Energy drinks have been around for decades, promising a “boost” to help you get through the day. However, they’ve recently become more popular especially with teenagers and new investigations find they may be a bad choice for teenagers.
Many of the drinks taste like candy, some state they are organic with vitamins and natural ingredients, but some can contain a jolt of caffeine, causing more harm than good.
“They have flavours like jolly rancher flavour and sour gummy worms. It’s so easy to just pop open a cold can and chug it” said Lisa Gill, of Consumer Reports.
According to a new investigation by the organization, one drink alone could be over the daily caffeine limit for a teenager. Researchers found many energy drinks contain two to three times what’s recommended for teens, which is 100 milligrams.
Too much caffeine has been linked to insomnia, anxiety, jitters, and heart-related symptoms, and teens may be especially vulnerable.
To find out exactly what’s in these drinks, Consumer Reports tested 23 popular energy drinks and shots.
“We wanted to see how much caffeine is on the label versus how much caffeine is actually in the product” Gill said.
The results?
Most drinks came close to or matched their labels, but some had up to 16 per cent more caffeine than advertised.
The American Beverage Association, an industry trade group, stated that parents should be “in the driver’s seat when it comes to what their children have for beverages.”
It also advised parents to check labels, track total caffeine from all sources, and pay attention to sleep, as using caffeine to fight fatigue can create a cycle that’s hard to break.
An important tip when it comes to energy drinks and teens, even one can be too much.
It’s also a good idea for teenagers to read the labels and if they do want to have an energy drink, they can at least check to find the healthiest option.
