Is there validity in coffee stunting the growth of children?
THE CLAIM: Besides the jitteriness, the insomnia and the prospect of one day beginning each morning in a long line at Starbucks, children have another reason not to drink coffee: It stunts their growth. Or at least according to the old wives’ tale that generations of children have grown up hearing. THE FACTS: The only problem, it seems, is that after decades of research on the physiological results of coffee consumption, there is no evidence that it has any effect on height. How this myth got started is unclear. But scientists believe it has something to do with caffeine, which for many years was thought to be a risk factor for osteoporosis. That concern stemmed from early studies that associated high intake of caffeinated beverages with reduced bone mass. More recent studies suggest that if there is such an effect, it is both slight and easily offset when dietary intake of calcium is adequate. There also is another explanation for the association. According to a study by Dr. Robert P.
