Caffeinated beverages Inhibit Brain Development
Caffeinated beverages Inhibit Brain Development - Many teenagers who love the energy drinks that contain caffeine . Ads energy drinks and coffee also seemed to target the youth as their target market . Research
in Europe shows that the average caffeine consumption by children and
adolescents has increased more than 70 percent in the last 30 years . Highest growth was recorded in the industrial segment of caffeinated energy drinks . This raises the question of whether caffeine consumption by children and adolescents is actually safe ?
Research
conducted by the University Children's Hospital Zurich have shown that
caffeine can hinder brain development in children and adolescents , but
new evidence is found in animal experiments .
Studies in rats
The research team led by Reto Huber gave a moderate dose of caffeine for 5 days to a couple of adolescent rats aged 30 days . The dose equivalent to 3-4 cups of coffee per day in humans . Number of rats in the control group received only fresh water . Then , the brain waves in the animals studied .
Young rats given caffeine are less likely to sleep so that they obstructed the process of brain maturation . Lack of sleep is characterized by a slow their brain waves until a week after the last caffeine administration . In
addition, the neural connections in the brains of rats was much higher
than in the brains of rats that received only fresh water . It shows that they are experiencing slower maturation . They
look much more silent , shy and cautious , while the rats that were
given fresh water is more active and show curiosity - general features
in the mice that had grown .
"The brain is very plastic kids because a lot of connections , " said Reto Huber , lead author of the study. In
a process called synaptic pruning ( synaptic pruning ) , these
connections will eventually disappear or consolidated during puberty . Connections
between the brain's nerve extended , shortened , cut and summarized so
that the brain tissue becomes more efficient and more powerful . This optimization process may occur during deep sleep .
Although
there is clearly a difference between the brain of rat and human brain ,
the researchers say that both neurodevelopmental and that further
research in humans is needed .
The importance of getting enough sleep
Experts have long advised teens to sleep at least nine hours every day . Lack
of sleep can restrict the ability of youth to concentrate , learn,
remember , and make them irritable or tend to eat unhealthy . Of this research note that lack of sleep may also inhibit brain maturation in adolescents .
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