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Caffeine and Your Child

Article Summary: Your child's health is being compromised if he or she is a part of the energy drink craze like so many other young people. Find out how these 'witches' brews' of sugar, caffeine and herbs are negatively affecting your child's health now and in the future.

We tell our kids to stay away from drugs, and then we often allow them to get hooked on caffeine, an addictive drug. Many children are regularly drinking pop, coffee and energy drinks. As adults we need to be concerned about the effect of caffeine on their health - insomnia, restlessness, high blood pressure, increased heart rate and palpitations, anxiety, headaches and adrenal exhaustion - to name a few.

While Mountain Dew contains 55 milligrams of caffeine in a 12 ounce serving, one 8 ounce serving of Monster has 75 milligrams of caffeine and a 16 ounce SoBe Adrenaline Rush includes 152 milligrams of caffeine. Because many of the cans for these drinks have gotten larger, kids are getting 2-3 times the caffeine listed on the label.

In addition to the problems associated with the caffeine in energy drinks, the amount of sugar per serving is staggering. The average energy drink has 28-40 grams of sugar. That is 7-10 packets of sugar. Because sugar is implicated in health issues ranging from depressed immune systems to obesity to diabetes to cancer, kids drinking these energy drinks are severely compromising their health. The neuro-toxins that come along with sugar-free versions, in the form of artificial sweeteners, are like poison to the brain.

Many of the energy drinks you find in the hands of children and teenagers are a blend of different forms of caffeine, sugar and other herbs. The Medical Director from the Center of Integrative Medicine at the Encino-Tarzan Regional Medical Center says, "It just becomes more of a witches brew. You're playing with things we don't really understand and the longterm consequences are unclear."

Also, not to be overlooked, the companies who market energy drinks to kids are sending the message that kids need these drinks to get a buzz, to get through the day, to feel differently or to get a boost. Children are learning to rely on drugs and other substances to feel good. Instead of helping children choose healthy habits, like eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep, we are allowing them to use caffeine which can lead to poor habits and serious health issues. Since young people's brains and bodies are still developing and because energy drinks are a fairly new phenomena, research on the long-term health consequences of using these products is not available.

As parents, we want our kids to be healthy and happy. We need to make parenting decisions that promote good health for our children . Energy drinks are not a 'treat' and young children should not be offered these drinks at parties or on special occasions; and say no to teenagers who want to drink them at home or in your presence, while educating them about the health consequences of drinking energy drinks.

Resources for this article: Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden Dangers of America's #1 Drug by Stephen Cherniski Energy Drink Hype: A Monster of Concern, newsletter by Brighton High School Counselors

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Angelle Batten
Health Kids, Happy Moms @ http://www.nourishyourkids.com Two moms, one a Holistic Health Educator and the other a Holistic Pediatrician, help moms raise healthier children.