The dangers of energy drinks

NYT
May 27, 2008
Well
Taste for Quick Boost Tied to Taste for Risk

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Health researchers have identified a surprising new predictor for
risky behavior among teenagers and young adults: the energy drink.

Super-caffeinated energy drinks, with names like Red Bull, Monster,
Full Throttle and Amp, have surged in popularity in the past decade.
About a third of 12- to 24-year-olds say they regularly down energy
drinks, which account for more than $3 billion in annual sales in the
United States.

The trend has been the source of growing concern among health
researchers and school officials. Around the country, the drinks have
been linked with reports of nausea, abnormal heart rhythms and
emergency room visits.

In Colorado Springs, several high school students last year became ill
after drinking Spike Shooter, a high caffeine drink, prompting the
principal to ban the beverages. In March, four middle school students
in Broward County, Fla., went to the emergency room with heart
palpitations and sweating after drinking the energy beverage Redline.
In Tigard, Ore., teachers this month sent parents e-mail alerting them
that students who brought energy drinks to school were literally
drunk on a caffeine buzz or falling off a caffeine crash.

New research suggests the drinks are associated with a health issue
far more worrisome than the jittery effects of caffeine  risk
taking.

In March, The Journal of American College Health published a report on
the link between energy drinks, athletics and risky behavior. The
studys author, Kathleen Miller, an addiction researcher at the
University of Buffalo, says it suggests that high consumption of
energy drinks is associated with toxic jock behavior, a
constellation of risky and aggressive behaviors including unprotected
sex, substance abuse and violence.

The finding doesnt mean the drinks cause bad behavior. But the data
suggest that regular consumption of energy drinks may be a red flag
for parents that their children are more likely to take risks with
their health and safety. It appears the kids who are heavily into
drinking energy drinks are more likely to be the ones who are inclined
toward taking risks, Dr. Miller said.

The American Beverage Association says its members dont market energy
drinks to teenagers. The intended audience is adults, said Craig
Stevens, a spokesman. He says the marketing is meant for people who
can actually afford the two or three bucks to buy the products.

The drinks include a variety of ingredients in different combinations:
plant-based stimulants like guarana, herbs like ginkgo and ginseng,
sugar, amino acids including taurine as well as vitamins. But the main
active ingredient is caffeine.

Caffeine content varies. A 12-ounce serving of Amp contains 107
milligrams of caffeine, compared with 34 to 38 milligrams for the same
amount of Coca-Cola or Pepsi. Monster has 120 milligrams and Red Bull
has 116. Higher on the spectrum, Spike Shooter contains 428 milligrams
of caffeine in 12 ounces, and Wired X344 contains 258.

Mr. Stevens points out that mainstream energy drinks often have less
caffeine than a cup of coffee. At Starbucks, the caffeine content
varies depending on the drink, from 75 milligrams in a 12-ounce
cappuccino or latte to as much as 250 milligrams in a 12-ounce brewed
coffee.

One concern about the drinks is that because they are served cold,
they may be consumed in larger amounts and more quickly than hot
coffee drinks, which are sipped. Another worry is the increasing
popularity of mixing energy drinks with alcohol. The addition of
caffeine can make alcohol users feel less drunk, but motor
coordination and visual reaction time are just as impaired as when
they drink alcohol by itself, according to an April 2006 study in the
medical journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Youre every bit as drunk, youre just an awake drunk, said Dr. Mary
Claire OBrien, associate professor in the departments of emergency
medicine and public health services at Wake Forest University Baptist
Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Dr. OBrien surveyed energy drink and alcohol use among college
students at 10 universities in North Carolina. The study, published
this month in Academic Emergency Medicine, showed that students who
mixed energy drinks with alcohol got drunk twice as often as those who
consumed alcohol by itself and were far more likely to be injured or
require medical treatment while drinking. Energy drink mixers were
more likely to be victims or perpetrators of aggressive sexual
behavior. The effect remained even after researchers controlled for
the amount of alcohol consumed.

Energy drink marketers say they dont encourage consumers to mix the
drinks with alcohol. Michelle Naughton, a spokeswoman for PepsiCo,
which markets Amp, said, We expect consumers to enjoy our products
responsibly.

date: Tue, 27 May 2008 04:46:00 -0700 (PDT) author: Lance