Energy Drinks Can Pose Health Risks to Teens

Nowadays, a lot of teenagers are crazy over energy drinks. These teenagers think that energy drinks can make them accomplish more things and can bring them extra energy. Little do they know that energy drinks can pose harm to their health. Energy drinks can bring about several medical conditions such as cardiac illnesses, headaches, migraines, insomnia, diabetes, addictions, behavioural changes, anxiety, vomiting and allergies.

 Energy Drinks

 Energy drinks can be lethal and can cause cardiac arrest, especially those with underlying heart conditions. Even intake of a few energy drinks can cause this health risk. Before taking in energy drinks, you should know your heart health first. Energy can cause the heart to pump harder and have more forceful contractions so that it can cause excess stress to the heart. Energy drinks can also cause headaches and migraines which may be caused by withdrawal from caffeine found in energy drinks. The more you drink energy drinks, the more headaches appear.

 Energy drinks can also rob you of good sleep. It can keep people awake not just one time but days after you consume it. Lack of sleep can cause impaired daytime functioning which may cause road accidents and impaired cognition. The risk for Type 2 diabetes also increases because aside from the fact that energy drinks have high amounts of sugar, they are also known to wear out insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, further leading to type 2 diabetes. Also, some ingredients in energy drinks are known to interact with prescription drugs, especially those taken in for depression. Addiction can also result and can cause stress and disturbance in functioning whenever the energy drink is not taken.

 One study even cited that teens are more likely to take risks when they are high on caffeine which can further result to risky behaviour, injuries or trouble. Other effects of too much intake of energy drinks include nervousness, anxiety, emotional issues, vomiting, teeth erosion, peptic ulcer disease and allergies.

 The Danger for Teenagers

 There is a newer study which has found out that teenagers who consume energy drinks are at risk of having poor mental health and substance abuse. Thus the researchers of this study warn against the use of energy drinks among teenagers and suggest to parents to limit access of energy drinks to teenagers and children. They also call on manufacturers to reduce the amount of caffeine in energy drinks. This study was done by researchers at the University of Waterloo and Dalhousie University and was published in the journal Preventive Medicine. The results showed that teenagers who are prone to depression, those who drink alcohol and those smoke marijuana are also known to consume more energy drinks than those of their age.

 The researchers noted that probably energy drinks are more popular among the young crowd because these people think that energy drinks can improve mood, increase alertness and enhance physical and mental energy. The study surveyed 8210 high school students, two-thirds of which reported using energy drinks for at least once during the past year. More than 20% of these students who consumed energy drinks consume them once or more per month. The study also showed that the younger the high school student is, the more likely he or she is to consume energy drinks than the older peers. The researchers pointed out that this popularity among the youth may be due to marketing efforts in the media to entice them. This may also be the reason why there is a steady increase in energy drinks sales, the sales forecasted to reach $20 billion in 2013 in the United States alone.

 To avoid the risks associated with energy drinks, you should look for healthier alternatives. Look for healthier drinks that contain energy boosters such as B vitamins, fiber, healthy herbs, and green tea. Exercise is also an energy booster, along with a healthy diet full of much needed nutrients. To know more about risks associated with energy drinks, feel free to read our other articles on this site.