Doctors warn of serious energy-drink risks

[Barefootsies]

Water seems to be the only safe drink.

CHICAGO ? 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. They reviewed data from the government and interest groups, scientific literature, case reports and articles in popular and trade media.
Dakota Sailor, 18, a high school senior in Carl Junction, Mo., says risks linked with energy drinks aren't just hype.

Sailor had a seizure and was hospitalized for five days last year after drinking two large energy drinks ? a brand he'd never tried before. He said his doctor thinks caffeine or caffeine-like ingredients may have been to blame.

The report says some cans have four to five times more caffeine than soda, and Sailor said some kids he knows "drink four or five of them a day. That's just dumb."
Sailor has sworn off the drinks and thinks other kids should, too.

The report's authors want pediatricians to routinely ask patients and their parents about energy drink use and to advise against drinking them.

"We would discourage the routine use" by children and teens, said Dr. Steven Lipshultz, pediatrics chairman at the University of Miami's medical school. He wrote the report with colleagues from that center.

The report says 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.

"For most children, adolescents, and young adults, safe levels of consumption have not been established," the report said.

Introduced more than 20 years ago, energy drinks are the fastest growing U.S. beverage market; 2011 sales are expected to top $9 billion, the report said. It cites research suggesting that about one-third of teens and young adults regularly consume energy drinks. Yet research is lacking on risk from long-term use and effects in kids ? especially those with medical conditions that may increase the dangers, the report said.
The report comes amid a crackdown on energy drinks containing alcohol and caffeine, including recent Food and Drug Administration warning letters to manufacturers and bans in several states because of alcohol overdoses.

The report focuses on nonalcoholic drinks but emphasizes that drinking them along with alcohol is dangerous.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers adopted codes late last year to start tracking energy drink overdoses and side effects nationwide; 677 cases occurred from October through December; so far, 331 have been reported this year.
Most 2011 cases involved children and teens. Of the more than 300 energy drink poisonings this year, a quarter of them involved kids younger than 6, according to a data chart from the poison control group.

That's a tiny fraction of the more than 2 million poisonings from other substances reported to the group each year. But the chart's list of reported energy drink-related symptoms is lengthy, including seizures, hallucinations, rapid heart rate, chest pain, high blood pressure and irritability, but no deaths.

Monday's paper doesn't quantify drink-related complications or deaths. It 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.
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.
A clinical report on energy drinks is expected soon from the American Academy of Pediatrics that may include guidelines for doctors.
Dr. Marcie Schneider, an adolescent medicine specialist in Greenwich, Conn., and member of the academy's nutrition committee, praised Monday's report for raising awareness about the risks.

"These drinks have no benefit, no place in the diet of kids," Schneider said.

ARTICLE

[bronco67]

They're always warning about something.

One week, eggs will kill you -- the next week they tell you Americans don't eat enough eggs.

[DangerX !!!]

I'm my own doctor and I know better what is good for me.

[qwe]

obviously if you drink 4-5 a day it will create problems...

[JustDaveXxx]

I only fuck with that shit maybe once a week if that. And that is when a shoot isnt going well and its taking all day.



My girl on the other hand claims she needs it to keep up with our 2 kids. The kids run her raged. 3 and 6 months.

[xenigo]

Originally Posted by JustDaveXxx

I only fuck with that shit maybe once a week if that. And that is when a shoot isnt going well and its taking all day.

HAHA!! I do exactly the same thing. It's sometimes the only thing that gets me through it.

[wehateporn]

We've all been conditioned into thinking that it's perfectly healthy to drink this type of crap; it's far more difficult for a company to make money from water than from a colorful sweet tasting drink. Unfortunately we are not designed to drink sugary drinks, until recent times our sugar would be been slowly released from food in the stomach e.g. a piece of fruit, meaning we had a slow steady release of sugar into our blood stream. Now instead we down a sugary drink which then floods our blood stream with sugar. We are not designed for this. If we do this long term we're far more likely to end up obese and/or diabetic.

If you want to take something to help you exercise/compete then go for Beetroot

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8186947.stm

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by bronco67

They're always warning about something.

One week, eggs will kill you -- the next week they tell you Americans don't eat enough eggs.

True dat fine sire.

[PR_Glen]

Originally Posted by bronco67

They're always warning about something.

One week, eggs will kill you -- the next week they tell you Americans don't eat enough eggs.

no sorry this is completely different... eggs have been proven to be a healthy food for everyone.. other than some misguided science and some propaganda there is nothing out there saying eggs are bad...

It's about time they released a warning like this, i've noticed the link between sudden deaths in youths and energy drinks for years now... especially in athletes.

[dyna mo]

in the immortal words of socrates-

"i drank what?"

[BestXXXPorn]

I'm sorry but are they essentially warning that they have caffeine in them?

Well no fucking shit, that's kid of the point...

[SykkBoy]

A couple years ago I was drinking 3-4 Monster a day (the big ass cans) and had a mild heart attack...the doctor told me to knock it the fuck off or I was going to die....have had maybe 3 since then....I still like a very very occasional monster coffee, but that's very rare

[Klen]

Originally Posted by SykkBoy

A couple years ago I was drinking 3-4 Monster a day (the big ass cans) and had a mild heart attack...the doctor told me to knock it the fuck off or I was going to die....have had maybe 3 since then....I still like a very very occasional monster coffee, but that's very rare

Wow you are crazy,i had only one can to test it and i felt very very bad after,also if i drink more then one of energetic drink i always get headache.

