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Over the years a few trends have combined to increase caffeine intake in Singaporean children and teenagers.
Caffeine's side effects
Cola drinks and energy drinks have steadily gained in popularity, according to market research data. And coffee chains such as Starbucks have become a trendy place for teenagers to hang out after school.
Some teenagers turn to caffeine for the mental boost they need to cope with the stressful demands of school. As for kids in general, they just seem naturally fond of sweetened and fizzy beverages that happen to be caffeinated.
Potent stimulant
In smaller dosage, caffeine can also be found in tea and chocolate. While children don’t generally fancy hot tea, a lot of them sure do enjoy iced tea.
That can amount to a lot of caffeine at the end of the day. A potent stimulant, caffeine can have side effects, such as irritability, anxiety and insomnia. So, how much is too much?
Limitation
“To be safe, children and teenagers should avoid caffeine if possible”, says Ms Ong Chengsi, dietitian at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics of KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Otherwise, kids should limit their daily caffeine intake to 2.5mg per kilogram of body weight, she adds, quoting Canadian guidelines that apply to children above 4 years old and teenagers. Singapore’s HPB hasn’t issued recommendations regarding caffeine intake in that population.
| 25 |
62.5 mg
|
| 30 |
75 mg
|
| 35 |
87.5 mg
|
| 40 |
100 mg
|
| 45 |
112.5 mg
|
Potential effects
“However, these levels of caffeine can still potentially affect sleep and behaviour,” warns Ms Ong.
Furthermore, consumption of caffeine in the form of low-nutrient soda or sweetened coffee beverages may replace nutritious beverages such as calcium-rich milk, reducing the nutritional quality of a teen’s diet, says Ms Ong.
Timing of consumption is also important, as it takes up to 6 hours for caffeine effects to wear off. If your child often has problems finding sleep at night, you may want to suggest he or she eliminate soda drinks past a certain hour. Studies have shown that prolonged sleep loss can impact a kid’s ability to thrive in school.
If your children crave fizzy drinks, you could offer them clear carbonated sodas such as Sprite. These are caffeine-free.
Of course, better options include water, milk and pure fruit juice. Caffeinated or not, each extra soft drink a day gives a child a 60% greater chance of becoming obese, according to a Harvard University study.
See below for the approximate caffeine content of some popular drinks and food items:
| Starbucks Brewed Coffee (Grande) |
16 oz (480 ml) |
320
|
| Starbucks Vanilla Latte (Grande) |
16 oz (480 ml) |
150
|
| Red Bull |
8.3 oz (245 ml) |
80
|
| Instant coffee, generic |
8 oz (240 ml) |
93 (range: 27 - 173)
|
| Coke Red, regular or diet |
12 oz (1 can) |
54
|
| Pepsi One |
12 oz (1 can) |
54
|
| Snapple, fruit-flavoured tea, regular or diet |
16 oz (480 ml) |
42
|
| Nestea |
12 oz (1 can) |
26
|
| Chocolate bar |
45 g |
9 - 30
|
Source: Centre for Science in the Public Interest |