Energy drinks are getting more and more popular and seem to be in every supermarket, corner shop and household fridge in the country. Energy drink consumers are now not only athletes, but normal people, including students, working adults, teenagers and even children under the age of 6. Just recently, campaign and research group Action on Sugar has called for a ban on energy drinks and argued that they should not be sold to children under the age of 16.
According to BBC, a single energy drink has as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar per 250 ml. The caffeine concentration is also high - at least as much as a cup of coffee. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that excessive intake of sports and energy drinks can lead to an increased risk of obesity in children.
The problem is, however, much, much worse. Livesciencereports more than 5,000 cases of people, getting sick after energy drinks just for the period between 2010 and 2013. These cases involved serious side effects, amongst which seizures, dangerously high blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms.
Moreover, a 2011 study by Seifert and colleagues confirmed that the energy drinks contain ingredients that are neither studied well, nor regulated. BBC also cites a research, conducted byLipshultz in 2007, who noticed a correlation between emergency room visits and consumption of energy drinks. In 2001, he and his colleagues also reported that cases of illness, associated specifically with the energy drinks, have increased tremendously. Excessive consumption of energy drinks led to heart problems, liver damage, seizures and even death in children and adults alike.
It is clear that the energy drinks are not only unsafe, but also can be dangerous and life-threatening to children, as well as adults. While adults can make the choice for their own, most of the children have found the energy drinks in the home fridge, rather than buying it from the store. We should consider the points, made by the Action on Sugar organization and think seriously about the danger that the energy drinks present to our children.
