Those Energy Drinks May Be Harmful

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I heard this story last night on the news that those popular energy drinks like Red Bull, may be harmful, especially to children and teenagers and can cause a lot of not only behavioral problems but even health problems. All these energy drinks have a ton of caffeine in them...more than the average cup of coffee or soft drinks. Some of the behavioral problems listed are anxiety and irritability, the health problems involved are abnormal heart rhythms and can impair brain development in younger children. Here's an article I found about this: (Quote) Energy drinks In recent years, an increase in consumption of energy drinks containing caffeine has led to concern by teachers and parents of the possible effects of caffeine on children. They are afraid that caffeine will make their children behave in ways that are unusual or harmful for them. What are energy drinks? Energy drinks are drinks designed to increase stamina and improve physical performance. Some energy drinks are designed especially for elite athletes, but most are produced and marketed for the general community. What are their main ingredients? The main ingredients in energy drinks are caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone. Some new drinks on the market also contain opium poppy seed extract or ephedrine. * Taurine Taurine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in the body. Amino acids help to build protein. They are also believed to detoxify and cleanse the body of harmful substances. In times of stress and high physical activity, the body can lose small amounts of taurine. Some people use energy drinks to try to replace or build up their body's level of taurine. * Glucuronolactone Glucuronolactone also occurs naturally in the body. It is a natural metabolite and carbohydrate formed when glucose breaks down, and is believed to be helpful in ridding the body of harmful substances and providing an instant energy boost. * Caffeine Caffeine is a stimulant which acts on the central nervous system to speed up the messages to and from the brain so that the person feels more aware and active. Here is the caffeine content of some popular energy drinks and soft drinks (per 250 mL). * Impulse - 88mg * Red Bull - 80mg * Naughty Boy - 80mg * "V" - 78 mg * Coca-Cola - 48.75 mg * Diet Coke - 48 mg * Diet Coke Caffeine-Free - 2 mg * Pepsi - 40 mg * Diet Pepsi - 44 mg * Pepsi Max - 44 mg You can see the whole article here which is a lot longer: http://health.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=21178 I've personally never tried any of these energy drinks myself, since to be quite frank a lot of them are just plain expensive, but I've always been conscientious of my caffeine intake to begin with. But I can see how potentially harmful such caffeine loaded drinks could be for young children or teenagers who might equivalent them with something like sodas and drink a lot. If you have children, do you allow them to drink any of these "energy" drinks? Do you drink them yourself?