Health Risks

What’s the Harm in Energy drinks?

Many people relish the kick that comes with a bottle of a highly caffeinated drink, especially when we feel like a jolt to help get us through the afternoon. But people aren’t aware of the accumulation of caffeine they’ve already digested that day in their morning coffee. But experts are warning that too much of a good thing is a major health risk. Caffeine is a stimulant and therefore children are especially vulnerable to its effects and they are the group that is least likely to read labels even if they did contain the mgs per serving. But that’s where early education comes in and common sense of parents. Meanwhile, we all need to be more aware of the non-beneficial effects of a diet that contains high amounts of caffeine.

Energy Drinks vs. a Serving of Regular Coffee

In a review paper posted in the journal, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, results of testing revealed there can be as much as 500 mg of caffeine ins an ‘energy drink. The comparison is one we all understand – it is an amount that is equal to 14 cans of cola..  

Experts at one of the leading medical institutions in the country, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, are concerned that most energy drinks have no mention of the amount of caffeine. Because they are seen as ‘cool’, some kids who drink more than one per day are the most vulnerable group for serious side effects..
The effects of ‘over-caffeination’ include: increased heart rate, palpitations, nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, gastrointestinal distress, tremors, hyperactivity and restlessness. In the most extreme, it has been known to cause death..