The Potential Adverse Health Effects of Energy Drinks
The purpose of this article was to explain the problem with energy drinks and put out a warning about them so that people are aware about their effects and will know to avoid them at all costs. The article states that more and more often younger crowds are being drawn to energy drinks, and it is becoming a big problem with potentially serious health effects for these young consumers later on in life (MacDonald, 2013). It is important that people out there, especially parents, know about the serious risks associated with these drinks so that they can make sure to keep their children away from them.
There are many drinks out there that have a lot of caffeine in them such as various soft drinks and coffee. These every day drinks do not even compare to the amounts of caffeine and other such stimulants in energy drinks, which are not nearly as regulated or straightforward with the substances they contain (MacDonald, 2013). The amount of caffeine in energy drinks is about five times of caffeine in a cup of coffee states MacDonald (2013). In addition to the enormous amount of caffeine, they also contain several other ingredients that have controversial pasts such as several herbal substances that act as stimulants. Another reason that makes it hard to trust the ingredient labels is that some of the other ingredients also contain caffeine, but that is often not factored in to the amount stated on the label (MacDonald, 2013). Labeling for these drinks are sometimes somewhat lax, so you can’t always know for sure what is in them. The ingredient list is often very lengthy and it is hard to know sometimes what is really all in these products. Despite their unhealthy contents, these drinks are wildly popular among high school and college students and are having a growing popularity with an even younger age group (MacDonald, 2013). The drinks are touted to supposedly boost energy levels, improve concentration, enhance mood, or decrease weight or reaction time (MacDonald, 2013). With more and more studies being done on these products there is increasing knowledge on the adverse health effects regularly consuming them. The main concern is the incredibly large amount of caffeine they contain. Some of the effects of this excess of caffeine can be insomnia, an irregular heartbeat, anxiety, withdrawal, and acute caffeine intoxication (MacDonald, 2013). Some of the other herbal additives can possibly lead to adverse