Caffeinated Kids: A Nutrition Deconstruction

Update Sept. 29, 2016 Today is National Coffee Day!

While these Harvard studies for ADULTS caffeine intake bring us a few ‘ahhh’ morning moments, this AAP study with KIDS could have parents steaming, as it points to the dangers of children’s consumption (especially energy drinks) and notes consumption by teens age 17, 18 has doubled over the last decade. 

With Starbucks toting tweens and amped up candy aisle and energy drink consumption, it’s important to remember these are developing adolescent bodies, not fully grown adults, as media has reported the intake and safety issues of kids drinking more coffee now, as well as the adverse effects of anxiety and stress levels linked to caffeinated kids.

How much is too much? Kids’ blood pressure and heart rates are far more sensitive to stimulus in products like these, so read the labels, heed the warnings, and keep a keen eye on what’s being marketed to kids with ‘coolness cache’ especially those gawdawful energy drinks. 

Update Dec. 7, 2011 Nice capsulized fact sheet for teens from Center for Young Women’s Health, via CMCH Boston. Now read on for more…

Mar. 3, 2008 No surprise that I’m a full disclosure Accountability Central kind of gal when it comes to label lingo.From caffeine to junk food I’m a huge supporter of labeling to SEE what we’re putting into our bodies, since more and more, caffeine is seeping into doses of charged up candy, energy drinks, gum, yogurt, even oatmeal.

For context, I’ll first send you to this excellent article called “Generation Wired” by my pal Helen Cordes, Editor in Chief of Daughters.com (fabulous publication; highly recommend)…then reveal she wrote about the caffeine to kids trend for MetroActive a decade ago!

Yep. That’s right, kids have been ‘über-charged’ since then, but as you can see in this late ’90s newsy article it’s been ramping up for a looooong while. Here’s an ABC news article on caffeine labeling (coming at month’s end) in New York.

Shaping Youth has been trying to stay on top of what’s actually IN those yummy cuppas that kids are snarfing like milkshakes. (see “how to survive in latte land” (4 pg. pdf article); it’s hard to keep up with the ‘lift and reveal’ tactics when countless products premiere in constant churn!

Pepsi recently received CSPI kudos for leading the way on voluntary labeling with a call for Coke and others to follow suit…Yet here I am as a mom with vague recollection, thinking, “Didn’t we already tackle this long ago? Hasn’t this been handled yet?” Um…nope, guess not.

In this March edition of CSPI’s Nutrition Action health letter, you can read all about the pros and cons of caffeine, and get “up to speed” with vital ‘aha’ moments gleaned from new research that combines prior reports into mega-merged offerings.

This works well for us, since we’ve tapped into the KIDS equation via our own Shaping Youth Nutrition Correspondent Rebecca Scritchfield to answer the ‘how much is too much’ question.

For those inspired by pockets of progress, look to Sugar Shock’s blog reporting on NYC menu labels listing calories as of 3-31-08 to try to help curb obesity too. Ah, now if we could get that ‘lift and reveal’ for diabetes, applied to caffeine and other additives making their way into kids’ food supply…not just in coffee, but items like yogurt, sweetened, fortified water, and more.

Here’s Shaping Youth’s health blogger Rebecca Scritchfield from Balanced Health & Nutrition, with her deconstruction on kids’ dietary intake of caffeine.

Caffeinated Kids: A Deconstruction
By Rebecca Scritchfield, Nutrition Correspondent for Shaping Youth

Candy sales are crashing and manufacturers have just the thing to give confections a “pick me up” — caffeine. It’s not surprising considering the data.

Sales of sugar confectionary dropped by 4% from 2001 to 2006, while energy-drink sales rose by more than 400% to $3.23 billion in the period, according to market researcher Mintel.

So, why not add caffeine to candy and see if it can sell like energy drinks? Of course, that’s what manufacturers will try. It’s their job to make money. But it’s parents’ job to know the pros and cons of caffeine and make a decision on what they will allow their kids to have. I hope this blog post helps you in that endeavor.

First, get the facts:

The recommended minimum amount of caffeine kids should consume per day is ZERO.

That’s because caffeine is not a nutrient, it’s a compound that stimulates the central nervous system when ingested. Caffeine is classified as a psychoactive drug, but it is not a controlled substance so it is legal.

In a spectrum of drugs, caffeine’s effects are more mild than amphetamines, cocaine and heroin, but it is manipulating the same channels, and that is one of the things that gives caffeine its addictive qualities. Other forms of caffeine include guaranine, mateine or theine.

Caffeine is widespread in the food supply since it is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and colas. It is also added artificially to a variety of foods and beverages, much like these new caffeinated candies.

In small amounts, caffeine has beneficial effects of improving alertness and decreasing fatigue. But there are undesirable effects of consuming too much, including insomnia, restlessness, irritability, nervousness, headaches, hand tremors, extra heartbeats and an inability to concentrate.

Compared to the general adult population, children are at increased risk for possible behavioral effects from caffeine.

