Energy Drink Health Risk Warnings Needed According to Researchers
September 26th, 2008 • Filed Under: News • 6 Comments
According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the labels of popular energy drinks, such as Red Bull and Rockstar, should contain warnings about the amount of caffeine they contain and the potentially harmful side effects they could cause.
In recent years, a number of different energy drinks have been introduced to provide an energy boost or as dietary supplements. They contain high levels of caffeine as well as other additives,such as taurine, ginseng and carnitine that act as stimulants.
Some of the more popular brands are Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar, No Fear, Tab Energy, Wired and Fixx. They are heavily marketed, especially to young adults, with slogans such as “Red Bull gives you wings” and others that compare the effects of the drinks to the use of drugs like cocaine.
The FDA does not currently require energy drinks to display warnings or limit the amount of caffeine they can contain. However, a report published in the September 24, 2008 edition of the journal Drugs and Alcohol Dependence calls for warnings to be added about the potential health risks energy drinks could pose.
Scientists from Johns Hopkins have spent years evaluating the effects of caffeine and the impact these high-caffeine energy drinks can have on a person’s health. While a typical 12 ounce soft drink has about 35 milligarms of caffeine, some energy drinks contain up to 500 milligrams. The researchers suggest that most consumers are unaware of the caffeine content in these energy drinks or about the potential dangers, and that information should be added to the product labels.
In addition, many of these drinks are heavily marketed in bars or for use in combination with alcohol, which could further increase the health risks for consumers.
Last month, an energy drink lawsuit was filed by the Washington-based consumer advocacy group, Center for Science, against MillerCoors involving their alcoholic energy drink Sparks. The lawsuit filed in the District of Columbia Superior Court alleges that Sparks contains unapproved additives and poses a health risk to consumers.
Similar alcoholic energy drinks sold by Anheuser-Busch as Bud Tilt and Bud Extra were removed from the market in June 2008 after a similar lawsuit was filed by state attorney generals and advocacy groups.
In August 2008, a study conducted by the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia found that energy drinks could increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks. According to the research, even consuming one can of the caffeinated energy drink Red Bull could cause the blood to become sticky, increasing the risk of clotting.
Pingback by Experts Petition FDA to Increase Energy Drink Regulations : AboutLawsuits.com on 22 October 2008:
[...] the FDA does not require warnings or information about the possible health risks of energy drinks. The regulatory agency also does not limit the amount of caffeine in these drinks, many of which [...]
Comment by MEGAN on 16 February 2009:
I USED TO BE AN ENERGY DRINKER UNTIL I FOUND OUT WHAT WAS IN THE DRINK AN AFTER A COUPLE HOURS THE CAFFINE WEARS OUT AN THE ENERGY YOU BURNT WAS BACK UP ENERGY AN NOW FIND YOUR SELF MORE TIRED THEN BEFORE AN YOU MUST KNOW THAT PEOPLE DO NOT FALLOW THE ONE A DAY RULE FOR THE DRINK SO THE EFFECTS ARE X2. AND ANOTHER THING I KNOW A 3 PEOPLE WHO ALL TOLD ME ON DIFFERANT OCCATIONS ENERGY DRINKS EXSPECALY (RED BULL) MAKES THEIR CHEST FEEL FUNNY LIKE THEY WHERE GOING TO HAVE A STROKE OR SOMETHING (I BELIEVE THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE WORSE IF YOUR ALREADY UNHEALTHY OR OVER WIEGHT) I SUGGESTED THEY TRIAL QUIT THE DRINKS TO SEE IF THAT WAS THEIR PROBLEM AN THEY LATER REPORTED THE FUNNY FEELING WENT AWAY AN STAYED AT BAY.
Comment by Daniel on 23 February 2009:
i drank them till they caused me to have a heart surgery and caused my blood to go way to thick. i am looking to see if there is a way i can put a lawsuit against them due to this. i cant stay in the job i am in now due to the surgery and am looking for help.
Comment by Jeron on 19 March 2009:
K, i am addicted to rockstar’s, i consistently drink 3 a day, one right before i go to work, then i feel like i need one in the afternoon, and then i have one at night, i don’t drink alchohol any more, but i am always sleepy, its unbelievable, and i work 12 hours a day, then when i don’t have these sugary caffeinated drinks then my head hurts really bad, so my body has adapted the way that it handles all the rockstar i put in my body, i haven’t really realized the risk and the expense’s of doing this, but it is getting way to out of hand and now after researching it for a while i am kind of scared to continue drinking these things, and my breathing pattern has changed when i am lying in bed, it feels like i can’t get enough breathe in my lungs, like i have to force myself to keep some breath coming down, sucks
Comment by Zebras on 8 April 2009:
i drink energy drinks everyday, but when i dont have them i get tired. but when my boyfriend told me about energy drinks. i am starting to cut down. he told me that there was this one guy who died because he had 5 energy drinks in one hour, becuase he got dehydrated to fast.
Comment by Mary on 28 May 2009:
My son was drinking red bull and vodka and almost beat his girlfriend to death. He spent the night in jail and It’s been a nightmare. I have now come to the conclusion that He is a mean drunk when he mixes red bull and vodka. There is no warning on the can. I think someone should start class action lawsuit againts red bull