Doctor's opinion: How much caffeine for teens, do's and don'ts of sunscreen

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FOX 11) - How much caffeine is too much caffeine for teens? And now that summer is approaching, is sunscreen as protective as the SPF number suggests?

Dr. Sonu Ahluwalia, a double board certified orthopedic surgeon, stopped by Good Day LA on Friday to offer his opinion.

Caffeine

The death of a seemingly healthy South Carolina teenager after drinking too much caffeine has left people wondering how much or how little caffeine is safe for young people.

"For adults, we think that four cups of coffee is something that shouldn't really affect you too much," according to Ahluwalia.

Kids have less tolerance, he added. If their heart is susceptible, which isn't always known, too much caffeine can cause an arrhythmia.

"This kid had a big caffeinated soda, then he had a cafe latte from one of the fast food restaurants, and then he had an energy drink," Ahluwalia said. "The energy drinks are the things that I take a little bit of an issue with because even though they quote the amount of caffeine, there are other stimulants inside that like guarana, etcetera, which provide the same amount of stimulation but they just don't list them as caffeine because they don't have caffeine in them, per se."

Ahluwalia suggests staying away from sodas altogether.

"You don't need all this caffeine. Be healthy."

Sunscreen

Are you using sunscreen effectively? Ahluwalia offered the "right things to do" now that summer is approaching:

-Buy sunscreens that are broad spectrum, meaning they cover UVA and UVB

-Apply an ounce at a time and reapply often and MORE often if you're in the water

-Just try to buy the most effective one, not the most expensive

-Check out this list of the top sunscreens of 2017, ranked by Consumer Reports

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