‘Energy drinks’ can be harmful to
the young, the old, and those of all ages with metabolic, liver and
cardiovascular disorders. They could be detrimental to young adults who mix ‘energy
drinks’ with alcoholic drinks. Recent articles in JAMA highlight the health
issues surrounding these drinks. This
blog post discusses the findings from the journal in light of the controversy
surrounding ‘energy drinks’.
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| Energy drinks can be harmful |
‘Energy drinks’ are used for increased alertness
and attention skills, during a meeting, university lecture, interview,
examination, or a long car drive. The most common and major ingredient of these
drinks is caffeine; it may also contain sugar, cocoa, B vitamins, ginseng, liquorice
etc. A series of articles in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) highlight
the unseen dangers associated with energy drink consumption either on its own,
with alcohol or with medications (the latter two scenarios can extend the
degradation of caffeine and can magnify its harmful effects).
‘Energy drinks’ are very popular
in the West and their use is on the rise. In the US, 2.3 billion ‘energy drinks’
were consumed in 2005 which rose to 6 billion in 2010. A study indicates that it is heavily used by
the US forces serving abroad, with 45% of those surveyed, reporting daily use. More than a quarter of young teens and half of
18 to 24 year olds consume ‘energy drinks’ on a regular basis. Surveys also indicate that more than half of college students mix it with alcohol. Despite
their wide usage, not all ‘energy drinks’ are the same, nor are they benign as
they may appear. Whilst some ‘energy
drinks’, like most soft drinks and coffees, have about 100 mg of caffeine per
serving, a few have up to 250 mg per
portion. You can access the caffeine content of various ‘energy drinks’ here. Research indicates
that caffeine, whose effect has only been recently characterised, is toxic in large doses, and can even be lethal. Studies show that the likely lethal
dose of caffeine is 3g. It would
require a person to consume 12 of the highly caffeinated ‘energy drinks’ in a
span of few hours, to reach deadly levels in the body.
Experts believe that consumption
of ‘energy drinks’ can cause increased and irregular heart rate, high blood
pressure, high blood sugar, palpitations, sleep disturbances and increased
urine production. ‘Energy drinks’ can be harmful for individuals with diabetes
or other metabolic health problems. The combination of alcohol and ‘energy
drinks’, in addition, gives further dimension to the harmful consequences, than
when either ingredient is consumed alone. Caffeine disputably masks and impairs sensory clues that consumers
normally use to determine the extent they are intoxicated which then could lead
to risky behaviour.
‘Energy drinks’ are under
scrutiny by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In October last year,
the FDA released a document connecting a certain energy drink to illnesses and
death. Although the energy drink in question is not implicated in the cause of
illness or death, it implies that a physician or family member believed that
the drink could have played a role leading to an examination of this class of
drinks. Whilst the drinks are being examined by the regulatory bodies, it is only wise to exercise
extreme caution.
Recommendations from
the scientific body
-The recommendations from American
Academy of Pediatrics are that young children should not consume ‘energy
drinks’ and that adolescents should restrict consumption to less than 100 mg of
caffeine per day. Parents are urged to monitor the amount of consumption of
beverages containing caffeine in their teenagers and help them comprehend the
dangers associated with taking large amounts of caffeine.
-Torpy and Livingstone, the
authors of the JAMA patient page, urge adults to limit their caffeine intake to
500 mg per day, noting that older persons may be more sensitive to
the effects of caffeine. They further caution individuals with heart problems,
hypertension, sleeping difficulties and those on medications to exercise
caution and limit the amount of caffeine intake.
-The scientists who authored the
reports on JAMA advocate for more concrete information and education about safe
limits for caffeine consumption. They are calling for increased information on
the effects of caffeine adolescent behaviour and development.They are urging
policy makers to hold energy drink manufacturers accountable for claims
regarding the health and psychosocial benefits of their products.
-The FDA’s cautionary advice to
the customers is that the ‘energy drinks’ are not alternatives to rest or
sleep. They emphasize that consumers should be aware that ‘though caffeine may
make one feel more alert and awake, judgment and reaction time can still be
impaired by insufficient rest or sleep’. They urge potential consumers to
consult their health care provider to ensure that there is no underlying or
undiagnosed medical condition that could worsen as a result of consuming such
drinks.
References
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1487123
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1487124
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23134972
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/05/25/peds.2011-0965.full.pdf+html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/us-news-blog/2012/nov/15/five-hour-energy-under-scrutiny
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofFoods/CFSAN/CFSANFOIAElectronicReadingRoom/UCM328270.pdf
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1541-4337.2010.00111.x/full
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