Teens, that iced vanilla latte might taste good. But it could lead to problems, now and later.

This article is for all of the teenagers out there. Society regularly expects you to adult. Because of this, you probably cannot process caffeine as seamlessly as your parents can.

I understand an iced vanilla latte tastes like dessert, a caffeinated drink is as accessible as a bottle of water, and it feels grown-up to be toting a Starbucks cup. But all of this caffeine may be amplifying your anxiety, compromising tonight’s sleep, and when mixed with alcohol, causing real trouble.

Let’s look at the evidence.

The power of caffeine

Caffeine is widely considered a drug, a chemical that changes brain function and affects mood, cognition or behavior. It may be a drug that is socially acceptable, universally used, even cool, but it still causes withdrawal symptoms.

How much is healthy?

Caffeine is not a nutrient; you do not need it to be healthy. Caffeine is also a diuretic, so it causes the body to release water – and the more caffeinated drinks you consume, the less likely you are to drink water.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that adolescents should consume no more than 100 mg of caffeine a day (less than the amount found in a Starbucks grande latte).

Caffeine’s drawbacks

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 60 percent of middle schoolers and more than 70 percent of high schoolers do not get enough sleep on school nights. Some of their sleep problems can be attributed to caffeine.

Sleep is important for teens in other ways. Adequate sleep contributes to proper growth and brain development. During childhood and adolescence, the brain goes through a period called synaptic pruning when unnecessary connections are consolidated; this consolidation mostly happens during sleep.

Caffeine has also been shown to increase heart rate, cortisol, blood pressure and anxiety, and to decrease impulse control.

Taste preferences and eating habits are often cemented in childhood and adolescence. You are creating a pattern that may be hard to break as an adult.

Caffeine and alcohol

In a recent study, almost one-quarter of college students mixed energy drinks with alcohol. When alcohol, which is a depressant, is combined with caffeine, the body stays alert longer than if drinking just alcohol. This prompts people to consume more alcohol because they do not feel the depressant, sleepy effect of alcohol, leading to higher blood alcohol levels.

Caffeine labeling

It is difficult to determine how much caffeine is in some products as caffeine does not have to be listed on the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels because it is not a nutrient. It may be listed as an ingredient, but the amount is not required.

There are alternative ways to boost energy. Eat a diet of whole foods that is high in complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and B vitamins. Get regular exercise, drink lots of water and get at least nine hours of sleep every night. If you do all of these things, you might actually master adulting better than many adults.