Health and Nutrition

improve the nutrition & health of poor and vulnerable populations.
 


Do You Need Caffeine?


Caffeine isn’t a nutrient, like calcium, so you don’t need a certain amount to be healthy. The United States doesn’t have guidelines about caffeine, but Canada recently recommended that kids limit the amount of caffeine they eat or drink. They suggest kids ages 7 to 9 consume no more than about 63 milligrams (mg) per day (equal to 16 ounces of caffeinated soda). Kids who are 10 to 12 should get no more than 85 milligrams per day, equal to 22 ounces of caffeinated soda. (But that doesn’t mean drinking that much soda is a good idea. Stick with milk and water most often.)

Because caffeine is a diuretic, it can cause you to become dehydrated (say: dee-hy-dray-ted), which means that your body gets weak from not having enough water. On a hot day or after playing sports, you need to give your body plenty of fluids to replace the water you lose through sweating.

Caffeinated beverages like soda and tea make it harder for your body to keep enough water in your body. Even if you drink a lot of soda, you won’t replace the water your body needs as well as you can by drinking liquids without caffeine.

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