Excessive drinking energy drinks harm health

Energy drinks have become increasingly diverse in style, and they have become more popular in the consumer market. Some people even drink as ordinary drinks, but drinking too much can be harmful at any time.

In December of last year, a 14-year-old girl in Flanders, Maryland, used her energy drink as a drink when she was watching TV at home. After drinking two cans of 700ml energy drink Monster Energy within 24 hours, Suddenly coma sent to the hospital. The total amount of caffeine in the two cans was about 480 ml. The doctor rescued Fornier, but Jeannier died 6 days later. The autopsy report showed that the cause of death was an irregular heartbeat caused by caffeine poisoning.

The relatives of the deceased entered California in the previous day and accused the headquarters of the Monster Energy producer of the disease. They did not write any warning words on the product packaging. It is reported that on the 24 oz Monster Energy cans foreseen by Fornier, the caffeine content of the drinks was not listed.

Fresnel's mother was shocked by the fact that the caffeine content of energy drinks was not monitored. He accused them of using young people as a target for publicity. Representative lawyers also blamed manufacturers for building profits on young people's safety. Monster Energy's producers responded that they do not believe that their drinks are responsible for the death of Fornier and that they will actively defend themselves in court.

In the past two years, a new term has gradually appeared in people's sights - energy drinks, which are sought after by many consumers and what is energy drinks in the end. Energy drinks is a special-purpose beverage with the main purpose of supplementing the body's energy needs. The principle of energy supplementation is that after a person drinks an energy drink, vitamins (generally B vitamins) and sugar (generally white sugar) in the beverage interact with the energy required by the adult body to achieve supplementation. Physical strength, relieve fatigue.

In the younger group <br> <br> popular in supermarkets, stores, pharmacies, highway rest stops and other shopping places, people can often see a small number of bottles of red, yellow, can be refreshing commitment to the people of five hours.

This is the so-called "energy drink." In recent years, energy drinks have become popular, especially among middle school students and university students. The demand for traditional beverages is declining. Energy drinks have become a source of revenue growth for beverage companies.

What exactly is in this kind of beverage and is it as effective as propaganda?

Taking a five-hour energy drink as an example, the beverage can is Cadillac red, 56 grams, and a can of 3 dollars.

This "magic bullet" made from caffeine and vitamins claims to keep you awake for 5 hours. The energy drink has grown from a brandless company for eight years to a top-selling product with a retail value of $1 billion. There are descriptions that truck drivers are heavily reliant on this product, and that Hollywood trade director Oliver Stone's traders in the 2010 film "Wall Street" also need this product, and hangover students also need it.

According to the US Forbes magazine, the parent company's daily necessities company is the biggest player in the energy drinks market. This unlisted company does not disclose tax or profit status, but the magazine quoted insiders as saying that in the $1 billion in retail sales last year, the necessities company’s gross profit earned at least 600 million, and its net income was about 300 million. A market research company analyzed the data from the cash register. The five-hour energy drinks accounted for 90% of the energy drinks market.

But all this remarkable performance is not because the 5-hour energy drink is good, according to the brand's website, the can contains 4 calories, no sugar, "mixed vitamin B, amino acids and nutrients," and the equivalent A cup of caffeine with top coffee content. Forbes magazine commissioned a laboratory to test and found that a can of 5 hours energy drink caffeine content of 157 mg.

Although energy drinks are expensive and account for a small amount of soft drinks, they are the fastest growing business.

Unlike the Beverage Company's initiative to limit the promotion of products to children and campuses, the American Beverage Association said that people everywhere can see these energy drinks sold with sodas and sports drinks. "Anyone can buy these drinks, even eleven-year-old children."

Not only the United States, but also energy drinks in South Korea are also popular with students.

According to the report, Xiao Yin, a third-year junior middle school student in Gangnam, Seoul, drank more than 5 cans of energy drinks per day. He drinks energy drinks because sleep is always lacking. It is reported that Xiaoyin will immediately go to cram schools and TOEFL tutoring classes after school, and then go to the study room. He will be able to return home at 1am and sleep after 2pm. And Kim, a sophomore high school student in Seoul, said: “Listening to friends can be 'refreshing', so I drink energy and drink during the day and night before the exam.”

In addition, Korean university students are also very fond of energy drinks. Yoshihiko Yone, a fourth-year student at Yonsei University, said: “Before the exam, I had been drinking 7 cans a day for the sake of staying up late. It has become a habit to drink energy during the exam.” Han Doo, who supplies drinks to the Seoul University Commissary, said: “Every day during the exam It can sell more than 1,000 cans of energy drinks. It needs to be replenished on the counter constantly.”

The report pointed out that according to the standards of the Korea Food and Drug Administration, a caffeine containing 0.15 mg or more of a 1 ml energy drink is a "high caffeine drink." Taking the energy drinks of company A sold on the market as an example, each can (250 ml) contains 80 mg of caffeine, which is 2.1 times higher than the relevant standards of the authorities. B's product (250 ml) contains 62.5 mg of caffeine. If this type of energy drink exceeds 5 or 6 cans per day, it will exceed the daily recommended caffeine intake (400 mg) prescribed by the authorities.

Former director of the School of Pharmacy of the Department of Food and Drug Safety, Professor Chang Qiu pointed out: “Beverages are different from pharmaceuticals and they do not indicate safe intake, so it is difficult for consumers to understand proper intake. Excessive consumption of high caffeine Drinks are detrimental to health."

