Digital health editor, BBC News<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A growing number of US teenagers are using caffeine pouches to get an energy rush, say experts who worry the trend could soon take off in the UK. <\/p>\n The small teabag-like pouches, placed between the lip and gum, deliver a quick caffeine hit, straight to the bloodstream. <\/p>\n Some social media influencers are pushing products, recommending them to gym-goers for performance or to students who want to be alert for exams. <\/p>\n TikTok Shop sells lots of brands and flavours that could appeal to young people, says Dr Rob van Dam from George Washington University.<\/p>\n But 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, he says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There is already growing concern in the UK about young people using nicotine pouches or snus.<\/p>\n Caffeine pouches are also discreet – you may not be able to tell if someone has one in their mouth – making it easy to hide from parents and teachers. <\/p>\n Some fans of the product boast online about “buzzing” from using two pouches at once for an extra big caffeine rush. <\/p>\n As caffeine is rapidly absorbed, the effects may begin minutes after ingestion and last for a number of hours. Levels can go out of control. <\/p>\n Dr van Dam told BBC News: “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.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Caffeine is a stimulant that can make you feel more alert and less sleepy due to its effect on the brain and nervous system. <\/p>\n Lewis James, from the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University, says there is good evidence that caffeine can help make exercise feel easier. <\/p>\n It’s become one of the most regularly used supplements among athletes.<\/p>\n As you exercise your body produces a chemical called adenosine which makes you feel tired. Caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors in your nerves, so your brain perceives less pain and fatigue.<\/p>\n But it acts on other parts of the body too – including the cardiovascular system – which can be risky.<\/p>\n High levels can cause a rapid heart rate, abnormal heart rhythms and seizures. <\/p>\n Although rare, there are documented deaths from excess caffeine.<\/p>\n Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others and can feel nauseous, anxious and irritable, and get headaches even at lower doses. <\/p>\n Generally, up to 400mg of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults – that’s around four cups of instant coffee.<\/p>\n Tea contains a bit less, so five cups a day is usually fine. <\/p>\n Pregnant women are advised to halve daily intake to 200mg or less. <\/p>\n Children and teenagers are also more susceptible to the risks and potential for an overdose. <\/p>\n This is why energy drinks containing over 150mg of caffeine, for example, are already required by EU law to carry labels stating: “High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Dr van Dam says it can be easy to overload. Caffeine is found in many drinks and some foods, so it is important to check how much you are consuming.<\/p>\n “While it’s harder to overdose on coffee, with these products it’s easier, especially if young people are using energy drinks too.”<\/p>\n He says some products, when you check them in the laboratory, contain more caffeine than they claim on the labelling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Dentists say using them over time can irritate the gums – similar to snus and nicotine pouches.<\/p>\n Some experts worry caffeine pouches could be a gateway to using these. <\/p>\n Bini Suresh is head of dietetics at the Cleveland Clinic, London, and a spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association. <\/p>\n She says using pouches may feel “trendy” or harmless, but there’s a real risk of normalising stimulant use in teens and young adults, potentially creating patterns of dependency.<\/p>\n She told the BBC: “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.”<\/p>\n If young people are going to have caffeine, the BDA and NHS both advise caution. <\/p>\n The European Food Safety Authority suggests 3mg\/kg body weight as the upper limit for children and adolescents, meaning a child weighing 30kg should have no more than 90mg in a day.<\/p>\n Instead of reaching for caffeine, Ms Suresh says it’s far better to focus on regular meals, hydration and nutrient-rich foods that support steady energy levels throughout the day.<\/p>\n A healthy diet with enough iron, protein and slow-releasing carbohydrates should do the job, she says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/f7c3\/live\/8d4c0cf0-695a-11f0-8d79-5d14c6c2c854.jpg.webp\")
Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nWhy caffeine and what happens if you have too much?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nWatch for other drinks or food that contain caffeine<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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