Health Effects of Energy Drinks

Energy drinks have been increasing in popularity, especially among athletic enthusiasts, teens and children.
Due to several articles in the media about negative health effects experienced by people who consumed too many energy drinks, some parents and school personnel have become concerned about their growing popularity specifically among teens and children.
However, if you are aware of how much caffeine you are consuming, people of all ages can safely consume energy drinks in moderation. 

  Caffeine is the primary ingredient in most energy drinks, and is often blamed for causing the negative health effects some people have experienced after consuming too many energy drinks. However, the majority of the healthy population can safely enjoy moderate amounts of caffeine without experiencing undesirable symptoms. 

Staying aware of how much caffeine you are consuming each day from energy drinks, as well as other sources such as coffee, tea, soda, dietary supplements, and medications, is important to stay within moderate, safe intake levels.

What About "Caffeine Intoxication?"

  There has been some recent concern over calls to Poison Control Centers due to "caffeine intoxication," with media articles citing an increase in consumption of energy drinks by teens and children as the culprit. However, the majority of calls were actually related to people consuming dietary supplements containing caffeine, as opposed to energy drinks. Many of the reported effects occurred when caffeine was combined with other ingredients and then ingested along with other pharmaceuticals. 

Although studies suggest that most of these calls to Poison Control Centers are actually not from consuming energy drinks, if you have children, you should talk to them about practicing moderation in all aspects of their diet and lives, including consuming moderate amounts of caffeinated foods and beverages. These beverages are designed to provide an extra energy boost, which many teens and children should not need, as they are young and naturally energetic. However, having one energy drink for enjoyment from time to time should not harm a healthy individual. 

If you have any concerns or have observed symptoms from consuming just a small amount of caffeine, you should see a health care provider for advice before continuing to consume energy drinks and/or other caffeinated beverages. Also, energy drinks should always be consumed responsibly and should not be combined with alcohol. 

Learning how to determine the caffeine content of each item, as well as the number of servings per container, will help you to know how to moderate your consumption. You can also help children and teens learn how to moderate their consumption so that they can safely enjoy an energy drink or soda responsibly without risking undesirable symptoms.

Bonus from Extra Vitamin B?

Suddenly, B vitamins are appearing in all sorts of products, especially energy bars and energy drinks. While a deficiency of any of the B vitamins can result in fatigue and a feeling of low energy, such deficiences are rare. The amounts found in most energy drinks are far more than what the body needs or could benefit from. For example, some drinks provide more than 8000 percent of the Daily Value for B12 and 2000 percent for B6. Because B vitamins are water-soluble and aren't stored, what the body can't use is simply flushed out, quite literally.