We’ve seen our parents pour a cup of coffee in the morning as they’re preparing to go to work and just watch as the steaming, hot liquid pours into their morning mug. As a young teenager, you’re curious as to what it tastes like since the only special drink you’ve had so far was orange juice. As you drink a sip of the coffee, there is one word that describes the taste…bitter, and that’s because of a special ingredient that makes it taste bitter…caffeine. Caffeine is considered to be a type of natural drug that stimulates the brain to keep it working and you awake. However, caffeine is already in a lot of foods and snacks that children and teens love, but may not have noticed it in sodas, some variations of tea, and even chocolate. But, should you be introduced to caffeine at such an early age? The answer is no.
One of the problems with caffeine is that it can lead to difficulty sleeping at night. According to sleepfoundation.org, caffeine interrupts the natural circadian rhythm/internal clock by stopping adenosine from reaching the brain. Adenosine is a chemical that causes you to feel sleepy and the longer period of time that you are awake, more adenosine is created. However, since caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, it often leads to insomnia at night and drowsiness during daytime. Apart from disrupting your natural circadian rhythm, it also leads to reduced concentration during the day (especially during school), an affected mood, lack of growth, and even a lack of brain development, which are all very harmful to a young child or adolescent who is still growing.
Another major problem with drinking caffeine at a young age is calcium depletion. According to helpguide.org, drinking caffeine can cause higher amounts of calcium depletion(which is flushed out through urine) and lead to bone loss. However, the amounts of calcium lost while drinking or consuming caffeine are quite small and not very harmful. But, if products with high amounts of dairy or calcium such as milk, yogurt, or cheese are replaced by sugary beverages and energy drinks, the adolescent’s bones can become weaker and brittle.
However, even though caffeine has demonstrated several negative effects on an adolescent’s body, there are some positive effects that have been noticed by medical professionals. For example, according to healthtalk.unchealthcare.org, caffeine has been shown to raise alertness and even help with headaches. Since caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, the brain becomes temporarily more alert and attentive for a short period of time. Also, according to mayoclinichealthsystem.org, caffeine has some traits that make inflamed blood vessels during a headache slimmer to limit blood flow. This actually helps to relieve headaches in some cases since there is less pressure being put on the brain. But one should be careful about how much caffeine they’re consuming because if too much is consumed, the pain will come back quickly as soon as the individual stops consuming caffeine.
Even though caffeine has shown some positive benefits, an individual should always be careful about how much they consume, especially in their adolescence since they’re still developing. According to carilionclinic.org, if an adolescent does want to consume some
Comments are closed.