Think Your Drink
Get smart about caffeine.
A popular poster shows a wild-eyed man drinking a cup of coffee with the caption, “Is it just me or is the planet shaking?”
We’re surrounded. We’re never more than a few minutes away from a hefty dose of caffeine. Even our kids are highly caffeinated. Though we may like the boost caffeine can give, it helps to know how much is too much. Knowing a few facts can help you decide what makes sense for you and your family.
Caffeine is a stimulant that acts on the central nervous system. It has its advantages. Caffeine can reduce fatigue and enhance alertness and short term memory. But caffeine also causes an increase in three stress hormones. Not only do these cause your body to store more fat, they cause the “fight or flight” response. Too much caffeine can make some people anxious, interfere with normal sleep and lead to gastrointestinal problems like gastric reflux. It's recommended that adults keep their caffieine intake to 200 mg or less a day. Those who are more sensitive to caffeine's effects may feel better at a much lower level. (Check out the Drink Calculator.)
Because many high sugar drinks have caffeine in them, you may be getting more calories than you need as a caffeine addiciton lures you to want more and more of these drinks.
Caffeine and Kids
“When children drink caffeine they become like the devil!”
“Why in the world would I want to make my children more hyperactive than they already are?”
“When my kids ask for caffeine, I say ‘No’, because I don’t want to be pulling them off the walls at bedtime."
~ Quotes from focus groups with parents of tweens
Many parents find that caffeine and kids don’t mix well. Kids are particularly sensitive to caffeine. Too much caffeine can cause children to experience anxiety, upset stomach, difficulty concentrating, insomnia and an increased heart rate. Most parents in our focus groups considered caffeinated drinks to be “adult drinks” and limited how many their kids could have.
Thought the U.S. hasn’t developed guidelines for caffeine levels for children, the Canadian government has set 45 mg of caffeine (about the amount in a can of cola) as a reasonable limit for children.
If your children are getting a lot of caffeine, help them cut back gradually. If they go “cold turkey” they may get headaches and be lethargic at first. Cut back one caffeinated beverage a week until they get to a level you’re comfortable with. If they get a headache during the transition you can use a child’s pain reliever for a few days until their system gets back to normal. It’s best for them to run on their own natural energy that comes from healthy food, sleep, exercise and youth!
Are you getting too much caffeine?
If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions you could be overdoing the caffeine. If you’re an adult and you’re getting over 200 mg of caffeine a day, look for ways to cut back. Children shouldn’t have more than 45 mg of caffeine a day and highly sensitive or very active children are better off with none at all. Check out Cutting Caffeine for some ideas to make the transition easier.
Keep in mind that many caffeinated drinks come at a high caloric price: lots of calories, little nutrition. So even if your central nervous system isn’t sending out red flags, your waistline may be.
Caffeine and Sleep
Using caffeine to make up for lack of sleep creates a vicious cycle. Here’s how it works: you drink caffeinated beverages because you didn’t sleep enough the night before. But the caffeine keeps you from falling asleep the next night, shortening the time you sleep. Caffeine can disrupt deep sleep for some people so you wake up more times during the night and feel less rested in the morning. You wake up tired the next day and reach for your morning jolt of caffeine and the cycle starts again.
Cutting back on caffeine can help you sleep better and have more energy in the long run.
Common Sources of Caffeine (Drink Calculator)
|
Item |
Amount of Item |
Amount of Caffeine |
|
Jolt soft drink |
12 ounces |
71.2 mg |
|
Mountain Dew |
12 ounces |
55.0 mg |
|
Coca-Cola |
12 ounces |
34.0 mg |
|
Diet Coke |
12 ounces |
45.0 mg |
|
Pepsi |
12 ounces |
38.0 mg |
|
7-Up |
12 ounces |
0 mg |
|
brewed coffee (drip method) |
5 ounces |
115 mg* |
|
iced tea |
12 ounces |
70 mg* |
|
dark chocolate |
1 ounce |
20 mg* |
|
milk chocolate |
1 ounce |
6 mg* |
|
cocoa beverage |
5 ounces |
4 mg* |
|
chocolate milk |
8 ounces |
5 mg* |
|
cold relief medication |
1 tablet |
30 mg* |
* average amount of caffeine
