There's a surprising, new trend when it comes to caffeine. It turns out that children are getting it from different sources, revealing the importance of understanding exactly what substances contain the stimulant.
Caffeine can cause increases in heart rate and blood pressure in addition to worsening anxiety in those with anxiety disorders. In addition, little is known about how caffeine can impact children who consume it later on in life.
In this particular study, the researchers examined dietary data from the 1999 to 2010 NHANES. In the end, they found that a surprising 73 percent of children consumed caffeine on any given day. That's not all, though. They also found that the sources of this caffeine changed over time.
In fact, the researchers discovered that the amount of caffeine didn't really change. Yet they did discover that children are consuming less soda and more stimulant-containing energy drinks and coffee. Because the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that energy drinks have no place in the diets of children and adolescents, the new study raises concern about the sources of caffeine in children's diets.
This analysis is actually the first to examine recent national trends in caffeine intake among children and young adults, according to Fox News. Since caffeine is now added in everything from soda to gum to marshmallows, the FDA is actually investigating caffeine sources and the safety of caffeine in food products.
"We have to address the fundamental question of the potential consequences of all these caffeinated products in the food supply to children and to some adults who may be at risk from excess caffeine consumption," said Michael R. Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine at FDA, in a news release.
The new study and the recent push to understand the effects of caffeine reveal a growing trend in food awareness. By learning more about the substances that are in what we eat, we can be better informed about how our health will be impacted.
The findings are published in the journal Pediatrics.
