As caffeine-stashed drinks become more and more popular, doctors are being advised against the beverages and to discuss the associated dangers with patients.
Researchers have found a link between consumption of the drinks and heart defects, as well as an increased likelihood of anxiety and depression.
Doctors have been advised to also warn parents and teachers of the health implications.
Almost one in three 10 to 19-year-olds regularly consume the drinks, which often contain high levels of caffeine that can be bad for the heart.
They can also contain “hidden” caffeine in the form of “masking agents” such as guarana, which comes from a Brazilian plant and is identical to caffeine in coffee beans but twice as concentrated.
Adding guarana and other popular substances, such as ginseng and taurine, may generate “uncertain interactions”, the researchers said.
Their work focused on the pharmacology of energy drinks (EDs) among children and young adults. The team also studied how the marketing of EDs as a means to relieve fatigue and improve physical performance may be ignoring real dangers.
The international research team based in Madrid, Spain, warned that energy drinks can trigger sudden cardiac deaths in young, apparently healthy individuals. – NottinghamPost/Belfast Telegraph