drink for children. Caffeine is a natural stimulant that can be found from various sources, such as coffee, soda, energy drinks and tea. The function of this stimulant substance is to help you stay awake and energized.

Coffee is one of the drinks with the highest caffeine content. In one cup of coffee, there are approximately 95 milligrams of caffeine. Meanwhile, experts suggest that children consume no more than 45 milligrams of caffeine in one day. That means that just one cup of coffee exceeds the level of caffeine that children can consume in a day. In fact, as mentioned earlier, caffeine is not only found in coffee. Your child may also consume caffeine from soda or tea on the same day.

Side effects of drinking coffee for children

Not only children, adults can experience various side effects of drinking coffee. In adults, the risks posed include diarrhea, stomach pain, difficulty sleeping, and restlessness. However, in children, the impact of drinking coffee can affect growth and health in the long term. Here are some of the side effects that children who drink coffee may experience.

Insomnia

Toddlers up to 12 years of age need at least 11 hours of sleep a day. Teens ages 12 to 18 should sleep approximately 10 hours a day. This sleep time is needed so that every function of the body works properly. If the child drinks coffee, caffeine is still stored in the child's body for up to 8 hours afterward. So when it's time for bed, the child is still awake and hasn't felt the urge to rest. Their sleeping hours will also be disturbed while children usually have to get up early to get ready for school. Due to lack of sleep, they will look for coffee again the next day to increase their stamina and alertness. This cycle will continue to repeat itself until the child always has difficulty sleeping or insomnia at night.

Hyperactivity

For adults, the effect of coffee in increasing energy can be very helpful for carrying out daily work. However, children who drink coffee will exhibit restless behavior, are unable to concentrate, and are hyperactive. This is because children are much more susceptible to caffeine than adults.

In addition, children are still more difficult to control themselves than adults. As a result, if children drink coffee and they have to sit to concentrate on listening to class all day long, they will show hyperactive behavior. If it is not consumed on school days, coffee will also make children restless and unable to keep quiet. Instead of being vigilant, the child may even be less careful in their activities.

Interferes with calcium absorption

Caffeine is a substance that can interfere with the absorption of calcium in the body. Coffee that contains caffeine is a diuretic, which triggers the production of urine. The faster the urine or urine is excreted by the kidneys, the more calcium that has not been absorbed by the body is also wasted. In fact, calcium is needed by children to form strong bones and teeth. Lack of calcium runs the risk of stunting your child's growth and causing problems such as cavities.

Reducing appetite

Coffee is a stimulant drink that will have a negative impact on children's appetites. Meanwhile, children in their infancy really need a variety of nutritional intake obtained from food. So, be careful if your child has difficulty eating but likes to drink coffee. In addition, coffee can also cause indigestion in children with symptoms of nausea or stomach pain. This will make the child less appetite.

Dependency

If your child drinks coffee frequently, the caffeine content can lead to dependence. Over time, the child has to drink more coffee to help him stay awake. Drinking too much coffee has the risk of causing various long-term disorders such as heart disease or nerve damage. This risk is higher if the habit of drinking coffee starts early.

How old are children to drink coffee?

Basically there is no official standard from a certain health agency to find out at what age children can drink coffee. However, based on consideration of the risks that coffee poses to children, you should not get your children into the habit of drinking coffee before they turn 18. This is also voiced by an American nutritionist, Andy Bellati, who recommends children and adolescents under the age of 18 to avoid coffee. According to Andy Bellati, coffee that needs to be avoided is not only in the form of black coffee, but also various types of coffee-based drinks such as milk coffee, cappuccino, frappuccino, latte, and its kind. You should also pay attention to the levels of caffeine your child consumes through soda, tea, or energy drinks.