Effects of Coffee-Drinking upon Children
- Author:
Charles Keen Taylor, M.A.,
Philadelphia, Pa.
First of all, what is tlie composition of coffee? “Coffee,” says my materia mcdica, “contains caffeine and caffeo-tannic acid.
During roasting a volatile oil is developed and several substances formed, which give to coffee its aroma and flavor, these empyreuinatic substances being known collectively as caffeone.” It goes on to say that “it produces a general feeling of warmth and wellbeing, dilates the superficial blood-vessels, and lowers arterial pressure. It also stimulates the nervous system, in some persons causing exhilarating effects upon the cerebrum and increasing capacity for intellectual labor, and frequently is the cause of headache in persons who take it habitually or in excess.” Note these three words, “frequently,” “habitually,” and “excess”. One point more from the materia medica, “Coffee differs from caffeine in being more stimulating to the intestinal tract, especially increasing the peristaltic movements, which are not affected by caffeine.”1 The last statement we will consider first, briefly, coffee does not act just as does pure caffeine. It is rather common in these days to read articles concerning tests made in the endeavor to find the effects of habitually taking caffeine. It is said, generally, that caffeine increases physical and mental capacity, and leaves 110 bad after effects. This seems to be the consensus of opinion upon the habitual use of caffeine. The fact is that these results too often are taken to mean that regular coffee-drinking has 110 bad aftereffects, under the impression that caffeine is the only active principle in coffee. We have already read, however, upon good authority, that coffee does not act just as does caffeine. If coffee influences so important a thing as the peristaltic movements of the intestinal tract, it might well have other physical effects, some possibly not so blameless.
The writer who has made a special study of the physical and mental development of children, has felt for some time that coffeedrinking children were less “fit” physically and mentally than those who did not use coffee. Statistics 011 such matters arc difficult to obtain, so that when an opportunity came several months 1 Shoemaker’s Materia Mcdica, Pharmacology anil Therapeutics. ago to study some hundreds of scliool-cliildren physically, and to some extent mentally, considerable effort was made to obtain figures bearing on this question.
Statistics were obtained from 404 children. It was found that about 29 per cent of these children drank no coffee at all, 46 per cent drank a cup a day, 12 per cent drank two cups, 8 per cent three cups, and the remainder four or more cups of coffee each day. Certain measurements were taken of these children, that is ?their height, weight, and strength of hands. From their school reports their lesson and conduct “averages” were taken. With these on hand we had something to work upon.
First the lesson values and conduct marks of those drinking coffee and those not drinking it were compared. These children, it may be said, were divided between two schools, one of a poorer neighborhood than the other. The difference in circumstances, seemed to show a little effect in the final results. The general average for conduct of all those not drinking coffee was 75.6, while that for all those drinking coffee was 73.1. This average began at 73.3 for those drinking one cup per day, and ran down to 67.8 for those drinking four or more cups. In the marks for lessons we find similar results. Those drinking no coffee averaged 73.4 for lessons in the month in which the test was made, while those drinking coffee averaged 70.8 in the same month. In all, it might be said that there were lower and lower grades for lessons as the amount of coffee taken each day increased. For instance, those drinking four or more cups per day averaged 63.8. for their lessons, a very great difference from the 73.4 of those drinking no coffee! In the school containing the poorer children, those tested numbering 134, it was found that the coffee drinkers averaged 4.4 per cent lower in conduct and 7.5 per cent lower in lessons than those drinking no coffee.
These statistics are hardly sensational, but it seems to the writer that if such differences exist between the mental ability, as shown by lesson-work, and behavior, as shown by conduct-marks, of those drinking and those not drinking coffee, that this beverage must have some unwholesome effect upon children that it does not have upon adults.
The physical measurements taken of the children studied in this test were made for quite another purpose than that for which they are used here. Thinking it might be interesting, the writer compared the weight, height, and strength of those drinking and those not drinking coffee. In the following results the records of 151 children were used. These children were studied in groups according to age. It is an easy matter to arrange the results in the form of a table, as follows:
TABLE SHOWING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CHILDREN USING COFFEE AND CHILDREN NOT USING COFFEE DAILY. Age 9 9 11 11 12 12 Children No. Exam. Without Coffee 8 With Coffee 16 Without Coffee 11 With Coffee i 30 Without Coffee 17 With Coffee 29 Without Coffee 17 With Coffee 17 Weight Height (lbs.) 1 (ins.) 54.3 48.2 52.0 47.9 60.0 50.7 58.0 49.1 72.9 54.S 09.5 53.0 78.7 55.8 74.0. 55.4 Grip (lbs.) 27.9 20.0 33.0 32.3 38.7 38.7 45.3 42.0
In other words, the children concerned in this test who drank coffee regularly, averaged from one and a half to more than four pounds less in weight, from a half-inch to more than an inch less in height, and all the way to three pounds less in hand-strength than those who never drank coffee. These differences may not be startling, but it is evident that there are differences.
As a conclusion, then, to this very brief paper, the writer would say that it seems likeily that the regular drinking of coffee by children has an effect which is certainly not beneficial, that indeed it seems to make children less “fit” physically as well as mentally than those who do not use coffee. If this be true, then some support is given to the modern movement which advocates the substituting of cocoa or chocolate for coffee as a beverage for children.
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