Does coffee or caffeine stunt your growth? If not, why do so many people believe that it does?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “does coffee stunt a child’s growth“
Does coffee or caffeine stunt your growth? If not, why do so many people believe that it does?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “does coffee stunt a child’s growth“
No, it doesn’t. This from the New York Times:-
REALLY?
The Claim: Drinking Coffee Can Stunt a Child’s Growth
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
Published: October 18, 2005
THE FACTS Besides the jitteriness, the insomnia and the prospect of one day beginning each morning in a long line at Starbucks, children have another reason not to drink coffee: it stunts their growth. Or at least according to the old wives’ tale that generations of children have grown up hearing.
More Columns: Really?
The only problem, it seems, is that after decades of research on the physiological results of coffee consumption, there is no evidence that it has any effect on height.
How this myth got started is unclear. But scientists believe it has something to do with caffeine, which for many years was thought to be a risk factor for osteoporosis. That concern stemmed from early studies that associated high intake of caffeinated beverages with reduced bone mass.
More recent studies suggest that if there is such an effect, it is both slight and easily offset when dietary intake of calcium is adequate.
There is also another explanation for the association. According to a study by Dr. Robert P. Heaney, a calcium expert at Creighton University in Omaha, much of the research linking caffeine consumption to reduced bone mass was conducted on elderly people whose diets were low on milk and other sources of calcium – largely because they drank so much caffeine-laden coffee and soda instead.
Another study tracked 81 adolescents for six years and found that those who had the highest daily caffeine intake had no difference in bone gain or bone density at the end of the study than those with the lowest.
THE BOTTOM LINE The research suggests that coffee will not stunt growth.
scitimes@nytimes.com
It doesn’t really stunt the growth.
The problem is that caffeine disrupts sleep patterns (I don’t think we need source for that) and slightly disrupts calcium intake.
But caffeine effects are so small (at standard intake), that it doesn’t really matter (provided alertnes for next 3 hours, shouldn’t disrupt sleep all that much).
Effects of caffeine on bone and the calcium
Nobody wants caffeine-wired kids around … this is a convenient myth that parents have conspired to keep current. Caffeine has a lot of negative effects even on adults.
It’s easier to say to your kids “it’ll stunt your growth” than to list all the boring (and not very convincing) downsides. “It’ll keep you awake at night” makes it sound like a good thing to kids.
I’m guessing that the person asking this question doesn’t have kids. When you have kids, you’ll tell them the same thing.
I doubt it, I am 6’2″ and have drunk coffee almost all my life. I was taller than my father, a tea drinker.
This is an urban myth. Coffee and caffeinine do not affect growth or rates of growth.
Caffeine for kids though is not a good idea in general. Why get them hooked early?
No, coffee doesn’t stunt your growth. But coffee does contain caffeine,
which stimulates the central nervous system. For most people, a cup or
two of coffee a day doesn’t do any harm. But if you’re drinking more —
especially if you are getting caffeine from other sources, like soda —
you may want to cut back. That’s because high doses of caffeine can
cause anxiety and dizziness, and may interfere with normal sleep.
If you decide to cut back or stop drinking coffee, do so gradually.
Stopping suddenly can cause unpleasant symptoms such as headaches,
irritability, and fatigue.
It’s best to ask your doctor if you should stop or cut back on drinking
coffee. Caffeine can cause problems for people who have heart problems
or are taking certain medications. It may also trigger migraine
headaches.
http://kidshealth.org/teen/expert/nutrition/coffee.html