"Energy drink" is the word itself is misleading <br> <br> advocates healthy lifestyle for young people consume a lot of energy drinks phenomenon expressed concern epidemiologist Emily Maria Alm is the University of Maryland School of Public Health Adolescent Health Director of the Development and Development Center, she is particularly concerned about young people drinking energy drinks and wine at the same time.

“People who drink energy drinks and alcohol at the same time don’t know what they’re drinking. Caffeine can keep people awake so that you can continue to drink. A large intake of caffeine can mask alcoholism. Some market advertisements promote these. When the benefits of beverages are overstated, the word "energy drink" is misleading. Energy comes from calories, and existing energy drinks are more exciting and refreshing."

Studies have shown that about 30% of university students in the United States regularly consume energy drinks. Aria said that high concentrations of caffeine in energy drinks can cause cardiovascular complications, especially among young people or people who are sensitive to caffeine.

Under the leadership of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a report released by the U.S. Drug Abuse Warning Monitoring Network in November 2011 showed that between 2005 and 2008, the number of cases related to the consumption of energy drinks and entering the emergency room increased by 10 times.

“Energy drink consumption is becoming an increasingly serious public health problem. Excessive intake of caffeine can cause adverse health and behavioral consequences. A large increase in scientific evidence shows that energy drinks harm consumers, especially children, adolescents and young people. Not shallow."

The Drug Abuse Warning Monitoring Network report shows that about half of the cases sent to the emergency room are between the ages of 18 and 25, who drink alcohol or use drugs while drinking energy drinks.

The content of caffeine in beverages varies from 80 to over 500 mg, 340 g of Coke contains about 50 mg of caffeine, and 140 g of coffee contains about 100 mg of caffeine.

Michael Jacobson, executive director of the American Center for Science in Public Interest, is particularly concerned about young consumers who worry that they will confuse energy drinks with soft drinks and drink them at once.

The amount of caffeine in soft drinks is strictly limited by the Food and Drug Administration, and current energy drinks are not as limited as soft drinks, and they have separate categories. After a 14-year-old girl died of drinking two cans of energy drinks in a short period of time, Senator Dick Debbie of the Illinois Illinois Congress called on the Food and Drug Administration to investigate the energy drink industry.

In early 2011, researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center and the University of Queensland in Australia found that high levels of caffeine in these drinks would endanger the health of sensitive people, affect blood pressure, heart rate and brain function, and even endanger life. .

According to reports, an 18-year-old man played basketball after drinking two cans of a certain brand of functional beverages and strangled on the court. Various cases of epilepsy, cardiac arrest, manic disorder and other symptoms frequently occurred.

concern:

Drinks with caffeine can be addicted to long-term drinking?

“A lot of energy drinks make people more spiritual and claim to relieve fatigue. In fact, they rely on the role of caffeine.” Yuan Xiao, editor-in-chief of Nutshell Network Health Channel, said that caffeine can provide short-term brain excitement, stimulate physical potential, and produce anti-fatigue effects. . However, in the long run, the best option is to rest and relax. "Blinding the use of energy drinks will only lead to dependence on energy drinks, and even cause nausea, diarrhea, mental anxiety and insomnia."

It is reported that caffeine is a food additive approved for use in China's national food safety standards and has a certain refreshing effect. It is also widely found in natural foods. For example, daily coffee, tea and other foods contain a certain amount of caffeine. , Usually a cup of green tea contains about 30mg of caffeine. Yuan Yu said: "Caffeine is found in many beverages. For example, tea and cola contain caffeine, but whether they are addicted depends on the amount of the human body's intake."

"Usage of caffeine will produce dependence, and long-term and high-dose use will lead to addiction." Jiang Zhuoqin pointed out that the caffeine and other ingredients added to the general beverage is trace, and they are also the weakest refreshing agent, "We drink tea There is also caffeine, so it is not addictive."

Different ingredients in the formula will produce psychotropic drugs?

Another concern consumers have about energy drinks is that the different ingredients in their formula may produce sodium and coffee. In clinical practice, sodium sulphate is used directly after caffeine and sodium benzoate are mixed, and some functional beverage formulations such as Red Bull and Diet Coke have these two components.

As early as 2004, consumers in the country reported to Coca-Cola brand Diet Coke that they contained sodium benzoate and caffeine. Coca-Cola responded at the time: "Caffeine and sodium benzoate are all approved additives. At low levels, they will not produce pharmacological effects on the human body and will not produce sodium, sodium and coffee."

According to Yuan Zhen, China's Announcement of the list of psychoactive drugs announced in 2007 will classify it as the second category of psychotropic drugs. “Ansalca coffee is actually a mixture of sodium benzoate and caffeine. It is an injection. It is used clinically for anesthesia-induced respiratory failure and circulatory failure. It requires quick action and must be injected intravenously.”

The issue of whether the presence of both caffeine and sodium benzoate in beverages will produce anaerobic sodium, the National Food and Drug Administration explained a few days ago that it is impossible to produce sodium benzoate: “1 serving of caffeine plus 1 serving of sodium benzoate is not an ounce of sodium coffee. Only when the two substances are made according to the prescriptions and related requirements specified by the national drug standards can they be called sodium anaetna."