Fortified coffee to boost kids' nutrition?

First of all, to my knowledge, there is no conclusive evidence that coffee is bad for children. It causes those problems you mentioned above in SOME ADULTS. Coffee actually has been shown to have a calming effect on kids. Many children have been drinking coffee all their lives and have no problems to show for it.

Secondly, coffee is nutritious in its own way. Practically every day scientists discover a new reason why coffee is healthy. In a book I read focusing on people who lived over age 100, a study was cited which investigated what all these folks may have had in common. The ONLY thing they had in common was that the ALL drank coffee.

Thirdly, coffee is an affordable staple in countries that grow it, a lot more accessible than a lot of the things you feed your kids, including safe milk.

We fortify salt with iodine to prevent serious diseases in children. Why? Because pretty much everyone eats salt, not because salt is the most nutritious food on the shelf.

Before you trash what another culture is doing, you should study up on it. The statement "coffee isn't good for kids" was pulled out of someone's butt.

Reply

I don't think it would be a good idea to push coffee on children who weren't already drinking it, but culturally, many children already do. For these children, fortifying it may make good sense. I think the fortifying of the coffee and the "kids drinking" coffee are two separate issues.
And really, of all the possible crap it's possible to feed your kids, coffee isn't really all that bad, especially since we're probably not talking anywhere *near* the level of consumption of most adults. I'd certainly rather see them drinking coffee than, say, Coca-Cola.

Reply

This is another one of those odd times where I agree with SKL. You fortify something that the kids have often, not something they only have occasionally or not at all.

Reply

I would rather my children drink coffee rather than soda, quite honestly.

Reply

Maybe they could take out the caffeine when the put in the folic acid. Just a thought!

Reply

My kid was lactose intolerant and drank coffee early on. Would have liked to know that there were extra perks to the drink. BTW, he is over six feet tall, built like a linebacker, and a straight A student. Bad for you-yah, right!

Reply

i have known a lot of coffee drinkers including me and i see
no reason not to give it to children as long as it is done
in moderation.best i remember a nun who lived to the age of 100 only drank coffee ,her only drink.
cedric jay

Reply

ok first of all i give my son who is 6 one cup a day .he has adhd and it helps calm him . and it helps him go to the bath room .i tryed it when every thing the drs were trying to give him did not work for him to be able to go to the bath room so read up and study before u knock people giveing there kids coffee

Reply

We let our 2 year old take sips of coffee from our cups. She's also lactose intolerant. In moderation it isn't harmful. My grandmother was British and growing up we drank tea every morning. Coffee is a natural substance, unlike koolaid and many other artificially flavored drinks that people these days seem to think is okay to give kids. And Dr. Oz, on Oprah, says coffe has beneficial anti-oxidant properties.

Reply

Have you tasted cola that they have put vitiamins and nutritional stuff in? YUK! Well that will be a problem with coffee, start adding stuff to it and they won't want to drink it. Could be a good thing. My 2 boys have drank coffee in moderation and both are over 6 ft. I always figured it was no worse then letting them drink a cola. They have soda machines in schools for kids, but not coffee. Never could figure the difference. Moderation is the key.

Reply

When my daughter was born prematurely, she was severely jaundiced, and nothing the doctors tried was working. She was nursing only sluggishly, and her "wet" diapers were barely damp. They were talking about hospitalizing her when I remembered an old folk cure my great grandmother used to use: One teaspoon of sweet, black coffee. I gave it to her, and within 24 hours, all sign of jaundice were gone, she was nursing like there was no tomorrow, and her diapers were reassuringly soggy. Listen to the old wives, they usually know something of value. BTW, I also grew up drinking cafe au lait, and am just fine.

Reply

This is interesting because adults are starting to take a healthy energy supplement in a tablet called Nano-coffee.com Each tablet has the caffeine(200mg) that you would find in 2 cups of coffee with Folic Acid,Vitamins B12,B6,C, and Green tea added to this healthy nutritional supplement formula.

Reply

This is interesting because adults are starting to take a healthy energy supplement in a tablet called Nano-coffee.com Each tablet has the caffeine(200mg) that you would find in 2 cups of coffee with Folic Acid,Vitamins B12,B6,C, and Green tea added to this healthy nutritional supplement formula.

Reply

I am 55 years old and from one of the islands where coffee is one of our staples. My grand father lived to be over a hundred and from an early age, not having coffee in the household's diet was like sacralege. I do not see a problem with it. Like anything else in life over indulgence is bad. Moderation is the key and wisdom the door.

Reply

I have been drinking coffee since I was 5 years old and am perfectly healthy.

Reply

I am one that doesn't mind learning from others, especially when it comes to coffee, and old wives tales. Those old wives were certainly wise weren't they. Now, I know that two cups of java are not only desirable, but healthy. All those years hearing it's bad for cholestrol.

Reply

now i know why most mexicans are so short. of course coffee stunts their growth. seriously if coffee is bad for kids its bad for adults too.

Reply

im 7 and half months pregnant and i am allergic to the prenatal vitamins i am prescribed to and folic acid is a necessary nutrient while pregnant for your childs growth inside and outside the womb and i think its a good idea for those who already drink coffee or try coffee and like it and i would like to know where i can buy this product if someone knows respond to my comment i live in massachusetts let me know of places that sell it in mass please

Reply

In the US, folic acid is added to flour and cereals as a supplement. Would this work in Mexico? Supplementing a staple like flour would be much better than coffee, with less widespread use. The only drawback I can see is that many Mexicans may use cornmeal or flour that is locally ground, so supplementing the commercial product would miss many of those who need the nutrient.

Reply