A new analysis of current scientific knowledge on energy drinks reveals that the announced short-term benefits can be offset by serious health risks - risk behaviors, mental health problems, high blood pressure, obesity and kidney damage. The study, published in Frontiers in Public Health, also highlights the disturbing trend of mixing energy drinks and alcohol. The authors recommend restricting sales to children and adolescents and setting caffeine-based limits.
While the consumption of energy drinks continues to grow around the world, it is necessary to thoroughly examine their advertised benefits, nutritional content and any negative effects on public health.
"We summarize the consequences of consuming energy drinks, which include heart, kidney and dental problems, as well as risky behaviors and poor mental health," says Dr. Josiemer Mattei, assistant professor of nutrition at Harvard . TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA, who published this study with a team of graduate researchers.
"Evidence suggests that they are harmful to health and should be limited by stricter regulation by limiting their sales to children and adolescents, as well as by setting an upper limit based on evidence on the amount of caffeine. "
Most energy drinks are composed of similar ingredients - water, sugar, caffeine, certain vitamins, minerals and non-nutritious stimulants like guarana, taurine and ginseng. Some may contain up to 100mg of caffeine per fluid ounce, eight times more than a regular 12mg coffee. A moderate daily intake of caffeine up to 400 mg is recommended for adults, but little research on tolerable levels for adolescents and children.
"The energy drink industry has experienced spectacular growth over the past 20 years, culminating in an industry of nearly $ 10 billion a year in the United States, often sold as a healthy beverage that people can adopt to improve their energy. Sports performance and concentration, but our review shows that there are significant health consequences, and little is known about many of their non-nutritious stimulants such as guarana and taurine, "says Dr. Mattei
. The health risks associated with energy drinks are mainly due to their high levels of sugar and caffeine. They range from risky behavior, such as substance abuse and aggression, to mental health problems in the form of anxiety and stress, to increased blood pressure, to obesity, kidney damage, fatigue, stomach aches and irritations.
The review also highlights another disturbing trend of mixing energy drinks with alcohol. People who do it consume more alcohol than they drank alcohol alone. Energy drinks are thought to mask the signs of drunkenness, allowing an individual to consume more, increasing the likelihood of dehydration and alcohol intoxication.
Dr. Mattei and his colleagues hope that by highlighting our current knowledge of the health implications of energy drinks, policies and interventions can be put in place to reduce the negative effects on public health. . In addition, the exam can be used to target research to fill gaps in our knowledge.
"Our review is limited because there are a small number of studies in this area and they focus primarily on healthy young adults, evaluated at some point. Future research should explore the effects of components of energy drinks we are less familiar with, such as taurine, and consider long-term assessments with a wider range of people to examine the effects of energy drink consumption over time, "explains she
."However, we conclude that there is currently enough evidence to suggest that the negative health consequences of energy drinks outweigh the potential short-term benefits."
Source:
http://www.frontiersin.org
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