The other day I had a relative over. He’s 10. He said he is allowed Coke on “special occasions”. I won’t even go to the psychology of making someone think Coke is “special”.
So he had the Coke when I was out and went home.
He (nor I) told him mum. The next day I was speaking to his mum and she was saying what a nightmare he was that night and how he made their night hell and how he was usually not like that!
Hmmm… could the excess sugar and the DRUG caffeine have had anything to do with his weird behaviour?
I had another relative of mine who was diagnosed hyperactive some 30 years ago. He was a terror! Ever tried to burn down the family house. All the doctors were really good at diagnosing him hyperactive but none were good at finding out WHY he was hyperactive.
Turns out he was hyperactive BECAUSE he ate a lot of chocolate and drank a lot of Coke! They took those away and he was back to being a normal child. Took a nutritionist to give such a simple bit of advice that no doctor cared or probably knew to give at the time.
When I see people giving Cola drinks to their child, I really think of it as a form of child abuse. A parent is responsible for their child’s well-being. I know all the other arguments: “It’s just a one off” “It won’t do harm” “All the other mums do it” “We don’t want him to miss out” “We don’t want him to feel different” “There are much worse things” “It will get him used to the world” etc etc
Caffeine is a drug.
Sure, it is not a heavy duty drug like cocaine but it is a drug. It was banned in sports for some 20 years and now is on the monitoring list. Caffeine is addictive. Sugar is addictive.
Cola drinks with sugar or sweetener have so many issues with them:
The have ZERO nutritional value.
They are addictive.
They harm the brain of a child. Citric acid hides MSG and the excitotoxins have been linked to so many diseases to do with the brain.
They weaken the bones and rot the teeth.
Even if they are diet versions, the Aspartame has been linked to numerous other diseases.
They have been linked to type 2 diabetes, increasing the risk by as much as 25%.
Caffeine is a known diuretic and causes dehydration. Dehydration in children is prevalent already and causes all sorts of issues such as dizziness.
Caffeine causes irritability as does sugar. Behavioural problems follow.
The list goes on and on.
So, should you give Cola to your child?
There are lots of things you can’t control in your child’s life. Giving them Cola at an early age is something you can probably control.
