Any given morning, I see Moms holding onto their cup of coffee as if it was their last connection to humanity. They savor the warm indulgence, their caffeinated lifeline to daily survival. A steaming cup of brewed coffee has now joined Mom and apple pie as American traditions.
However, in our seemingly innocuous morning habit, we as parents may be modeling such consumption among our children and may be fueling an alarming trend among our teenagers: the ingestion of extraordinarily high levels of caffeine in sports drinks, soda pop, and other beverages. Like their parents, teens have come in ever increasing frequency to depend upon caffeinated drinks to help them navigate their frenetic, jam-packed schedules. The consequences may include irritability, physical addiction, tolerance, and disruption of sleep patterns. And we all know how teenagers need their sleep!!
Doesn’t anyone sleep anymore?
So what is the buzz with our caffeine addictions?
You may be aware that caffeine can cause sleep problems, jitteriness, heartburn, and migraines,. However, you may not be aware that a recent study in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology confirms that high amounts of caffeine increase risk of miscarriage as well. See article
Wow. Strong stuff. But Dr. Deb. Please, don’t tell me to give up the juice.
The good news is that caffeine in moderation doesn’t seem to carry the same risks as do high amounts. So……
How much caffeine is too much?
Most experts agree that 200mg per day seems to be the maximum healthy dose.
What is 200mg of caffeine?
That can be a little tricky to determine because, unlike calories, sodium and cholesterol, caffeine levels are not required to be printed on labels. But have no fear, I have found a website that does a good job listing the approximate amounts. Read with caution, though. That innocuous cup of coffee may in fact be 16 oz of potent caffeine.
Caffeine calculator
For example,
Starbucks Grande coffee = 330 mg in 16oz
Dunkin Donuts=143mg in 16 oz
Instant Coffee =114mg in 16 oz
Old fashioned soft drinks pack a caffeinated punch as well. For example,
Pepsi is 38mg per12 oz can
Mountain Dew check in at 55mg per 12 oz
Sunkist Orange Soda = 41mg per can but
Minute Maid Orange Soda = 0 mg
And the new generation of “energy drinks” like Rock Star Zero No Carb blow away the sodas with 240mg per can
Other surprises:
Ben & Jerry’s No Fat Coffee Fudge Frozen Yogurt= 85 mg of caffeine per cup
Healthy Choice’s Cappuccino Mocha Fudge Low-Fat Ice Cream has only 8 mg per cup
What’s the bottom line?
If you are thinking of getting pregnant then cut back to less than 200mg or eliminate caffeine completely.
Most people would feel better and sleep better with drinking less than 200mg a day and should finish drinking caffeine by 2pm to prevent sleep interruptions. Anyone with PMS, hot flashes, depression or anxiety should eliminate caffeine altogether.
I am especially concerned about teenagers drinking too much caffeine because this is an important time of growing which requires sleep. I am also concerned about caffeine interfering with this critical time of bone building that may lead to osteoporosis later in life. Teenagers need 1500 mg of calcium daily, and if they are drinking energy drinks, it is unlikely they are getting the 6 servings of dairy this requires.
I feel awful without my caffeine
Expect a headache for about 2 weeks when you decrease or eliminate caffeine but you will feel much better in the long run. I promise!