Is it time to kick the cans?
KATIE WRIGHT LOOKS AT THE EFFECT OF ENERGY DRINKS ON KIDS
A NEW study commissioned by the Government reveals that up to one in three British children are consuming caffeinated energy drinks, with frequent consumption associated with a range of health and behaviour problems.
The BMJ Open paper found that between 3% and 32% of UK under18s consume the drinks at least once a week. Those who consumed the drinks five times a week were more likely to report headaches, sleep problems, alcohol use, smoking, irritability, and school exclusion.
Lead author, Claire Khouja, from the University of York, said: “While more research is needed to track the effects of energy drinks on children who drink them, our research uncovered consistent evidence of links between the regular consumption and harmful effects on children’s overall wellbeing. These findings offer support for a Government policy banning the sale of energy drinks to children.”
But what about 17-18-yearolds? And adults? Are high-sugar, high-caffeine drinks just as detrimental, or are they no different to the strong coffees so many people rely on to kick-start their mornings?
Coffee vs energy drinks
The main stimulants in energy drinks are caffeine and sugar. “Caffeine increases the heart rate and concentration, and keeps people awake longer,” says Dr Belinda Griffiths, from The Fleet Street Clinic. “Caffeine can be good for adults. Studies say two coffees or more a day, depending on the amount of caffeine, might be beneficial for heart disease.” Refined sugar, on the other hand, especially in the quantities found in energy drinks, is not healthy at all. “We get enough from everything else we eat and drink,” says Dr Griffiths. “It just gives a short burst of energy and then a drop, which can affect your mood, and also make you feel increasingly hungry meaning you might want to eat more.”
The risks for children
While caffeine can be beneficial, it does have downsides, particularly for children.
“If you take too much caffeine on a regular basis you get used to it and then on withdrawal you can get a headache ,” says Dr Griffiths. “And if you have caffeine before bedtime, a certain cohort of the population are susceptible to insomnia as a result. The effect is usually magnified on children of a light body weight and young people.”
It can also cause irritability, and impact certain health conditions: “In children who have heart disease or asthma, for example, the caffeine can cause heart palpitations and insomnia.”
Energy drinks can also become addictive for children and they “contain large amounts of sugar which are not necessary for that age group,” Dr Griffiths warns. “That’s easily going to contribute to the problems we already have with children and obesity, diabetes and attention deficit disorder.”
What about teenagers who find energy drinks keep them alert?
“Even from 12 to 18, depending on body weight, the caffeine is not going to be beneficial. It’s just going to increase the heart rate,” says Dr Griffiths. “It may improve their ability to stay awake and study more, but it really doesn’t hold any benefits.”
That effect may be reduced if the young person is “doing exercise and liable to use up the energy, and if they take it in the early part of the day,” she adds.
The British Soft Drinks Association’s director general, Gavin Partington, said in response to the study: “Our members do not market or promote energy drinks to under16s, nor do they sample products with this age group.
“In addition, energy drinks carry an advisory note stating ‘not recommended for children.’ The BSDA Code of Practice on energy drinks was introduced by and for our members in 2010 and contains a number of stringent points on responsible marketing.
“We remain committed to supporting the responsible sale of energy drinks.”