At what age is it safe to start drinking coffee, according to health experts?

Children have a deep-seated desire to emulate their adored caregivers from a very young age. Therefore, it makes sense that your young child would want to join you on your coffee kick.

My firstborn would frequently go for my iced cappuccino in the morning. He had his own wooden "Nespresso" toy by the time he was 15 months old and "made" me my daily coffee, but that didn't stop him from persistently asking for a cup of the real thing. I gave in and allowed him take a taste when he was a toddler and those requests evolved into tantrums in the hopes that he would be repulsed and stop asking. That did not occur. He yearned for "mo, mo, mo." It goes without saying that after that day, I stopped drinking coffee in his presence.

It doesn't take a mother's intuition to realize that a toddler probably shouldn't consume coffee, or any other form of caffeine for that matter. But at what age may kids consume coffee?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should avoid caffeine until they are 12 years old, according to Lauren Manaker RDN, the company's founder and owner of Nutrition Now. And kids should consume no more than 100 mg of caffeine each day between the ages of 12 and 18.

And there are a lot of justifications for this.

Why is drinking coffee too early a big issue?

Basically, multiply all the reasons grownups might want to stop drinking coffee. Children can experience anxiety and elevated blood pressure, as well as all the other impacts of coffee consumption that adults may experience, according to Manaker. Children require far less of this stimulant to have an effect because they are smaller than adults.

Kids' sleep in particular may be impacted negatively by coffee. Because sleep is so crucial for children this age, Manaker advises against introducing anything that can make getting adequate sleep difficult. "Caffeine can make a child have trouble falling asleep," she says. Although we are unsure of the precise effects that caffeine can have on children given their quick growth and development, scientists wonder if this stimulant could be harmful to their brain health.

Are there benefits for youngsters who drink coffee?

There are coffee cultures around the world that openly and frequently encourage parents to give their toddlers sips of coffee, even though it is uncommon for Americans to do so (though a 2015 study of 315 Boston moms found that 14% allowed their two-year-olds to drink between one and four ounces of coffee a day). You're aware of how carefree the French are when it comes to wine for kids? The situation with coffee is essentially the same in Latin America. Children there frequently begin drinking hot coffee with milk at a young age. Particularly in Brazil, people don't always regard coffee as a "adult beverage."

Breaking cultural conventions is not an easy task, but before we all jump on our high horses, let's not forget that in this country, pre-teens and younger are frequently seen consuming soda and sports drinks. These drinks also contain caffeine, as do hot chocolate and iced tea.

But this does not imply that caffeine is safe.

Manaker points out that some research suggests that drinking coffee may make kids feel more awake, but she warns that this stimulant may cause them to become hooked, which is bad.

Children can substitute hydrating drinks for caffeinated ones to stay energized without consuming this stimulant, advises Manaker. "It is perfectly feasible for people to experience fatigue due to dehydration rather than a deficiency in caffeine. It is advised that older kids over the age of 12 choose options with a caffeine content of no more than 100 mg. One Starbucks coffee 'drink' with only one shot is enough to provide a child 12 years of age or older a day's supply of caffeine because one shot of Starbucks espresso contains 75 mg of caffeine.