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One of the reasons why coffee is not generally given to children may be the widely held belief that the caffeinated beverage can slow children’s growth. But is there any truth in this idea?
The answer is a resounding “no”: There is no evidence that coffee or caffeine slows down childhood growth and development.
Instead, a person’s height is largely governed by other factors. For example, hundreds of genes so far identified are believed to be responsible for about 16% of a person’s adult height.
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The general health of a child also plays a role. For example, repeated infection during infancy can slow nutritional absorption and bone growth, as shown a number from different studies. In addition, the fact that a child has access to important dietary needs, such as milk, during their first years also influences their height, as does the mother’s diet during pregnancy, according to research in the journal Nutrition Research Reviews.
So why do some people still believe that coffee can slow a child’s growth?
No one really knows, but there are a few theories. In the 1980’s, many studies suggested that regular coffee drinkers were at increased risk of osteoporosis because caffeine can cause increased calcium excretion (although the effect is weak). If caffeine was able to weaken bones, then it was conceivable that higher consumption during childhood would lead to shorter height. However, it turned out that there was another variable in play: Coffee drinkers also tend to consume less milk, a major source of calcium. In other words, it was probably not the coffee, but rather the insufficient calcium that was causing the problem. Additionally, subsequent research found no link between osteoporosis and coffee consumption, according to Harvard Health Edition.
Another idea is that many studies have linked caffeine consumption to both positive and negative health effects, only contributing to the confusion.
“There have been so many epidemiological studies on coffee, indicating bad or good, that it is confusing,” said science writer Mark Pendergast, author of “Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It” Transformed Our World ”(Basic Books, 2019)).
Another theory, favored by Duane Mellor, a dietitian at Aston University in the UK, is that the myth stems from the recommendation that pregnant women limit their caffeine intake because some research linked a exposure of the fetus to caffeine with a higher risk spontaneous miscarriage. These studies are, however, limited by the small sample sizes. The evidence is inconclusive at the moment, health groups such as The World Health Organization now advises pregnant women to limit (but not necessarily avoid completely) caffeine intake to reduce the possible risk of miscarriage and low birth weight in infants.
“This is where we get this idea of growth and caffeine, but the biology of a fetus and the way it gets its nutrients pushed through a placenta is so different from that of a free-living individual,” he said. Mellor said. “Metabolisms are also different. You can’t draw parallels.”
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So the science is clear: coffee does not hold back the growth of children. In fact, drinking a weak cup of coffee is probably healthier for your child than a sugary soda that rots their teeth, Mellor said.
“Low coffee is probably not a big deal,” Mellor told Live Science. “Some of the bitter notes of coffee are shared by the vegetables, and you might even see a benefit in getting them. [kids] used to these flavors. Obviously you wouldn’t want to give them strong coffee, but I would be more concerned with sugary drinks. ”
But Mellor also doesn’t recommend giving your little one a double espresso every morning. And for good reason: moderation is the key. Caffeine can cause increased anxiety, high blood pressure, and acid reflux, and it can also interfere with sleep, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The caffeine in coffee can cause these problems in adults as well, of course. But children have smaller bodies, so the same amounts of caffeine can have more pronounced effects in them, also according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends young children abstain and adolescents limit their coffee consumption.
Despite the evidence, this coffee myth is unlikely to go away anytime soon.
“The common myth that it slows your growth is not going to be completely extinguished,” Pendergast told Live Science. “Once a health myth enters our culture, it is very difficult to eradicate it.”
Originally posted on Live Science.
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