This article was first published in Skeptical Researcher.
I started drinking coffee around the age of fourteen, and almost every day on my way to high school I would stop at a coffee shop for a cup. When rowing was from 6:00 to 8:30 in the morning, classes from 9:00 to 3:00, band from 3:30 to 5:00, and then working at a telemarketing company from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m., this delicious bean juice was a godsend. I am five feet, 1.5 inches lofty, and everyone in my life has always joked that years of drinking coffee had led to my minuscule stature. But while it has long been believed that coffee stunts growth, this is an obvious truth, there is very little evidence to support it.
The origins of this myth are somewhat unclear. Claims to regulate coffee consumption abound throughout history and newfangled times. King Charles II the drink was banned in 1675 in England, and at some point before the 17th century, Ethiopian Orthodox Church forbade its members from drinking it. In recent times, the regulations have been circumscribed mainly to recommendations for daily intake, but claims ranging from coffee medicinal benefits Additionally It could potentially harm you abound.
Much of the theory that coffee stunts children’s growth or development may be true. followed down advertising campaign Down Posthumousan alternative to roasted coffee beans, first introduced to the market in 1895 by CW MailPost Consumer Brands (formerly Post Cereals). Post was a student of John Harvey Kellogg, who ran Battle Creek Sanitarium and was a well-known advocate of pseudoscientific remedies such as yogurt enemas. Post took from Kellogg the belief that caffeine was the cause of many bodily diseases.
Post ads highly concentrated about the alleged harmful effects of coffee, from heart damage Down addictionand even hired a cartoon ghost mascot named Mr. Coffee Nerves. One particular type of ad focused on the dangers of coffee for children, with statements such as: “Stopped by coffee… this boy never had a fair chance” next to a photo of a student writing a test in an empty classroom.
Postum’s claims that coffee “hinders normal development and growth” were not motivated by science, but rather by profit. As for what science has to say about caffeine and children, it’s a bit complicated. It’s no evidence that caffeine consumption can directly stunt growth. “Caffeine has no significant effect on how lofty a child is” According to pediatric endocrinologist Roy Kim. Although coffee may have an appetite-suppressing effect, there has never been a proven link between this and stunted growth. This does not mean that caffeine and coffee are Good for children.
Coffee isn’t the only source of caffeine in most kids’ lives. Sodas, chocolate, energy drinks, and even over-the-counter medications can contain the drug. Like adults who overindulge in roasted bean juice, kids can experience anxiety, irritability, headaches or stomach upset caffeine consumptionAnd since they are generally smaller, less caffeine needed to see these effects in the youthful. Much like an adult who drinks an espresso too delayed in the afternoon, children can have their sleep disrupted by caffeine, which can lead to problems at school or other health problems.
According to American Academy of PediatricsThere is no proven unthreatening amount of caffeine for children. However, as many sources point out, this is partly because there has been relatively little research on the true effects of caffeine on children. So, while you should probably limit the caffeine your children get, especially closer to bedtime, there is no reason to believe that coffee is more perilous than other sources of caffeine, such as soda, chocolate, or tea. In some cultures, such as Latin American or Cajan, it is the norm to consume coffee throughout childhood.