[Lace]

Originally Posted by SykkBoy

A couple years ago I was drinking 3-4 Monster a day (the big ass cans) and had a mild heart attack...the doctor told me to knock it the fuck off or I was going to die....have had maybe 3 since then....I still like a very very occasional monster coffee, but that's very rare

I usually drink 2 reg sized monsters a day, and a handful of Mountain Dew 20oz's. Only issue I've had is with my dentist. All of the soda for years has ruined my teeth and he keeps telling me to knock it off. I don't think I could make it through a day without it.

[AliGbone]

pass me another red bull

LOLZ

[candyflip]

Key words in the first sentence that seemed to have been glossed over.

...for children and teens...

I have to laugh too, because they banned that Four Loko energy alcohol too. My buddy has about 20 cases of it in his garage, that he got for like $10 a case.

[Jman]

Here's another warning : Living may eventually cause death!!! Stay Safe ;-)

[wehateporn]

It's hard to come off the sugary drinks at first, but after you've been on water for long enough your blood sugar stabalizes and you stop having highs/lows throughout the day. You would never want to go back

[seeandsee]

Originally Posted by bronco67

They're always warning about something.

One week, eggs will kill you -- the next week they tell you Americans don't eat enough eggs.

and week after that they will say eggs are good and bad

[Yngwie]

Originally Posted by Jean-Francois

Here's another warning : Living may eventually cause death!!! Stay Safe ;-)

SHIT! Now you tell me?? I'm so screwed!

[SpicyM]

A cup of coffee contains more caffeine than a can of energy drink so I am not sure why they bitch only about energy drinks all the time.

[thickcash_amo]

Do you really need a report/study done to tell you that drinking something like that frequently is bad?

[wehateporn]

Originally Posted by seeandsee

and week after that they will say eggs are good and bad

When you see things like this it's an example of cheque-book science at work i.e. one company wants to prove one thing to help market itself so it pays a scientist and says "Come up with results to prove this", then another company wants to prove the opposite and they pay a scientist and tell them to prove the opposite. Butter and Margerine is a good example.

As a general rule never trust health advice given by the mainstream media

Why the Media is Usually Wrong about Health Information http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...formation.aspx

[L-Pink]

Originally Posted by JustDaveXxx

My girl on the other hand claims she needs it to keep up with our 2 kids. The kids run her raged. 3 and 6 months.

She has the gestation cycle of a hamster .....


.

[CaptainHowdy]

Fearful children ...

[SykkBoy]

Originally Posted by Lace

I usually drink 2 reg sized monsters a day, and a handful of Mountain Dew 20oz's. Only issue I've had is with my dentist. All of the soda for years has ruined my teeth and he keeps telling me to knock it off. I don't think I could make it through a day without it.

I was drinking the BFCs.

I also had a lot of stress going on during that time, but all that taurine wasn't helping either...

[Rochard]

Originally Posted by SpicyM

A cup of coffee contains more caffeine than a can of energy drink so I am not sure why they bitch only about energy drinks all the time.

Because teens don't usually drink three or four cups of coffee a day?

[BlackCrayon]

Originally Posted by bronco67

They're always warning about something.

One week, eggs will kill you -- the next week they tell you Americans don't eat enough eggs.

big difference between eggs and energy drinks.

[BlackCrayon]

Originally Posted by SpicyM

A cup of coffee contains more caffeine than a can of energy drink so I am not sure why they bitch only about energy drinks all the time.

from what i've read most contain 3-4 times more caffine than coffee.

[Clean_Franck]

Anyone who thinks they are good for you is a fool, the smell of them alone is like drinking sugary chemicals.

This isn't some idiot campaign to make you scared like all you idiots are on about.



too much crack is bad for you
too many carrots are bad for you
too much sex is bad for you
too much whining and bitching is bad for you

Like all things in life, use common sense you morons.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by BlackCrayon

from what i've read most contain 3-4 times more caffine than coffee.

[SpicyM]

Originally Posted by BlackCrayon

from what i've read most contain 3-4 times more caffine than coffee.

Wrong..

Just look at the can for the contents and the caffeine volume.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

Drip coffee 207 mL (7 U.S. fl oz) 115–175 mg
Red Bull 250 mL (8.2 U.S. fl oz) 80 mg

NOTHING BEATS THE COFFEE..

[SpicyM]

Originally Posted by Rochard

Because teens don't usually drink three or four cups of coffee a day?

4 a day? I dont know of a single teenager that would drink just one can of energy drink every single day, they mostly drink it occasionally when going to a disco or a party. But I do know a lot of them, that drink a litre of Coca-cola daily, which again contains more caffeine that a can of energy drink.. also, dont forget tea.

Black Tea 50mg / serving .. LOL .. Energy drinks are placebo compared to coffee or tea and its consuption.

[CDSmith]

Should stores stop selling redbulls etc to kids under 16, like they do for cigs?

Most parents I know all know that coffee ain't for kids. But a lot of them seem oblivious about their kids gulping down energy drinks, especially when the kids are buying them on their own.

To be honest I could have used the odd redbull back when I was in high school. I had a chronic problem of nodding off in class. Drool on the desk, the whole bit.