Drinks deliver a jolt
Thu, October 02 2008
Caffeine intoxication, a recognized clinical syndrome, is marked by nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, gastrointestinal upset, tremors, rapid heartbeats, restlessness and, in rare cases, death.
“The caffeine content of energy drinks varies over a 10-fold range, with some containing the equivalent of 14 cans of Coca-Cola, yet the caffeine amounts are often unlabelled and few include warnings about the potential health risks of caffeine intoxication,” said Roland Griffiths of John Hopkins.
The market for these drinks stands at an estimated $5.4 billion in the U.S. and is expanding at a rate of 55 per cent annually. Advertising campaigns, which principally target teens and young adults, promote the performance-enhancing and stimulant effects of energy drinks, reports Eurekalert.
Without adequate labelling, consumers most likely won’t realize whether they are getting a little or a lot of caffeine.
In a 2007 survey of 496 college students, 51 per cent reported consuming at least one energy drink during the last month. Of those who consumed the drinks, 29 per cent reported “weekly jolt and crash episodes,” and 19 per cent reported heart palpitations.
The survey also revealed that 27 per cent of the students mixed energy drinks and alcohol at least once in the past month.
-IANS
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