teenage daughter drinking coffee with friends

[intently]

I''m here to do some research... my 13-year-old daughter has started drinking coffee with her friends... a LOT. Every day this summer she and her friends hang out at a local coffee house guzzling gallons of coffee.

I drink coffee myself... maybe too much! But I''m not as worried about my health as I am my daughter''s. Some sites say that coffee is fine for kids, but others say no. Is there any real solid information on the matter?

 

[Alun_evans]

I guess this may be the wrong place to ask about negative effects from coffee... I am sure the average daily consumption of caffeine here of members is well above the National average.

Really there have always been two distinct schools of thought on coffee consumption- and these are pretty much polarised. Scientific reports (often underwritten by associations such as the NRA) have shown coffee can prevent Alzheimers, help prevent bowel cancer etc. Other reports (underwritten by coffee opponents) show that coffee can accelerate heart disease and adversely affect kidney function... no wonder so many people have questions and concerns like you have.

Really coffee consumption should be enjoyed "in moderation". I would say dependng on the body mass of the individual, a max of 2-5 cups aday is OKfor most people. Gallons, certainly is extreme. I would watch out for your daughter displaying habits that are associated with excessive caffeine use (abuse)- irritation, insomnia, jiggling knee syndrome, over active...etc. This in itself may not be definatively a sign of drinking too much coffee (teenagers often display at least 1 or 2 of the symptoms listed anyway, regardless of whether they drink coffee or not!!), however it is a guide to over use. Maybe point your daughter towards drinking decafe? Maybe ask her why she likes coffee...it could be she likes the milk, in which case many cafes serve just steamed milk, without coffee...

All in all I would not be too concerned. When I was a teenager I was drinking 17 cups a day. Granted, it led to my life in the coffee industry, but many of my friends who also drank a lot are now leading normal lives, drinking 2 cups aday and holding down good jobs in offices (while I rove the wilds of Indonesia!)

 

[intently]

Well she's earning her own money to pay for the stuff, so maybe it's not a big deal Maybe the $5/cup will eventually put a damper on her enthusiasm.

 

[rocknout89]

is it true that your not supposed to drink coffee if you have a sore throat? my mom told me that (you guys worry ) and i wasnt sure if it was true or not!

 

[cindy]

i have a sore throat at the moment and coffee doesnt make it any better or worse for that matter.

maybe it will affect people differently.
try half a cup with your sore throat and see what happens...i doubt that it could do any harm.

 

[ana]

for me, a warm cup of coffee feels good on a sore throat, plus it improves my cranky mood of having a sore throat...though ive noticed that when i feel ill, really ill, with temperature and overall body weakness, i cant drink coffee...it doesnt even feel nice

as for a 13 year old, drinking huge amounts of coffee...as above mentioned, i guess you wont really get any negative comments HERE
Though for what its worth, i think that not just with coffee, but with all things in life you shouldnt go over the limits...just that, those limits are different from person to person.
Ive been a coffee addict since 15...so far (im twenty-eight) i cant say i have any negative consequences from it....

someone above mentioned 17 cups of coffee a day?! :shock: :shock: :shock: Yay!!, Not THAT'S a lot Even though im an addict, i cant even come close to that...though i actually have my coffee in large mugs...maybe they can count as two regular cups

 

[jlyon10]

Don't worry Mom.

 

[AlisonD]

caffeine health

Hi Jim,
There are a few issues with a 13 year old drinking coffee by the "gallons." Though most of us here would take our coffee intravenously if we could, your daughter is new to the coffee world. Excessive caffeine intake can cause heart palpatations, altered sleep patterns, agitation/jitters, decreased appetite and dehydration among other things. The effects of caffeine on each individual can very greatly but there is certainly a possibility of adverse effects. She may be willing to drink decaf though I suspect part of the draw to coffee is the caffeine buzz she is experiencing. As I think back to my early teen years, I did exactly what my parents told me not to, so I wouldn't forbid the visits to the local coffee house, also there is an entire social network that occurs at those places which she may also be craving.

 

[Davec]

I drink coffee myself... maybe too much! But I''m not as worried about my health as I am my daughter''s. Some sites say that coffee is fine for kids, but others say no. Is there any real solid information on the matter?

I pray that is all I have to worry about with my Daughter when she is older.......I think she will be in less danger from coffee than many other things teenagers do.

 

[espressogirl]

Some of my friends are concerned more about the calorie content of cold coffee beverages, especially those drinks with cream!

Once your daughter realizes the effect, she will switch to healthier versions of coffee.

Just my 2 cents

 

[CJA]

I have to agree with AlisonD -- I've read a lot about the effects of caffeine on younger people, and how their intake should be more modulated as compared to adults' intake. Health Canada recently went so far as to recommend children/teens not drink energy drinks at all, for example. Of course, here we're talking about coffee, but the principle is the same -- drinking caffeine in moderation should be the standard.

Chris