Clear Lake Coffee Roasters: At Home Series - Does Coffee Stunt Your Growth? - May 26, 2021
Does Coffee Stunt Your Growth?
Coffee has many health benefits. But can it stunt your growth? We talked to Dr. Keith-Thomas Ayoob, EdD, RD, FAND, and looked at science-backed studies to answer this common question.
Does Coffee Stunt Your Growth?
Stunted growth can only occur in fetuses and children, since adults are fully grown. For that reason, most studies related to caffeine and its impact on growth have been conducted on children. "These studies have focused on fetal growth, that is, investigating growth restriction, with a focus on caffeine, not coffee specifically," explains Ayoob. "And most of those studies have found no connection between caffeine intake and fetal growth restriction up to a level of 300 mg per day." (For reference, 300 mg is about three cups of coffee.)
Some studies have found a modest association between caffeine intake and small-for-gestational-age births. "But keep in mind, there can be confounding variables that muddy the results here, as most of the information is self-reported," says Ayoob.
As for kids, intake below 2.5 mg/kg of body weight is considered safe. Studies have focused on other issues aside from growth, such as blood pressure and sleep behavior. It's also worth noting that coffee consumption by children is minimal," says Ayoob. "Their caffeine intake is primarily from soda (cola especially)."
Should Teens Drink Coffee?
Caffeine can interfere with calcium absorption, which could interfere with proper growth (although not necessarily stunting) and bone density in kids. "But they'd have to be drinking coffee or getting caffeine to excess and for a long time," says Ayoob. "Because of the stimulant effect, I recommend that kids wanting coffee get it in decaffeinated form." He says decaffeinated coffee drinks with added milk can be a good way for teens to get extra calcium, vitamin D, and potassium—three nutrients of real concern in teens (and adults).
Does Decaf Coffee Stunt Your Growth?
In his research, Ayoob hasn't come across studies indicating issues with growth related to decaf coffee consumption.
The Bottom Line
Whilst you're here are 6 reasons for making Clear Lake Coffee Roasters - CLCR - your go-to coffee roaster:
☕️ We are a local family-run business located in the heart of Clear Lake, Iowa.
☕️ We go to great lengths to find only the finest and ethically sourced coffee around, from the top 2% of coffee beans in the world.
☕️ We only source 100% certified Arabica coffee beans, carefully hand-selecting each coffee based on specific quality and taste attributes.
☕️ Our roasting process has been refined over the years and each roast profile is individually designed to complement the nuances of the coffee we source, from Cup of Excellence (COE) award-winning producers.
☕️ By roasting in smaller batches, we can ensure our coffee is ALWAYS fresh, in fact, we roast your coffee only after you place an order - the same day your order ships out.
☕️ At CLCR, we are dedicated to a single mission: the unyielding pursuit of coffee perfection in every cup.
We would give you more reasons, but rather than reading it's better if you visit our website, purchase a bag or two, and experience a unique caffeinated or half-caff journey for yourself 😊!
Explore goodness. Click. Buy. Smile.
Clear Lake City Park Beach - Named one of USA Today's top 50 Beaches in the United States.
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