Is Excessive Caffeine Consumption a Concern for Children and Teens? Here’s How It Impacts Their Bodies and Minds
Teenager Titus Yan used to kickstart his day with a bottle or two of green tea, followed by bubble tea or an energy drink in the afternoon, and topped it off with a fizzy cola with dinner.
“It reached a point where I was drinking these daily. I thought they made me more focused and energized,” said the 15-year-old.
For Titus, his caffeine routine felt normal. When asked by TODAY, he couldn’t name a single friend who didn’t drink caffeinated beverages.
“During recess, my friends usually buy two bottles of flavored tea,” he said.
Similarly, Ms. Disa Tan’s seven-year-old son enjoys Coca Cola—his favorite—two to three times a week, alongside green tea and plain water.
“We tried to limit his cola to once a week, but he keeps asking for it almost daily and complains when we don’t give in,” Ms. Tan shared.
Ms. Tan, a 40-year-old finance manager and avid tea drinker herself, consumes several cups of tea daily “to get through the day.”
Singaporeans are notably high consumers of caffeine, with not just adults but also students driving this multi-million-dollar market. After school, students often hang out at cafes or drink large quantities of caffeinated beverages, believing these keep them sharp for schoolwork. Trendy ads featuring celebrities and stylish drinks add to the allure, especially as social media amplifies their appeal.
Dietitian Anthea Zee from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) notes that the rise in caffeine consumption among children and teenagers is due to several factors. Ready-to-drink caffeinated beverages are more accessible, and single-serve coffee machines make these drinks easy to obtain. Adolescents, driven by trends, find cafes, bubble tea shops, and coffee chains widely available.
Additionally, caffeine content in energy drinks has increased over time. Ms. Zee also points out that parents are becoming more lenient with caffeine consumption, possibly due to a lack of awareness about its risks.
“Parents may not realize that some drinks, like energy drinks, might contain caffeine without clear labeling,” Ms. Zee explained.
What Is Caffeine and Where Is It Found?
Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in coffee beans, tea leaves, and other plants. It’s present in coffee, tea, cola, vitamin and energy drinks, hot cocoa, and chocolate products. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, increasing alertness, but it can also raise blood pressure and breathing rates and cause mood changes like nervousness and irritability.
How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?
For teenagers aged 12 and above, caffeine intake should not exceed 100mg daily—equivalent to one cup of coffee or two cans of cola. “Exceeding this amount is considered excessive,” says Ms. Zee. For children under 12, caffeine consumption is not recommended at all, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics. In contrast, adults are advised to limit their intake to 400mg per day, as stated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Dr. Seo Woon Li, a consultant at the National University Hospital’s paediatric department, notes that there are no proven safe doses of caffeine for children, though moderate consumption is generally acceptable for teenagers.
How Caffeine Affects Young People
The effects of caffeine vary depending on age, body weight, and overall health. Children, with their smaller body size, are more sensitive to caffeine’s effects, which can include headaches, hyperactivity, poor sleep, and rapid heart rates. Long-term exposure might lead to chronic headaches and dependence on caffeine, as well as a cycle of poor sleep and increased caffeine consumption.
Dr. Seo highlights that while caffeine might initially boost alertness, excessive intake can lead to jitteriness, anxiety, and palpitations. Research has shown that energy drinks and other caffeinated products are linked to depression, behavioral changes, and addiction.
A 2021 review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health emphasized the need for more research to establish safe caffeine levels for young people and suggested stricter regulations for caffeine-containing products.