The purpose of why energy drinks were originally designed was to target athletes. Promote increase energy thereby gaining faster running times, higher jumps, and so forth. However, over time this has evolved to” purposefully market young adults” (Malinauskas, Aeby, Overton, Aeby & Barber-Heidel, 2007), to aid them in their exams and “all night” cram sessions as well as party late and “function” the next day. It has replaced a way of life; one that includes health and wellness, such as, getting a good night sleep, and eating a balanced diet. Many have adopted the attitude that they can just have an “energy drink” and feel great. But what happens when you come down and crash? How is this really effecting their health overall, and
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Sales of energy drinks are rising at a steady pace. In 2011, energy drink sales increased by 12.5% overall, and by 15-30% for the category of leaders are Red Bull and Rock Star. In a study of 600 nationally advertised beverage products in the United States, the sale of energy drinks surpassed that of either sports or fruit drinks (Pomeranz & Harris, 2013). With this increase in sales, comes an increase in emergency room reported incidences due to energy drinks. In an actual compilation of emergency room reports of patient’s who reported energy drink related adverse effects, shows that energy drink users would report more adverse effects than those who used only traditional caffeinated beverages such as tea, coffee, or soft drinks (Jackson et al., 2013). Such reports include abnormal heart beats (arrhythmias), tooth decay, behavioral issues, high blood pressure, fainting, and insomnia. Others reported jolt and crash episodes, palpitations, and headaches (Malinauskas et al., 2007). Another study regarding energy drink consumption and how it is associated with unhealthy dietary behaviors among college youth concluded that “consumption of these beverages is associated with unhealthy dietary behaviors and a greater body mass index” (Poulos & Keryn, …show more content…
Caffeine intoxication is a clinical syndrome of nervousness, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, tremor, tachycardia (fast hear rate), palpitations, and gastrointestinal upset. Additional adverse effects include vomiting and abdominal pain, hypokalemia (low potassium levels), hallucinations, increased intracranial pressure, cerebral edema, stroke, paralysis, rhabdomyolysis, altered consciousness, rigidity, seizures, and death (Seifert, Schaechter, Bronstien, Benson, Hershorin, Arheart, Franco & Lipshultz, 2013). According to the poison control, the threshold of caffeine toxicity is 400mg/day in healthy adults, 100mg/day in healthy adolescents and 2.5mg/kg/day in healthy children. One 8-ounce can of a popular energy drink provide 77mg of caffeine (or 1.1mg/kg) for a 70-kg male and twice that, 2.2 mg/kg, for a 35-kg pre-teen (Seifert et al., 2013). With that being said, this is a perfect way to analyze how unsafe energy drinks can be. Because we know that there is a certain amount of caffeine in these beverages, we also know that it includes other additives. Here is where it gets tricky; common additives such as guarana, kola nut, yerba mate, and cocoa, also have stimulant, cardiac, and hematologic activity and because these ingredients are labeled improperly, the actual caffeine content in any one energy drink is not really known (Seifert
Sales of energy drinks are rising at a steady pace. In 2011, energy drink sales increased by 12.5% overall, and by 15-30% for the category of leaders are Red Bull and Rock Star. In a study of 600 nationally advertised beverage products in the United States, the sale of energy drinks surpassed that of either sports or fruit drinks (Pomeranz & Harris, 2013). With this increase in sales, comes an increase in emergency room reported incidences due to energy drinks. In an actual compilation of emergency room reports of patient’s who reported energy drink related adverse effects, shows that energy drink users would report more adverse effects than those who used only traditional caffeinated beverages such as tea, coffee, or soft drinks (Jackson et al., 2013). Such reports include abnormal heart beats (arrhythmias), tooth decay, behavioral issues, high blood pressure, fainting, and insomnia. Others reported jolt and crash episodes, palpitations, and headaches (Malinauskas et al., 2007). Another study regarding energy drink consumption and how it is associated with unhealthy dietary behaviors among college youth concluded that “consumption of these beverages is associated with unhealthy dietary behaviors and a greater body mass index” (Poulos & Keryn, …show more content…
Caffeine intoxication is a clinical syndrome of nervousness, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, tremor, tachycardia (fast hear rate), palpitations, and gastrointestinal upset. Additional adverse effects include vomiting and abdominal pain, hypokalemia (low potassium levels), hallucinations, increased intracranial pressure, cerebral edema, stroke, paralysis, rhabdomyolysis, altered consciousness, rigidity, seizures, and death (Seifert, Schaechter, Bronstien, Benson, Hershorin, Arheart, Franco & Lipshultz, 2013). According to the poison control, the threshold of caffeine toxicity is 400mg/day in healthy adults, 100mg/day in healthy adolescents and 2.5mg/kg/day in healthy children. One 8-ounce can of a popular energy drink provide 77mg of caffeine (or 1.1mg/kg) for a 70-kg male and twice that, 2.2 mg/kg, for a 35-kg pre-teen (Seifert et al., 2013). With that being said, this is a perfect way to analyze how unsafe energy drinks can be. Because we know that there is a certain amount of caffeine in these beverages, we also know that it includes other additives. Here is where it gets tricky; common additives such as guarana, kola nut, yerba mate, and cocoa, also have stimulant, cardiac, and hematologic activity and because these ingredients are labeled improperly, the actual caffeine content in any one energy drink is not really known (Seifert