Health Effects of Energy Drinks on Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults

Abstract

"poison control center" to identify articles related to energy drinks. Manufacturer Web sites were reviewed for product information. RESULTS:According to self-report surveys, energy drinks are consumed by 30% to 50% of adolescents and young adults. Frequently containing high and unregulated amounts of caffeine, these drinks have been reported in association with serious adverse effects, especially in children, adolescents, and young adults with seizures, diabetes, cardiac abnormalities, or mood and behavioral disorders or those who take certain medications. Of the 5448 US caffeine overdoses reported in 2007, 46% occurred in those younger than 19 years. Several countries and states have debated or restricted energy drink sales and advertising. CONCLUSIONS:Energy drinks have no therapeutic benefit, and many ingredients are understudied and not regulated. The known and unknown pharmacology of agents included in such drinks, combined with reports of toxicity, raises concern for potentially serious adverse effects in association with energy drink use. In the short-term, pediatricians need to be aware of the possible effects of energy drinks in vulnerable populations and screen for consumption to educate families. Long-term research should aim to understand the effects in at-risk populations. Toxicity surveillance should be improved, and regulations of energy drink sales and consumption should be based on appropriate research.

Energy drinks and other dietary supplement use among adolescents attending secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago

“…The Simmons study in the USA showed that 31 % of 12-18-year-olds use ED (5) but the frequency of use is not available, as the original website with the findings is no longer functional. Getting an energy 'boost' was the most common reason for ED use and this rationale is congruent with the marketing strategies used by companies that sell ED.…”

“…Published studies have focused on the use of AwED by young adults in university settings using convenience sampling (8)(9)(10)18) . Previous studies on the use of ED in adolescents have been done in highly developed countries such as the USA and Germany but these studies have been limited by language (19) and current access of data on a website that is no longer functional (5) . Actual side-effects of ED previously were documented in young adults in one study (9) .…”

Author response to: Sleep and beverage drinking among Thai college students

“…In the commentary, Dr. Wiwanitkit raised the importance of considering body mass index (BMI) and its relationship to sleep quality among college students. We agree that BMI is an important risk factor of poor sleep quality [2] and that BMI may be related with the consumption of energy drinks [3]. For this reason, we a priori considered BMI as a potential confounder in our statistical analysis.…”

A Retrospective Study of Clinical Effects of Powdered Caffeine Exposures Reported to Three US Poison Control Centers

“…Caffeinated beverages are known to cause severe toxicity when consumed in excess [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Dietary supplements that may contain botanical or synthetic caffeine have also produced toxicity in patients, particularly when multiple caffeinated or other stimulant products are used concomitantly, or when products are used in conjunction with physical exertion [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28].…”