Energy drinks: The not-so-good, the bad and ugly
Energy drinks have been a long-standing nemesis to us health care professionals since Red Bull claimed it could ‘‘give you wings’’. The manufacturers seem to have their claws into all age groups and demographics – from students searching for that pick me up during last minute cramming sessions to gym goers and athletes wanting something to give them the extra boost, to children taken in by the bright colours, funny names and sugar rush.
Energy drinks are defined as non-alcoholic beverages that typically contain high levels of caffeine (>150 mg/L) and sugar, in combination with other ingredients known to have stimulant properties. They are marketed to us as a way to relieve tiredness and improve mental alertness. In a study in the UK between 2006 and 2014, consumption of energy drinks increased by 155%, from 235 to 600 million litres. As a dietitian for a healthy lifestyle programme I come across many children that regularly include energy drinks in their diet. Parents can be unaware that energy drinks contain many ingredients that can be harmful to children. Red Bull is specifically not recommended for children and yet this recommendation does not seem to be trickling down through society.
In my role I organise activities with the aim of encouraging families to make healthy lifestyle changes; one of which is cutting out sweet drinks. Energy drinks fit into this category. These drinks are very high in sugar: e.g. per serve ‘‘V’’ (355ml) contains 9 teaspoons, Monster (500ml) 13.5 teaspoons and Red Bull (355ml) also 9 teaspoons. The World Health Organisation encourages children and adolescents to strive to reduce added sugar intake to less than 4-6 teaspoons per day, depending on age. One serve of each of these drinks exceeds that recommendation, before other foods and drinks have even been considered.
Excessive sugar intake is linked with dental decay, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and heart disease. Sugar holds no nutritional value, it’s just empty calories. Sugar activates reward centres in the brain resulting in a desire to consume more. This can be a vicious cycle, unhealthy for anyone and especially for children if we want a healthier population in the future.
Energy drinks also contain caffeine and other stimulant ingredients such as guarana, ginseng and taurine; additions with no proven health benefits. In contrast, milk contains healthboosting nutrients – calcium, vitamin D and other vitamins and minerals. In children and young people, anecdotal evidence suggests that those who regularly consume energy drinks can become dependent on them and even moderate consumption may be harmful. One important study in Finland found that daily use of energy drinks was strongly associated with headache, sleeping problems, irritation and tiredness. Those who used energy drinks several times a day were 4.5 times more likely to experience headaches and 3.5 times more likely to experience sleeping problems than those who did not consume these drinks. A similar survey of 10–12 years in Iceland found that prevalence of physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches and sleeping problems generally increased with greater energy drink use for boys and girls.
After taking in the hard facts, it’s clear that energy drinks are not a friend to our children or teenagers. The cons of high sugar intake and the potential irritation and insomnia that come alongside energy drinks are not worth the pros of cramming in a few extra pages – going for a walk to revitalise the mind and drinking plain water and milk are much better options.
Niamh O’Sullivan is a NZ Registered Dietitian