What is the caffeine pouch trend going viral among teenagers in the US?: Here's what experts think
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What are these? Well, these are small tea-bag-like pouches that they place between the lip and gum to get a quick caffeine hit that travels straight to the bloodstream.
As is typical, the trend has been pushed by social media influencers who are recommending the caffeine pouches to gym goers for elevated performance and students for alertness for exams. TikTok Shop sells lots of brands and flavours that could appeal to young people, said Dr Rob van Dam from George Washington University to the BBC.
However, with a single pouch containing as much caffeine as two cups of regular coffee, it could be easy to take too much and get bad side effects, warned the doctor.
Many fans of the product have boasted online about the "buzzing" from using two pouches at once for an extra big caffeine rush. Additionally, the size of these pouches is small enough not to be detected if someone is carrying one in their mouth and hiding from parents and teachers.
As the caffeine gets absorbed, the effects can begin within a few minutes and last up to hours, with levels going out of control. "Young people may have less tolerance to caffeine, and there's a chance they could end up in the emergency room if they have too much," added the doctor.
What happens when you have too much caffeine?
Image credits: Getty Images
Caffeine makes you feel more alert due to the effects it has on the brain and central nervous system. However, excessive amounts of it can affect the cardiovascular system in terms of rapid heart rate, abnormal heart rhythms and even seizures.
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Typically, around 400mg of coffee, which amounts to 4 cups of instant coffee, is safe to be consumed by most healthy adults.
The coffee pouches not only provide an excessive caffeine hit to the body, but keeping them between the teeth and the lip can also cause irritation in the gums.
"While caffeine may give a temporary boost, it can disrupt sleep and worsen fatigue over time, especially in children and teens who are more sensitive to its effects," said Bini Suresh, head of dietetics at the Cleveland Clinic, London and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association.
Additionally, according to the
, some studies have suggested a link between caffeine consumption and longer-term behavioural problems in young people such as anger, violence, sleep disturbances and drug use. Researchers in Iceland surveyed 7,400 adolescents aged 14 and 15 years and found that most reported consuming caffeine on a typical day and reported daytime sleepiness and anger for both sexes.
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