Popular energy drinks have hidden risks – study

NEW YORK,  (Reuters Life!) – Energy drinks are hugely  popular, but each one could be giving you more caffeine than a  cup of coffee, a study said.
In addition, that caffeine could combine with other  ingredients in potentially risky ways, with the use of energy  drinks with alcohol a particular concern.
“What we know is that a typical energy drink can have as  much as a quarter cup of sugar, and more caffeine than a strong  cup of coffee,” said John Higgins of the University of Texas  Medical School at Houston, who led a study that appeared in  this month’s Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Caffeine content of energy drinks ranges from 70 to 200 mg  per 16-oz serving. By comparison, an 8-oz cup of coffee can  contain between 40 to 150 mg depending on how it’s brewed.
Even more of an issue is how ingredients often not  mentioned on the labels — such as the herbal stimulant  guarana, the amino acid taurine, and other herbs, minerals and  vitamins == might interact with the caffeine, he told Reuters  Health.
The concern is how such interaction might affect heart  rates, blood pressure and even mental states, especially when  consumed in large amounts, with alcohol, or by athletes.
Higgins and colleagues reviewed medical literature on  energy drinks and their ingredients between 1976 and 2010, only  to find there has been little research into their impact.
Some small studies, usually on physically active young  adults, have shown the drinks can increase blood pressure and  heart rates. But evidence of more serious effects such as heart  attacks, seizures and death are anecdotal, they wrote.
Norway, Denmark and France banned Red Bull after a study  showed rats that “were fed taurine and exhibited bizarre  behavior, including anxiety and self-mutilation.”
“We’re not rats, but consumption has been shown to be  positively associated with high-risk behavior,” Higgins and his  colleagues wrote.
Energy drinks are often promoted to, and used by, athletes  for an “extra push.” But Higgins and his group noted that based  on the way caffeine and some other ingredients affect the body,  there’s a risk that energy drinks can seriously dehydrate  users.
“The possibility of dehydration and increased blood  pressure make water or lower-octane sports drinks, which  contain electrolytes, some minerals and carbohydrates, a better  choice,” he added.
Non-athletes should drink no more than one a day, never mix  them with alcohol, and drink lots of water after exercising.  People with hypertension should never drink them, and people  with health conditions such as heart disease should consult  their doctors before using the drinks.
Regulation of the drinks could go a long way towards  solving potential problems, Higgins added.
“Manufacturers can put whatever in them, advertise however  and people consume however. Whenever you have a situation like  this, you are going to run into problems,” he said.