Too much caffeine is not healthy for anyone. One cup of coffee after lunch should be enough caffeine to bring mental alertness to someone who gets drowsy in the afternoon. Large amounts of caffeine can lower blood sugar to dangerous levels in children, people with hypoglycemia, and diabetes.
University of Maryland School of Public Health and Wake Forest University School of Medicine are recommending voluntary disclosure by manufacturers, immediate consumer action, education by health providers, and new federal labeling on highly-caffeinated energy drinks. Doctors Amelia Arria and Mary Claire O'Brien are concerned that consumers will mix the high-energy drinks with alcohol.
It seems that energy drinks and alcohol have become a cause for concern due to new trends of sexual assaults and driving while intoxicated being linked directly to this practice. The energy drinks cause users to underestimate their levels of intoxication.
As Blairsville, Georgia opens itself up to more DUI and DWI accidents with the lifting of the ban on alcoholic beverages served in the city and county, a new danger appears with abusing high-energy drinks and alcohol.
The commercials depicting an average housewife downing one or two bottles of high-energy drinks every day is irresponsible. If you lack energy in the late afternoon, take a twenty-minute nap. While you sleep, your body recharges, metabolizes calories, and allows your brain to discharge - reset - and begin again. Do your body good and fore-go the high-energy drinks.
Try this experiment for one week to learn how badly caffeine actually tastes. Drink only non-caffeinated sodas such as Sprite, lemon-lime, or lime Crush. After the week is up, drink a glass of caffeinated cola. This will show you how bitter caffeine really is.
Sources: A. M. Arria, M. C. O'Brien. The 'High' Risk of Energy Drinks. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2011;
DOI: 10.1001/jama.2011.109University of Maryland (2011, January 26). Non-alcoholic energy drinks may pose 'high' health risks, experts argue. ScienceDaily. Retrieved
Comments