ok. i wanted to drink coffee a few weeks ago and my mom said no cause i am 13 and it stunts the growth. i love coffee and sneak it in my room and drink it at friends house. i am afraid to tell her, but do i have a habit or addiction now and will i be a midget?
2006-07-31 11:26:52 · 34 answers · asked by catyloveanime 1 in Food & Drink ➔ Non-Alcoholic Drinks
That is absolutely not true. Drinking coffee will not stunt your growth. That is something that parents tell their kids to scare them out of drinking coffee. It might make you nervous, and addicted to caffeine, but it won't stunt your growth! And it won't shorten your life by speeding up your heart rate either! That said, it can also interfere with sleep, cause dehydration, make hyperactivity worse, contribute to malnutrition by substituting for healthy drinks like juice, and cause heartburn. Look at all the caffeinated drinks that parents let their kids drink! And they're worried about coffee. Hmmm.
2006-07-31 11:30:00 · answer #1 · answered by Bad Kitty! 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
THE CLAIM: Besides the jitteriness, the insomnia and the prospect of one day beginning each morning in a long line at Starbucks, children have another reason not to drink coffee: It stunts their growth. Or at least according to the old wives' tale that generations of children have grown up hearing.
THE FACTS: The only problem, it seems, is that after decades of research on the physiological results of coffee consumption, there is no evidence that it has any effect on height.
How this myth got started is unclear. But scientists believe it has something to do with caffeine, which for many years was thought to be a risk factor for osteoporosis. That concern stemmed from early studies that associated high intake of caffeinated beverages with reduced bone mass.
More recent studies suggest that if there is such an effect, it is both slight and easily offset when dietary intake of calcium is adequate.
There also is another explanation for the association. According to a study by Dr. Robert P. Heaney, a calcium expert at Creighton University, much of the research linking caffeine consumption to reduced bone mass was conducted on elderly people whose diets were low on milk and other sources of calcium – largely because they drank so much caffeine-laden coffee and soda instead.
Another study tracked 81 adolescents for six years and found that those who had the highest daily caffeine intake had no difference in bone gain or bone density at the end of the study than those with the lowest.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The research suggests that coffee will not stunt growth
2006-07-31 14:44:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Coffee will not stunt your growth. That is a myth. My parents told me a lot of fibs too! ;) But I digress, this is not a free pass to go drinking a lot of coffee.
However caffiene can be just as addictive as many other things are not legal. It depends on the person, but it has been found that 200 mg of caffiene (about a cup of coffee) has the effectiveness of about 40 mg of amphetamine (speed). It raises your blood pressure, raises your heartbeat, and can cause irritability (if you are craving it.) I would reccommend that people under 25 limit use of many drugs (from Tylenol to Mountain Dew). Studies indicate that the brain continues to develop until you are 25, which is why rental car companies will not rent a car to someone under 25. If you are a teenager, your brain is still developing. I don't think its a very good idea to use any mind altering substance (caffiene or otherwise) at any age, especially when you are still growing. Just as a harm reduction strategy. If you want a cup of coffee once in a while, its fine, just limit it to the absolute minimum.
Hope that helps. ;)
2006-07-31 11:42:49 · answer #3 · answered by caffiene_freek 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, caffeene stunts your growth. If you were destined to be 6' tall, you may end up being only 5' 11" or 5' 10".
I don't suggest drinking coffee untill you are done growing.
Edit: Looking around on the web, It looks like there are no conclusive studies finding that it stunts your growth. So it is false until proven otherwise...
2006-07-31 11:30:06 · answer #4 · answered by Mr. Scientist 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure why coffee has a bad reputation. That is not true about stunting your growth. I think her generation ( and mine too) grew up thinking it was for adults only. Mountain Dew soda has just as much caffeine as some coffees have.
2006-07-31 12:19:09 · answer #5 · answered by weswe 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I drink a lot of coffee and I'm still growing despite the fact that I've more than passed the average for my gender and the usual age range for when growth is supposed to stop.
2006-07-31 11:30:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They haven't proven it does or doesn't. However coffee can cause other health problems. I know a lot of our clients with high blood pressure are ordered by their doctor to quit the coffee. Caffeine isn't good for your body to get used to anyway. Try to look at it as a treat to be enjoyed once in awhile (esp. those coffee "drinks" they're loaded with fat & calories - those alone will give you health problems,).
2006-07-31 11:34:22 · answer #7 · answered by Steph 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its not the coffee that can stunt your growth...its the caffeine in the coffee..but don't worry about it unless you're drinking like 3 gallons a day.
2006-07-31 11:30:54 · answer #8 · answered by Paulien 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It won't stunt your coffee. The caffeine that's in it affects our nervous system. Caffeine can affect our overall health in bad ways. Too much can make a person hyper, cause a rise in blood pressure and also give you headaches.
2006-08-01 04:42:14 · answer #9 · answered by Garfield 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it won't stunt your growth. It will make you hyper, speed up your heart rate, which can shorten your life very slightly and it is mildly addictive and turns your teeth yellow. That is probably why your mom doesn't want you drinking it.
2006-07-31 11:29:43 · answer #10 · answered by tenaciousd 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