Health Hazards of Energy Drinks
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) found out that there have been 13 deaths over the past four years due to 5-hour energy. A woman that lived in Maryland filed a lawsuit against the Monster Beverage Corp., claiming that their drinks killed her 14 year old daugther. Her daughter drank two 24 ounce cans within 24 hours. In the autopsy that the doctors did revealed that she died due to cardiac arrhythmia, an abnormal rate of muscle contractions in the heart from massive caffeine intake. From 2005 to 2009, the emergency room visits that were linked to energy drinks went up ten times. Thirty seven adverse reactions from Monster energy drinks have been reported to the FDA since 2004. This means that there were thirty seven harmful or undesired effects resulting for Monster energy drinks. Monster claims that it's unaware that it's products have been the cause of any fatalities and it denies that drinking two cans of it can lead to a massive caffeine intake or death.
Approximately 30-50 percent of today's kids are consuming energy drinks. Fourty six percent of caffeine overdoses per year are from people under the age of nineteen. Sales of non-alcoholic drinks in the United States are expected to hit $9 billion dollars this year alone with kids and teens accounting for half of those sales. The producers of the drinks believe that the drinks will enhance mental and physical performance.Teenagers who drink a lot of energy drinks are at a higher risk of being violent and engage in risky behavior. The researchers found out that because energy drinks are marked as dietary supplements and not food products that energy drink companies do not have to disclose how much caffeine is in the drinks. Energy drinks also target their drinks at teens and young adults.
Approximately 30-50 percent of today's kids are consuming energy drinks. Fourty six percent of caffeine overdoses per year are from people under the age of nineteen. Sales of non-alcoholic drinks in the United States are expected to hit $9 billion dollars this year alone with kids and teens accounting for half of those sales. The producers of the drinks believe that the drinks will enhance mental and physical performance.Teenagers who drink a lot of energy drinks are at a higher risk of being violent and engage in risky behavior. The researchers found out that because energy drinks are marked as dietary supplements and not food products that energy drink companies do not have to disclose how much caffeine is in the drinks. Energy drinks also target their drinks at teens and young adults.