According to suggestions provided by a nutrition research group, kids should drastically reduce their use of sugary drinks and caffeine.
According to Food & Wine, a recent set of recommendations from the Healthy Eating Research group advises children to abstain from tea, coffee, and energy drinks, among other beverages that contain caffeine in any quantity.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics were represented on the research panel.
It’s unclear how much, if any, caffeine is safe for kids, according to their guidelines.
This entails eliminating anything from bottled iced tea, which typically has 20 to 80 milligrams of caffeine, to energy drinks, which can have up to 300 mg. Even tea or coffee that has been decaffeinated may contain up to 15 milligrams.
According to the recommendations, children aged five to eighteen should only drink water, simple milk, and 100% juice. Even their juice consumption should be restricted.
Drinks that are sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners should also be completely eliminated. This includes numerous flavored drinks and soda, which frequently contains caffeine as well.
However, because of their extremely high caffeine content, energy drinks continue to be the main cause for worry.
Additionally, some medical specialists find it troubling when children consume caffeinated beverages on a regular basis, even though letting them have one occasionally may not be harmful.
In an interview with Food & Wine, Gina Posner, MD, stated, “I’ve found that if I give permission with my patients to have any, they take it because they can have a lot.” Go here to read the entire story.