Children are smaller and a little caffeine goes a long way.

So how much is too much?

Unfortunately, it depends on the person because everyone handles caffeine differently. But there are some guidelines:

For children age 12 and under, a maximum daily caffeine intake of no more than 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight is recommended.

Here are the numbers based on weight averages:

* 45 mg for children aged 4 – 6;
* 62.5 mg for children aged 7 – 9; and
* 85 mg for children aged 10 – 12

Consuming candy and cola on a regular basis can push kids over these limits. And what about these caffeinated chocolates? Well, the news is not good.

For example, one Snickers Charged bar (65 mg) and a 20 oz Mountain Dew (90 mg) gives 155 mg caffeine. That’s 187% of the recommended limit of caffeine for a 10-12 year old! Replace the Dew with a Coke and the number drops only slightly to about 120 mg of caffeine.

The caffeine numbers can add up quickly and your child could experience negative effects like restlessness and insomnia.

From a nutrition standpoint, the candy and soda offers very little of value to the diet anyway, just some empty calories. These calories can contribute to weight gain or they can replace the calories that should come from more nutritious foods. In addition, caffeine can cause the body to lose calcium — just what your growing children don’t need.

For every 150mg of caffeine, the body loses 5mg calcium. My advice to parents is to do what you always do – monitor and control, especially if you suspect caffeine may be contributing to sleep or behavioral problems in your kids.

Don’t let your kids get fooled by the sleek marketing of the buzz-inducing, caffeine-spiked candy. Chocolate already has enough on it’s own. Allow a small amount of chocolate (one ounce) or caffeine-free regular or diet soda (6-8 ounces) as an occasional treat. Trail mix, chocolate chip granola bars or chocolate flavored graham crackers are healthier alternatives to candy bars.

Chocolate milk is a two-for…Have 1% chocolate milk available for a treat. Your child will get a delicious and nutritious taste of chocolate and the added calcium to make up for any losses.

Finally, here’s a CSPI list (Center for Science in the Public Interest) of common foods with caffeine and the amount per serving to give you an overview…

–Rebecca Scritchfield for Shaping Youth

For more insights from Rebecca, visit Balanced Health & Nutrition

About Rebecca: Shaping Youth is proud to have Rebecca as part of our stable of guest editorial bloggers in core areas of expertise we deem integral to children’s health.

Rebecca graduated with degrees in chemisty and nutrition with honors and distinction, and has additional academic training in communications and information technology. She’s certified by the American College of Sports Medicine, pursuing a graduate degree in communications at Johns Hopkins University, with an emphasis of coursework in digital technologies and health communication, and is also a guest blogger for the diet and nutrition section of Health Commentary, led by family physician Mike Magee, MD.

Last year, Rebecca was awarded the Irene Jones Memorial Scholarship by the American Dietetic Association Foundation, and is completing her dietetic rotations with Sodexho, working with clients such as National Geographic Society, The World Bank, Brainfood, St. Alban’s School, and Inova Fairfax Hospital.

You’ll find plenty more of Rebecca’s input in Shaping Youth’s category of ‘childhood obesity’ and we look forward to keeping her as an active, vital part of our growing group of advisors! Thanks, Rebecca!

Is there a subject you’d like to query us about to have Rebecca tackle? Surf her blog to see if it’s already handled, then leave a comment here about any KIDS nutrition and dietary concerns impacted by today’s media/marketing mix.

Also, I’ll be speaking at a 5/1 Preteen Alliance event (Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health and Kaiser Permanente are teaming up) so send me any of your core concerns and questions, as there will be an adolescent psychiatrist/specialist dealing with kids’ nutrition/additives and mental/physical motivators re: counter-acting consumption of less healthy kids’ cuisine.

Would love to hear from all parts of the world…whether it’s about kids’ intake of caffeine, energy drinks, sports supplements, eating cues, junk food, body image, organics, vegetarianism, ‘eating green’, etc. Now’s the time to ask away so I can start digging up popular topics to float for further research! —Appreciatively, Amy

Related Caffeine Articles by Amy Jussel, Shaping Youth

Caffeine Candy: “Buzz Bites, Snickers Charged, Crackheads”

Turning Boys Into “Monsters”: Energy Drink Leaves a Foul Taste (Again!)

More Shock Schlock: Industry Tactics Clueless About Blowback

Corporate Blunders Are A Dime (Bag) A Dozen…

Maxed Out on Energy Drinks? Diet Pepsi Max Says Wake Up People!

Sugary Sodas Falter, Now Caffeine & Sodium Rule

Peer Driven Junk Food Allure & What’s Cool to Kids

Cocaine In A Can, Coming To Teens This Fall

Energy Drinks and Alcohol, A Monster Mix of Madness

Rockstar21 Rocks for Ditching Their Confusing Cans!

Hey, Kids, Your “Energy Drinks” Now Come With Alcohol!

Visual Credit/via Today Show screenshot of video…