Health Risks Energy Drinks Serious too Young

Popular energy drinks including, Rock Star, Red Bull, and Monster Energy provide no value to health, are loaded with caffeine, and are potentially dangerous to children, teens and young adults. In fact, a new report recently published in the online journal Pediatrics pinpointed that nearly half of 5,448 caffeine overdoses in the U.S. reported in 2007 occurred among people under the age of 19.

The report also noted that an 8-ounce energy drink may contain hundreds of milligrams of caffeine, making a simple generic cup of coffee’s 100 milligrams of caffeine content pale in comparison. While an 8-ounce serving of Mountain Dew contains 28 milligrams of caffeine, an equal serving size of Red Bull packs almost three times the amount at 77 milligrams. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently limits caffeine drinks to 71 mg per 12-ounce serving, energy drink manufacturers circumvent the rule by labeling their products “natural.”

In addition to posing serious health risks to otherwise other wise healthy young people, according to Dr. Steven E. Lipshultz, chairman of pediatrics at the University of Miami, and co-author of the newly published report, health risks associated with the consumption of energy drinks are increased for children having certain health issues. Those who suffer from illnesses such as diabetes, mood disorders, or heart, kidney and liver diseases may have adverse affects that may include heart palpitations, seizures, cardiac arrest or even death.

Regarding the many varieties of energy drinks available to consumers, Lipshultz stated, “It’s a set of products that are totally unregulated and have no therapeutic benefit.” And young consumers take advantage of the readily available drinks, as surveys suggest that 30 to 50 percent of young people consume energy drinks. According to Patrice Radden, a California spokeswoman Austria-based Red Bull GmbH, “Red Bull Energy Drink is available in over 160 countries because health authorities across the world have concluded that Red Bull Energy Drink is safe to consume.” She also added that “Last year alone, over 4 billion cans and bottles were consumed across the world.”

But just how safe are they? In addition to containing stimulants such as caffeine, taurine and guarana, many energy manufacturers add other ingredients such as such as sugar and herbal supplements, the effects of which haven’t been well-studied according to the report authors. They also noted that some ingredients can interfere with medications, such as those taken for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and antidepressants. In addition, safe levels of energy drinks in general have not yet been established for children and teens. Even worse, many young people who consume energy drinks mix them with alcohol, adding to potential health risks.[part1]

source:Healthy news