Energy drinks pose serious health risk to kids: Canadian medical journal

CMAJ Blasts Energy Drinks Energy drinks a sugary drug for kids: MDs CBC News, July 26, 2010 http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/07/26/caffeinated-energy-drinks.html Energy drinks pose serious health risk to kids: Canadian medical journal The Globe and Mail, July 26, 2010 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/energy-drinks-pose-serious-health-risk-to-kids-canadian-medical-journal/article1652080/ The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) is voicing alarm over the increasing popularity of highly caffeinated energy drinks among kids and teens. According to an editorial in CMAJ, Health Canada should require energy drink producers to use clearer labelling and should bar promoting the drinks to the child and teen market. They also suggest parents need to be informed about the caffeine content of the drinks their kids are consuming. The editorial says some energy drinks contain the caffeine equivalent of 10 cans of cola and notes that the effects of high concentrations of caffeine in kids may cause nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, and occasionally, rapid heart rate. Unlike cola drinks or similar carbonated beverages, energy drinks contain much higher levels of caffeine. For instance, a 250 mL bottle of Coca-Cola contains 26 mg of caffeine, according to the company’s web site. But a 75 mL bottle of Rockstar “energy shot” contains 200 mg of caffeine. A 355 mL can of Red Bull contains 113.6 mg of caffeine. But Refreshments Canada, an umbrella organization representing beverage producers, took exception to the editorial, suggesting it contains a number of inaccuracies. For example, the group stated the drinks don’t target children in their advertising. As for labelling, these energy drinks are intended for adults and clearly indicate on the label that this category of beverage is not recommended for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women and people who are sensitive to caffeine. According to the CMAJ editorial, Health Canada has taken steps to regulate many energy drinks as natural health products with warnings on labels. However, many energy drinks are still considered foods that only list ingredients. Neither natural health products nor foods list total caffeine content or easily understood equivalents in terms of cups of coffee because caffeine-containing herbal extracts are listed separately. Health Canada recommends children aged 10 to 12 shouldn't consume more than 85 mg of caffeine a day, which is about a can or two of cola. With younger children, the recommended maximum is even lower: 45 mg for children age four to six and 62.5 mg for children age seven to nine. Energy drinks are very effective high-concentration caffeine delivery systems. These sugar-loaded syrups typically contain 80 to 140 mg of caffeine per 250 mL — the equivalent caffeine in one cup of coffee or two cans of cola. To read the full CMAJ editorial: http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/rapidpdf/cmaj.100953v2?ijkey=0d93b871529c8152fd5de1b2493e95dc3a54f1c7&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha