Stroll into any high school or college and one will definitely find energy drinks. Energy drinks are served in tall cans with garish designs and slogans designed to catch the attention of children and teenagers. But what are they? Commercials will tell people that just by drinking them, they can stay up all night, ace a test, score with a girl, and be happy. Some have even said to give you superpowers. According to the advertising campaigns, energy drinks are equivalent to omnipotence in a can. But are energy drinks all they claim to be? The simple answer is no. Often energy drinks turn out to be more than just sugar and caffeine which makes energy drinks dangerous. Energy drinks cause negative side effects, such as heart problems and obesity in young americans, and therefore should have a legal drinking age of 18.
Before you drink another energy drink, please take into consideration what some of the ingredients are. “The large amounts of sugar in energy drinks can lead to unnecessary spikes in blood sugar, dental health problems, and added weight gain.” (Readers digest editors 1). “Compare it to a popular soda and you’ll find that often energy drinks contain even more sugar than a regular soda.” (Readers digest editors 1). Just one can of Monster contains over 50 grams of sugar. That’s almost a quarter cup of sugar! Very many health risks can result from ingesting that much caffeine and sugar in just a short amount of time. People who often drink energy drinks regularly see a decrease in the amount of sleep they get every night, which has an immediate and detrimental impact on focus and overall health for them. Energy drinks contain obscene amounts of caffeine, sugar and chemicals. A can of normal soda, like Coke or Dr. Pepper, ...
... middle of paper ...
...he dangers of energy drink use a reasonable age would be 18. These measures, if enacted, could seriously help combat the problem of energy drinks and reduce the amount of teens suffering from their accompanying health problems.
Works Cited
Readers digest editors, . "The Dangers of Energy Drinks."Readers digest. n.d. 1. Print.
Sadowska, Joanna. "EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF CONSUMING AN ENERGY DRINK ON THE CONCENTRATION OF GLUCOSE AND TRIACYLGLYCEROLS AND ON FATTY TISSUE DEPOSITION. A MODEL STUDY.." 11.3 (2012): 311-318. ebsco. Web. 11 Mar 2014.
Sara M. Seifert, BS, Judith L. Schaechter, MD, Eugene R. Hershorin, MD, Steven E. Lipshultz, MD, . “Health Effects of Energy Drinks on Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults." 127.3 (2011): 511-528. google scholar. Web. 11 Mar 2014.
"seconds count." scai . N.p.. Web. 11 Mar 2014.
According to The World Health Organization, “Obesity is the imbalance between declining energy expenditure due to physical inactivity and high energy in the diet (excess calories whether from sugar, starches or fat) …. Increasing physical activity, in addition to reducing intakes of food high in fat and foods and drinks high in sugars, can prevent unhealthy weight gain” (Who). The World Health Organization has recognized that soda and other sugary drinks a...
Consuming energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster and the 5- Hour Energy Shot, which contains caffeine and other additives, is dangerous to an individual’s health and in some cases fatal. Manufacturers of energy drinks claim consumption of their products will improve athletic performance, concentration and reaction time, as well increase basal metabolism. However, manufacturers’ of energy drinks add additional energy-enhancing ingredients such as glucose, taurine, guarana and ginseng. Each of those ingredients has numerous adverse side effects, see table 1 on page 8. Yet, energy drink manufacturers are not required to list the amount or type of additive used in their products. According to the Food and Drug administration (FDA), approval of the FDA is required in order to use additives in conventional foods. Dietary supplements, is considered by the FDA as generally recognizes safe by qualified experts therefore not considered a food additive. Unfortunately, the FDA need not approve adding them to conventional foods such as drinks. Consequently, manufacturers of energy drinks are taking advantages of this by labeling their products as “dietary supplements. “ Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should be in a position to regulate the ingredients added to energy drinks. In addition, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), which regulates both dietary supplements and conventional foods does not require manufacturers of conventional foods to report serious adverse events (FDA, 2012).
The 5-hour Energy drink is a drink that catches young adults and teens. By targeting the audience this ad/commerical catches the eyes because of the shot lables of how fast this product works and how is to be taken, and why have a good energy boost within 5 hours and the good idea of the amount of calories within this product.
Would it not be great to find an alternative to sugary drinks that are actually harmful for your health? There are millions of energy drinks that you will find in stores, but most of them are filled with caffeine, a lot of sugar and artificial stimulants that could be detrimental to your health. When you need to optimize your energy levels, choose supplements that are 100 percent natural. If you want to have lots of energy you can choose from a selection of all natural energy drinks that are specifically formulated to give you the benefits you
In order to understand the dangers of sugary drinks and foods, an explanation of their contents is necessary. These drinks and foods are composed of high carbohydrate-content, which is responsible for energy pr...
