Is caffeine bad for you?

Before we dive into the topic and look at the specifics of whether caffeine is bad for you or not. I would like to provide some backstory on this. When I was a toddler I used to love milky tea, I don’t know If this was because I was brought up in the UK where it is no doubt extremely popular but I remember always drinking it. Growing up, tea never left me, even as an adult I still consume 2-3 cups of tea per day and sometimes a coffee.

If I am feeling emotional or am having somewhat of a bad day, tea always seems to make me feel better. Perhaps it’s the caffeine that picks up my energy levels or the 1 teaspoon of sugar that releases dopamine from my brain. It’s unclear of what causes this but either way, it makes me feel good, and I have nothing to complain about.

What drinks and foods contain caffeine?

  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Coca-cola
  • Energy Drinks
  • Chocolate

Giving caffeine to kids has been studied widely and is said to increase anxiety in people of all ages, children especially, are very sensitive to caffeine and it is easily absorbed by every cell tissue within your body. It has been known to increase blood pressure and heart rate.

It can change your body temperature and give you troubles sleeping at night. Caffeine can also cause dehydration due to the fact that it causes your body to lose water. Energy drinks are by no doubt the worst of their kind, containing dangerous amounts of sugar, and a protein called taurine which can actually enhance the effects of caffeine especially in kids.

Is caffeine addictive?

Even worse high amount of sugar can be extremely addictive, throwing caffeine (a habit-forming drug) into the mix only causes more addiction to these types of products. Due to the amounts of sugar, it can also cause tooth decay and obesity. Caffeine does have some use in regards to helping infants who are having problems breathing or for the use in headache/migraine medications.

You should not be giving kids coffee, fizzy, or energy drinks full stop as it wreaks havoc on health. A weak tea for a child may have some health benefits due to its antioxidant properties that can reduce the chances of certain illnesses. However, the best type of health is green tea. Overall tea has been known to reduce stress levels. And if you are going to give it to your child, you should do so without any sugar.

Teas that contain high levels of tannins (tannic acid) will have a bitter taste. Tannins have been associated with good and bad results for health. Such as prevention of illness, but also iron absorption deficiencies. Whilst coffee also has some health benefits. For children who need lots of sleep, it is simply not good for them. Also drinking a lot of coffee can cause harm to health for adults too.

It’s your choice to do what you think is best for you and your child. You should avoid giving your child energy drinks, fizzy drink and coffee. If you want to give them tea, I recommend doing so in moderation.

The conclusion is that consuming too much caffeine may trigger headaches, migraines, high blood pressure and anxiety. If you are experiencing any of those symptoms, you could be drinking too much caffeine. Drinking caffeinated drinks have a mild diuretic effect that cause you to urinate more often, this can lead to dehydration. Whilst caffeine is usually to blame, coffee contains salicylates which can trigger IBS and diarrhea in certain people.

Up next: Buying a Coffee Machine Saved Me £244

Ethics

Featured products

handcrafted antares panpipes from Peru
Antares Bamboo Pan Pipes
Sale price£15.00
quena andean flute with colourful case
Quena Andean Flute
Sale price£60.00
coconut thumb piano kalimba
Kuta Thumb Piano Kalimba (7 note)
Sale priceFrom £15.00