Energy drinks cause health problems for every second adolescent

Tachycardia, chest pain, nausea: Energy drinks damage your health

"Red Bull", "Monster" or "Booster": Energy drinks have enjoyed uninterrupted popularity for years. Nearly 70 percent of all adolescents consume such drinks. How dangerous the drinks can be, shows a recent study from Canada: According to the researchers, energy drinks cause health problems for every second teenager.

More than two thirds of young people drink energy drinks

Energy drinks have been growing in popularity for years. "Nearly 70 percent of all adolescents drink energy drinks, and one in four of them drink more than they think is healthy," writes the consumer center North Rhine-Westphalia on its website. "But students and adults are also using the caffeinated soft drinks to increase their performance and concentration; At parties and when driving, they should drive away the fatigue, "said the experts. However, high consumption of such drinks can be harmful to your health. How dangerous these drinks can be, shows a recent scientific study from Canada.

Almost 70 percent of all adolescents consume energy drinks. How dangerous such drinks can be for teenagers, a recent Canadian study shows. (Image: mix3r / fotolia.com)

Negative health effects

More than half of Canadian adolescents and young adults who have consumed energy drinks have had adverse health effects, according to the University of Waterloo (Canada) medical researchers.

The survey, published in the journal CMAJ Open, surveyed more than 2,000 young Canadians aged 12 to 24 years.

55.4 percent of respondents reported health complaints such as palpitations, nausea and, in rare cases, convulsions.

Sleep disorders, diarrhea and chest pain were also mentioned.

Unhealthy ingredients

Study author David Hammond, a professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Waterloo, said the health effects of energy drinks are due to the different ingredients or the way they are consumed.

One of the unhealthy ingredients is sugar: a single can can contain up to 13 sugar cubes. Such drinks damage the teeth, lead to obesity and promote diseases such as diabetes.

In addition, according to Canadian scientists, energy drinks are often drunk together with alcohol or consumed during physical activity.

Other experts repeatedly warn against the dangers of energy drinks with alcohol. The consumer center NRW writes: "There have been several deaths related to the consumption of energy drinks, mostly associated with alcohol and intense exercise like dancing."

16-year-old boy died

One death that caused a worldwide sensation was that of a 16-year-old teenager from the US state of South Carolina.

The boy had died from an overdose of caffeine, drinking a milky coffee, a large bottle of caffeine-containing Diet Mountain Dew soda, and an energy drink within two hours.

According to "CNN," the teenager collapsed in a classroom at his school near the city of Columbia, was taken to hospital with severe cardiac arrhythmia, and eventually suffered a cardiac arrest.

More dangerous than caffeine drinks

"Most recent risk assessments have used coffee as a reference for assessing the health effects of energy drinks," Hammond said in a statement.

"However, it is clear that these products represent a greater health risk."

Previous research has also shown that energy drinks are far more dangerous than caffeine drinks.

For some people with a certain genetic cardiac arrhythmia, even small amounts can be fatal, as reported by Australian researchers in the journal International Journal of Cardiology.

Restrict consumption in children and adolescents

"The number of health effects observed in our study indicates that more should be done to limit consumption in children and adolescents," said Hammond.

"At the moment, there are no restrictions on children who buy energy drinks," says the study author.

However, there are currently thoughts in Canada prohibiting advertising for energy drinks for children and issuing warnings not to consume such drinks in sports.

Do without energy drinks

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has also stated in an earlier communication that there are indications that "in particular the simultaneous consumption of energy drinks and higher amounts of alcohol and / or extensive physical activity increase the risk of negative health effects".

"Certain consumer groups, such as children, pregnant women, breastfeeding and caffeine-sensitive persons, should refrain from consuming such energy drinks," it continues.

In Germany there are many discussions about a possible ban on energy drinks. (Ad)