Is it true that coffee slows down the growth of the child?

Parents often forbid their children to drink coffee, citing the fact that because of him they may not grow. We decided to check if these fears have the foundation.

Topic the influence of coffee on height Very Popular V services questions and answers - they often ask about it Teenagerswho were scared by parents. On vegetarian sites writethat the negative effect of coffee on the growth and development of the child is “scientifically proven”. Similar opinion Can find On thematic Portalsdedicated to tea and coffee.

We were not able to find a single scientific research, the results of which would somehow confirm the theory that coffee slows down the growth of bones in children and adolescents. It is not known where this statement came from, but it is often associated with a negative influence Caffein for calcium balance in the body and, as a result, bone health. 

Nevertheless, modern research testifythat coffee is not so terrible: to compensate it is enough insignificant Negative effect, it is enough to add 40 mg of calcium to 150 ml of coffee (this approximately 30 ml of milk). For some time existed The myth that coffee can cause osteoporosis, but this hypothesis was never confirmed. Therefore, the harm of coffee for the health of bones is somewhat exaggerated. 

Back in 1998, the United States was held study, during which scientists have watched 81 teenage girls for six years. At the beginning of the experiment, they were 12 years old, at the end - 18 each. Researchers conditionally divided the participants into three groups in terms of the number of caffeine consumed, and then measured their growth and bone density. No significant differences between those who drank a lot of coffee (or used caffeine in other forms, for example, as part of energy drinks), and those who almost did not use it were detected. Of course, this is a fairly narrow sample, but at least some correlation, if it existed, the study should have shown.

Asked question On the influence of caffeine on the health of children and adolescents and other scientists. They also did not reveal the dependence between the growth and the use of coffee, although they recommend limiting the use of 2.5 mg of caffeine per 1 kg of body weight (for comparison, in the cup espresso - 212 mg of caffeine). The same opinion adheres to, for example, the Ministry of Health of Canada. But the American Academy of Pediatrics He thinksthat there is no safe dose of caffeine for children and adolescents. Their website lists the risks that can be associated with the use of coffee by children, and there are no problems with the growth and formation of bones among them. But doctors distinguish a number of others: irritability, an increased level of stress hormone, Violations sleep, depression, decrease cognitive functions, etc.

What actually depends Our growth? First of all from genetics. If the parents were tall, the chance that the child grows to about the same marks is quite high, regardless of caffeine used. Another important factor is a full -fledged healthy nutrition, since nutrients directly affect the formation of bones and development of the body, especially in childhood. Hormonal disorders in childhood and adolescence and chronic inflammatory can adversely affect growth Diseases. 

However, another fairly important factor is dream. The pituitary gland in children produces a growth hormone in a dream, so a healthy sleep is necessary for the growth and development of bones. In addition, sleep disturbances can lead to children's obesity, depression and cause problems with performance At school. And as we have already found out, caffeine, especially used shortly before sleep, really affects its quality in children and adolescents. So in this sense, he really can slow down the growth of the child.

However, despite the recommendations of pediatricians, 73% of children and adolescents in the USA from time to time use caffeine. Therefore, if he really somehow seriously influenced their growth, there would probably be scientific studies that confirm this.

Some medical experts They think: The myth of the slowdown in growth is due to the fact that by the time when adolescents begin to actively use caffeine in various forms, their growth already reaches their maximum. It may seem to parents that, having begun to drink coffee, the child stopped growing. But in this case, “after” does not mean “as a result”.

Thus, doctors and scientists did not find correlations between the use of caffeine by children and adolescents and their growth. Despite the fact that coffee and its effect on health are well studied, there are no experiments, observations and other studies that would confirm this myth. It can only indirectly affect the growth of caffeine, since there can be sleep disturbance among its side effects, namely, a growth hormone is actively produced in children. Nevertheless, the results of the studies that we managed to find do not confirm that there is some significant difference in growth between those children who used caffeine in significant quantities, and those who have no this substance in the diet. Therefore, despite the fact that pediatricians do not recommend that children and adolescents use caffeine due to possible side effects, the child’s growth does not depend on him.

Most of the untruth

What do our verdicts mean?

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