Effects of energy drinks on health Health, Medicine Research Paper

Effects of Energy Drinks on Health.
Name:
Institution;
Course code:
Date:
Introduction
Reviews on energy drinks have found out that their advertised short-term benefits do not outweigh serious health risks. The risks include obesity, mental health problems, blood pressure, kidney failure, heart issues, and hormonal imbalance. The energy drink industry has been growing significantly with its market value predicted to reach $61 billion by 2021. It is estimated that 30% of teenagers between the ages of 12 through 17 years in the United States are regular consumers therefore, the trajectory is likely to keep on rising. As energy drinks continue to account for rising emergency room visits and deaths, it warrants a serious investigation into the safety of the beverages.
Article 1
Consumption of energy drinks has been increasing especially among adolescents and young adults. With aggressive marketing, the drinks are said to offer energy boost and an improvement in physical and cognitive performance. Therefore, this demographic provides an opportunity if the beverages do indeed provide the promised benefits. Consequently, the adverse effects and extent of energy drink consumption among children, adolescents, and young adults can be reviewed. To get the needed information the research relies on PubMed and Google by searching keywords such as “energy drink,” “sports drink,” “caffeine,” “taurine,” and “ADHD.” The search results are limited to selected articles with relevance to energy drink use in children and adolescents. CITATION Sei11 \l 1033 (Seifert, Schaechter, Hershorin, & Lipshultz, 2011)
Energy drinks may contain caffeine, taurine, sugars, and sweeteners as the main ingredients. Caffeine is the main ingredient in energy drinks; many of them contain 70 to 80 mg per 8-oz serving. However, the drinks can often contain higher amounts through additional additives such as including guarana, kola nut, yerba mate, and cocoa. A study reported that 28% of 12- to 14-year-olds, 31% of 12- to 17-year olds, and 34% of 18- to 24-year-olds were regular consumers of energy drinks. In Germany, a study of 1265 adolescents found that 94% were aware of energy drinks, 53% had tried them, 23% drank <1 can per week, and 3% drank 1 to 7 cans per week. CITATION Sei11 \l 1033 (Seifert, Schaechter, Hershorin, & Lipshultz, 2011) This shows that in countries like the United States, Germany, and New Zealand, the average caffeine exposure among adolescents is high.
Germany has managed to track energy drink-related incidents since 2002. The reported outcomes include cases of liver damage, kidney failure, respiratory disorders, agitation, seizures, psychotic conditions, heart conditions, and death. Consuming 4 to 12 mg/kg of caffeine has been associated with undesirable systems of anxiety and jitteriness. Also, more than 300 mg/day can be associated with miscarriage, and low birth weight among women. CITATION Sei11 \l 1033 (Seifert, Schaechter, Hershorin, & Lipshultz, 2011) The research shows little therapeutic benefits as a result of the ingredients used. However, what can be concluded is that many ingredients are understudied and not regulated which is harmful to ...