Updated on
Summary Energy drinks are under-studied, overused and can be dangerous for children and teens, warns a report by doctors who say kids shouldn't use the popular products.
The potential harms, caused mostly by too much caffeine or similar ingredients, include heart palpitations, seizures, strokes and even sudden death the authors write in the medical journal Pediatrics.The report says some cans have four to five times more caffeine than soda. Energy drinks often contain ingredients that can enhance the jittery effects of caffeine or that can have other side effects including nausea and diarrhea. It says they should be regulated as stringently as tobacco, alcohol and prescription medicines.With sale expected to top US$9 billion this year, research is lacking on risk from long-term use and effects in kids, especially those with medical conditions. With more than 300 energy drink poisonings this year, a quarter of them involved kids younger than 6 years. The report cites other reports on a few deaths in Europe of teens or young adults who mixed the drinks with alcohol, or who had conditions like epilepsy that may have increased the risks. The report comes amid a crackdown on energy drinks containing alcohol and caffeine, including recent Food and Drug Administration warning letters to manufacturers because of alcohol overdoses. A clinical report on energy drinks is expected soon from the American Academy of Pediatrics that may include guidelines for doctors. Maureen Storey, senior vice president of science policy at the American Beverage Association, an industry group, said the report does nothing more than perpetuate misinformation about energy drinks. Many of the drinks contain much less caffeine than coffee from popular coffeehouses, and caffeine amounts are listed on many of the products, she said in a written statement. Caffeine is safe, but those who are sensitive to it can check the labels, she said.
