Is caffeine consumption bad for children?

Caffeine consumption by children is increasing. Children are often given the supposedly energy drinks to boost their strength. Unknown to them, these drinks are latent with caffeine and high sugar content. Debate on whether caffeine is bad for children continues at various platforms. Several studies show that regular intake of caffeine associated drinks make children sleep for lesser time while also worsening cases of anxiety disorder. There are other various reasons your children shouldn’t be consuming caffeine.

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Caffeine is absorbed in every body tissue. It increases your heart rate increasing the blood pressure, causing trouble sleeping. But for children, sleeping is one of the major factors for their growth. Hence, ingesting caffeine can hamper their body metabolism and growth.

Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it is a drug.  It can therefore change their appetite and affect their body altogether. Adolescents gain half of their adult weight in their teenage years. As a stimulant, caffeine affects the central nervous system. The brain of a child tends to be a little bit more sensitive to caffeine's effects than the brains of adults. With adults, caffeine serves to stay awake, with children caffeine can cause them to be hyperactive. It can hence make them more nervous, anxious and worsen their bowel movement.

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In addition, with every can of caffeinated soda, they are also taking in a lot of sugar. It causes the tooth to decay and increase the chance of childhood obesity. The earlier a child’s obesity begins the more likely it is to follow them in adulthood. It can also make your child form a habit which is extremely unhealthy. As concerned parents, it is best to keep off caffeine-linked food and drinks away from children.