Used to be when you wanted a pick-me-up in the morning, you put a pot of coffee on in the morning. Now it seems that energy drinks are quickly becoming the preferred caffeine-delivery unit for many Americans---especially for adolescents and young adults. It all started with the introduction of Red Bull Energy Drink in Europe in 1987. Red Bull was later released in the United States in 1997, which soon after spawned an estimated $5.4 billion dollar market in the U.S. in 2006,
according to Packaged Facts. In fact, Americans' demand for energy drinks is so high that the market for these products is growing at an annual rate of 55% per year! These energy drinks are commonly marketed toward young people, who comprise the majority of their market.
According to an October 22, 2008 USA Today article, one hundred scientists and physicians have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate energy drinks because of the potential for predominately young drinkers to experience the negative effects of caffeine intoxication and higher rates of alcohol-related injuries. This action was taken in direct response to a recent press release by Johns Hopkins University scientists who are concerned about the negative health effects these new high caffeine drinks could have on America's youth. Roland Griffiths, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore called for the FDA to "require the caffeine content be listed on the can, to set a limit on the amount of stimulant allowed in the drinks and to require warning labels."
What is "caffeine intoxication"? Basically, it is a list of symptoms that one may experience after consuming caffeine, such as restlessness, anxiety, irritability, muscle tremors, sleeplessness, tremors, headaches, nausea, diarrhea or other gastrointestinal problems, and even abnormal heart rhythms! Ah, yes, exactly the types of symptoms you'd like your already hormonally-maladjusted teenager to exhibit.
Now, why are scientists worried about increased rates of alcohol-related injuries? Well, a lot of people hold the erroneous belief that they can "wake up" when drunk if they consume caffeine. Roland Griffiths relates how "Alcohol adds another level of danger because caffeine in high doses can give users a false sense of alertness that provides incentive to drive a car or in other ways put themselves in danger."
Working in a high school/middle school, I see a plethora of kids walking around with a can of some energy drink in their hands. The most popular kinds seem to be Amp, Monster, Full Throttle, or Rock Star. The sad thing is that kids are becoming addicted to the stimulant caffeine at an early age, while also developing a taste for these drinks' high sugar content. In fact, such high-caffeine drinks are viewed as a "gateway product" that could lead to the use of more potent illicit stimulants. A can of Coca-Cola has 35 mg of caffeine, whereas Amp has 75 mg, Full Throttle has 144 mg, and both Monster and Rock Star have 160 mg of caffeine! Now I can attest to the lethargy that I see in my students; especially by the end of the school day. While there could be many factors for this lack of energy, a lot of the effects of caffeine can be attributed to their zombification. There's this vicious circle of perpetual caffeine consumption that we've probably all experienced at some point in our lives. Basically, you consume caffeine to infuse more chemical energy, thus depriving yourself of sleep, which results in the consumption of more caffeine the next day to make up for the deficit, and so on and so forth. In fact, the Mayo Clinic recommends that you not consume caffeine eight hours prior to sleeping.
You can consume 200-300 mg of caffeine a day (about 2-3 cups of coffee) without any negative effects, but if you consume 500 mg or more a day, you will experience caffeine intoxication, and will also experience withdrawl symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, or irritability if you cease your consumption of caffeine. Just like everything in life, moderation is the key. There are a vast variety of beverages available for consumption, including WATER. In fact, water can have the caffeine-like effect of stimulating your body when you consume it right after waking.
Drinking water to help wake you up and reduce one's dependence on caffeine? BRILLIANT!
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