Doctors warn against caffeine in energy drinks

A group of 18 doctors and health professionals have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement stronger regulations on energy drinks. Their main concern is the adverse effects high caffeine consumption can have on teens and children.

Doctors want caffeine content advertised more clearly

In the letter, which was addressed to FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg, doctors explained, “There is evidence in the published scientific literature that the caffeine levels in energy drinks pose serious potential health risks.” Their main concern is that manufacturers of energy drinks do not accurately represent on product packaging how much caffeine is present.

Energy drink companies argue similarity of their products to coffee

Energy drink companies continue to insist that the caffeine levels in their products are safe and are similar to the caffeine amounts present in coffee. The FDA has said that adults can safely consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day with no ill effects.

However, these 18 doctors are more concerned about the effects of the energy drinks on young people, saying that safe caffeine consumption for them is much lower than it is for adults. They say that energy drink companies target young adults in particular with their marketing.

Energy drinks known to cause some health problems

Energy drinks have been known to cause or contribute to some health problems and the number of attributed cases have risen in recent years from 10,068 in 2007 to 20,783 in 2012. According to The New York Times, these problems include “anxiety, headaches, irregular heartbeats, and heart attacks.”

In addition to the FDA commissioner, the group also sent a letter to San Francisco city attorney Dennis Herrera who is currently conducting an investigation of the energy drink industry.

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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/b...affeine-in-energy-drinks.html?ref=health&_r=0