My son asked me this a few days ago and I did not have a good answer. I did some research, which basically told me that small amounts of caffeine are not horrible for kids. Nevertheless, I have my own concerns.
Caffeine Basics.
Caffeine occurs in plants because it keeps pests away. Found in tea and coffee, caffeine is the most widely used stimulant in the world. Nowadays, it can be found in sodas, energy drinks, gum, pills and even caffeinated water. Kids often consume it in the form of chocolate.
In 1999-2000, coffee represented 10% of child and adolescent caffeine consumption. In 2009-2010, while overall caffeine intake in kids remained stable, that number jumped to 24%. This implies that tea/boba teas, energy drinks, soda, or other caffeine formulations replaced coffee.
27% of American and Canadian teens report using energy drinks to enhance their sports performance. Between these energy drinks, coffee bars, sodas, and the latest boba shop, I am not surprised that 73% of American kids consume caffeine each day.
What are the Pros of Caffeine?
Caffeine improves alertness and may help some students in academic settings. It also is a known enhancer of sports performance, hence the popularity of energy drinks.
Caffeine can modify pain, often reducing pain but sometimes making it worse.
What are the Cons of Caffeine?
In rare cases of caffeine overdose, kids and adults alike can have serious or even deadly side effects. These situations are not the focus of this article. But even in modest amounts, historically, caffeine is addressed with caution, perhaps because we know people can become dependent. People start drinking their morning cup and then need to have it every day.
Others may argue against caffeine because of potential unknown effects of caffeine exposure on developing brains. These are reasonable concerns. While one day we will know more about these possible effects, in this article, I will focus on more tangible outcomes.
Sleep Problems: Whatever the reason for caffeine consumption, it tends to affect sleep. Caffeine binds to adenosine receptors in the brain. In extremely simplistic terms, better sleep occurs when these receptors are unbound. Some of this sleep disruption is inadvertent: kids are having a soda and then have sleep disturbances, either with sleep onset or poor sleep through the night. Then there are kids, like some of my 8th grader’s classmates, who are intentionally using caffeine to stay alert for studying. Counterintuitively, when studied, kids who consumed caffeine were more likely to report falling asleep in class, suggesting that using caffeine to stay awake at night had the natural consequence of daytime somnolence.
Teeth Discoloration. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my kids to have yellow teeth earlier than necessary. Coffee and tea contain tannins which stain teeth. When it comes to soda, both the acidity and sugar corrode enamel, also resulting in tooth damage and yellowing.
Sugar and Obesity. Blended coffees, bobas, sodas and energy drinks are all high in sugar. There is plenty of data establishing the link between sugar-sweetened beverages and all kinds of problems, including obesity and metabolic disorders. Plus, studies suggest that kids who drink soda are less likely to consume fruits, vegetables, or milk, all options with superior nutrient profiles.
Unknown Ingredients in Energy Drinks. Energy drinks, typically high in caffeine, may also have other unregulated ingredients. Additionally, teens may chug more than one, and in some cases, like when at a party with alcohol mixed into the energy drinks, it is not for improving their workouts. Energy drinks are a known culprit of caffeine overdose and mixing them with alcohol masks both caffeine’s and alcohol’s effects until it doesn’t. I discourage energy drinks.
Dependence. Yes, people become dependent on caffeine, though that is not necessarily a problem for older teens and adults. Caffeine dependence is socially acceptable and the symptoms of withdrawal are mild (usually some headaches, low energy and irritability). While consumption is more common in smokers, caffeine ingestion is not causally related to substance abuse in adults. There was a correlation seen in adolescents with known psychiatric conditions and caffeine intake, but, again, no conclusions regarding causality could be drawn.
What are NOT Cons of Caffeine Use?
Stunting of Growth. Nope. Never mentioned! I was unable to find any studies that demonstrated an effect on height. And while caffeine may cause you to pee out more calcium, only those with poor calcium intake saw bone loss associated with caffeine (still no mention of impact on height or stunted growth). I did find that kids in Saudi who routinely consumed coffee had higher vitamin D levels than those who did not. Interesting but not anything for which to change behavior.
Dehydration. In a review published in 2021, caffeine was not implicated in dehydration when consumed prior to exercise. Of course, if you consume too much of it, there will be side effects.
And in Summary…
I will keep this short– don’t want you to need another cup of coffee just to get through this article. I do not recommend caffeine consumption in kids because it comes with other problems, namely sleep disruption, sugar, enamel-eroding acidity, teeth-staining tannins, and with energy drinks or powders, exposure to unnecessary ingredients and risk of overdose. Like with most foods, caffeine is most safely consumed in its natural forms, in this case, tea and coffee. Please stay away from powders or pills that increase your risk for overdose.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends less than 100 mg of caffeine per day for kids. If you are going to let your kids enjoy a caffeinated treat, I recommend it be a morning option to prevent sleep problems.
For reference, I have listed some approximations below.
| Product type and typical serving size | Caffeine content |
| Drip coffee , 8 oz | 80-100 mg |
| espresso, 1 oz | 65 mg |
| Black tea, 1 bag | 60 mg |
| Green tea, 1 bag | 50-60 mg |
| Starbucks Matcha Latte hot or cold, 16 oz grande | 65 mg |
| Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino, 16 oz grande | 95 mg |
| Coca-Cola, regular or zero sugar 12 oz | 34 mg |
| Diet Coke, 12 oz | 46 mg |
| Starbucks Iced Energy, Tropical Citrus, 24 oz | 205 mg |
| Red Bull—regular, sugar-free, or zero, 8.4 oz | 80 mg |
| Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Bar, 1.4 oz bar | 20 mg |
| Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar, 1.5 oz bar | 10 mg |
| Starbucks Hot Chocolate, 16 oz grande | 25 mg |
| Nutricost Guarana Extract Powder, 1 scoop (1g) | 220 mg |
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References:
Temple, Jennifer L. “Caffeine Use in Children: What We Know, What We Have Left to Learn, and Why We Should Worry.” Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, vol. 33, no. 6, 2009, pp. 793-806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.01.001
Temple, Jennifer L. “Review: Trends, Safety, and Recommendations for Caffeine Use in Children and Adolescents.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 58, no. 1, 2019, pp. 36-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2018.06.030
Zhang, Yang, et al. “Caffeine and Diuresis During Rest and Exercise: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, vol. 18, no. 5, 2015, pp. 569-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2014.07.01
Branum, Amy M., et al. “Trends in Caffeine Intake Among U.S. Children and Adolescents.” Pediatrics, vol. 133, no. 3, 2014, pp. 386-93. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-2877
Torres-Ugalde, Yeyetzi C., et al. “Caffeine Consumption in Children: Innocuous or Deleterious? A Systematic Review.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 17, no. 7, 2020, p. 2489. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072489
Calamaro, Christina J., et al. “Adolescents Living the 24/7 Lifestyle: Effects of Caffeine and Technology on Sleep Duration and Daytime Functioning.” Pediatrics, vol. 123, no. 6, 2009, pp. e1005–e1010. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-3641
Pollak, Charles P., and David Bright. “Caffeine Consumption and Weekly Sleep Patterns in US Seventh-, Eighth-, and Ninth-Graders.” Pediatrics, vol. 111, no. 1, 2003, pp. 42–46. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.111.1.42
Al-Othman, Abdulaziz, et al. “Tea and Coffee Consumption in Relation to Vitamin D and Calcium Levels in Saudi Adolescents.” Nutrition Journal, vol. 11, no. 56, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-11-56
Center for Science in the Public Interest. “Caffeine Chart.” CSPI, https://www.cspinet.org/caffeine-chart
