A new study revealed that among parents who reported their teen drinks caffeine most or all days of the week, 18 percent said it is to “stay awake.” ()
The study conducted by the US-based University of Michigan found that a quarter (25 percent) of parents reported their teen consumes caffeine daily or nearly every day.
Parents Unaware of Teen Caffeine Limits
“Our report suggests parents may not always be aware of how much they should be limiting caffeine consumption for teens,” said poll co-director and Mott paediatrician Susan Woolford, MD. The study is based on responses from 1,095 parents of teens polled in February.
Parents reported that the most common caffeine sources for their teen are soda (73 percent), tea (32 percent), coffee (31 percent), and energy drinks (22 percent) and said that they take caffeine most frequently at home (81 percent), when dining out (43 percent), with friends (3 percent), and at school (25 percent).
“Caffeine is a drug that stimulates the brain and nervous system, and too much of it can contribute to a variety of health problems in young people,” Woolford said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages caffeine intake by children and adolescents, and other experts suggest a limit of 100 milligrams per day for teens, the study mentioned.
About 60 percent of parents said that they have heard about the risks of highly caffeinated products but roughly half mentioned that they rarely look at caffeine amounts when buying beverages for their teen.
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“Parents should consider talking with their teen about the negative impact of excessive caffeine, and then explore non-caffeinated options they can try together at home, at school or when out with friends,” Woolford said.
“Parents may also enlist the teen’s healthcare provider in explaining the risks of caffeine and suggesting strategies to cut back,” she added.
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Reference:
- Does your teen consume too much caffeine? – (https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/does-your-teen-consume-too-much-caffeine?pk_vid=7123c7e3f7103d121716227221ff4bd0)
Source-IANS
