Is Coffee Good For Children?

Author: Alina Michael

If I ask you to sit back and analyze how many cups of coffee do
you have in a day most of you might come up with a figure of 3
or more; A cup with breakfast, another during the morning
commute, a few lattes at the office, and an espresso after
dinner…… Children tend to copy what their elders do and it
shouldn’t come as a surprise to you if one day your child asks you
for his/her cup of coffee
to give you company.
Should you fulfill
his/her desire? What
age is appropriate for
letting your children
start having coffee?
These are some
questions which might
come to the minds of
many inquisitive parents
who are concerned
about the well being
of their children.
Well, here is some
help regarding the
same.     Children
who consume more
than recommended
amount of caffeine are 60% more likely to become obese.   It
contains empty calories, that is, calories which have no nutrients.
If your kid fills up his/her stomach with these calories then his/her
input of other important nutrients like vitamins and minerals is
hindered thus leading to nutritional deficiencies. For example if
your kid is substituting caffeine for milk, then he is actually cutting
down on calcium which is needed to make bones and teeth
strong. It is also known to retard growth in children. Studies show
that 5mg of calcium is lost for every 6 ounces of coffee
consumed.   As caffeine is diuretic, it flushes out a lot of water (in
form of urine) from the body leading to dehydration. Kids need
to drink plenty of water to keep them hydrated and not get
dehydrated by drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks.   It
can aggravate heart problems and nervous disorders and if your
child gets addicted to coffee then this might put his/her life at
risk.   It contains compounds which combine with iron and make
it difficult to be absorbed by the body. This might lead to iron
deficiency in some cases.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-
articles/is-coffee-good-for-children-1173309.html

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