Monster beverages have always been, and still claim to be free of preservatives, caffeine, sodium, artificial flavors and colors. Although many people believe that all energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine and are not healthy, the company’s mission statement which has not changed since Jan 5th, 2012 when the company changed its name, states otherwise.
Monster Energy drinks are carefully crafted to appeal to athletes, musicians and today’s youth. It comes in a 16 ounce can that is sporty and colourful in comparison with other energy drink competitors. The product comes in a unique, glossy dark can that contains florescent green (or blue, red, yellow, purple) logo (claw marks in shape of an M) giving it an overall sleek and stylish look.
Drinks that do not have a metabolic energy source can give off increased energy by adding other factors to it. For example, caffeine may give the perception of energy being increased if you add sugar to it. That sugar is absorbed by the blood and breaks down the bonds of glucose, going through cellular respiration process. This helps the releasing of energy to the body, helping drinks that contain no metabolic energy sources.
Consuming alcohol has been done for many years. Unlike a typical beverage that hydrates the body alcohol is consumed for its positive side effects, but the negative effects are forgotten. Often these so called positive side effects are glorified by the public which makes drinking more popular, especially in the young population. When deciding if one should drink or not the enjoyful side effects are planted in the mind rather than the side effects that should be focused on, these are often forgotten. This is why a drinking age is currently in place, however arguments come from the age that are trying to resolve the next problem, what age are the effects less harmful on the body and are young adults capable of making smart, safe decisions for themselves and those around them.
NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure are all brand names for aspartame, a low calorie sugar substitute used in more than 90 countries to sweeten foods and beverages. Aspartame is a synthetic chemical that is created through the combination of the amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid, and a small amount of methanol. Aspartame can be found in several products, such as soft drinks, over-the counter drugs, vitamin and herb supplements, instant breakfasts, candy, breath mints, cereals, sugar-free chewing gum, coffee, juice, and tea beverages, tabletop sweeteners, and gelatin desserts. This product may have seemed like a dream come true when it was first invented in 1981 because its use can substantially lower the number of calories in food and beverage products by substituting the place of sugar. Despite its desirable qualities, the use of aspartame has been controversial since its creation due to its negative side effects that have been linked to the use of the chemically produced sugar.
Based on the website cspinet.org which is the Center for Science in the Public Interest publish on June 25, 2014 said that in documents obtained from the Food and Drug Administration show that since 2004, a total of 33 deaths have now been linked to energy drinks. Of those, 22 deaths have been linked to 5-Hour Energy, 11 deaths have been linked to Monster, and one death, a first, has been linked to Rockstar
Most people aren’t aware that caffeine can act as a stimulant to the central nervous system. So once someone consumes a caffeinated beverage they may begin to notice a slight change in the way their body begins to feel. Caffeine can be found in many different places such as energy drinks, coffee, candy and also in other common beverages and over the counter medications. Caffeine can have major side effects on those who consume it on a regular routine, but caffeine can also have side effects on those who rarely even consume caffeine . “These side effects include sleep deprivation, nausea, cramping, anxiety, fatigue, and headaches (Braun 73).” Not only does drinking a couple of caffeinated beverages come with its list of side effects, caffeine consumption has also been proven to show drastic changes in the kidneys. “Also, caffeine has been known to weaken the detrusor muscles in the bladder, which provokes the need to urinate (Chambers 42).” So once a person has been consuming caffeine past a certain period of time it begins to become difficult for them to regulate their trips to the bathroom. The list of harm caffeine does on the human body could continue forever, but I will review some of the most relevant categories. Caffeine can have harmful effects on the human body that people are not aware of, therefore I believe that people should be informed what exactly caffeine is and how it affects them directly in terms of where caffeine can be found, the effects it has on the brain and the heart and also the pregnancy effects. Also, people should be provided with a general knowledge of how caffeine can play a part in someone’s life, and some steps to help slow down the consumption of caffeine.
The term energy drinks refers to beverages that contain caffeine in combination with other ingredients such as guarana and other vitamins and minerals. In other words, energy drinks can be defined as a soft drink containing a high percentage of sugar, caffeine, or another stimulant, typically consumed during or after sporting activity or as a way of overcoming tiredness. Energy drinks are highly sweetened, caffeinated beverages that are packaged in brightly colored, slim line containers. They are sold virtually everywhere. At first, energy drinks were sold as a medicinal tonic drink and they have some benefits if person take it in limit. There are various negative effects of energy
beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
...In summation energy drinks can be good for a quick boost of energy. And over the years they have become increasingly popular. Many people should become more aware of the benefits and downfalls to drinking energy drinks. They should never down one before strenuous exercise or drink numerous amounts at a time. Energy drinks should never be mixed with alcohol due to the dangerous side affects that can occur. Energy drinks affect all people differently, but consumers should be more aware before drinking these products.