Group items tagged

n three teenagers regularly drinks them

Mainly caffeine, at least the amount found in a strong cup of coffee

sometimes much more

stimulants

how much.

Energy drinks can also be loaded with suga

quarter-cup on average

ince they're marketed as dietary supplements, they often contain

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration only requires that manufacturers list the presence of caffeine in a product, no

ey can pose even more problems for athletes than non-athletes

unregulated herbal

Doctors say this can be a dangerous mix

warns energy drinks can cause kids to suffer heart palpitations, seizures, strokes, and even sudden death.

r. Restaino said energy drinks are especially dangerous for kids with

heart or psychiatric

problems

The pediatrician also tells his patients not to even drink one because they can be highly addictive.

They don't feel good when they come down, and so 'I need to do another one,' he said of the effect they have on the body. "And so you're buying three and four and five a day, which are relatively expensive.

hat high to disappear because the side effects of coming down are the headaches, nausea, the fatigue," he said.

Energy drinks are often marketed to athletes for that extra boost

like Taurine, Guarana, Creatine and B vitamins.

increased blood pressure and serious dehydration.

Because of that risk, many athletes who shy away from the energy drinks choose the sports drinks instead. But doctors warn that while sports drinks don't have the caffeine that energy drinks contain, they do have their own set of problems.

ports drinks can corrode teeth even more than soda.

The acid in sports drinks erodes the teeth from the first sip until 45 minutes after the last sip, when the saliva returns the mouth to its normal ph balance.

"Another thing many of them have on it is 'vitamin' or 'antioxidant'," he said. "And all those things are good. But when you add 50 grams of carbohydrate in the form of sugar, or more than that, then the extra sugar cancels out any potential benefit."

said sports drinks and energy drinks are often so high in sugars that people sometimes drink more calories than they burn off during exercise.

He cautions his patients not to be fooled by drinks that put healthy words on the label, like "fruit," "water," and "green tea.

Another drawback to many sports drinks is the calorie conten

Peter Restaino, M.D.,

didn't help their performance -- in fact they were left feeling unfocused

and dehydrated

A new report by University of Miami experts in the March issue of Journal Pediatrics, published online today, warns that caffeine-containing energy drinks like Red Bull, Rock Star and Monster

not to be confused with sports drinks like Gatorade

They may harm the health of children, especially those with diabetes, seizures, cardiac abnormalities or mood and behavior

disorders

Energy drink overdoses in children as young as 5 have been reported both here and abroad and in some cases have resulted in seizures, stroke and even sudden death.

High Caffeine Content May Put Some Young People at Risk

put young people's health at risk