One third to one half of all teens and young adults consume
energy drinks regularly and nearly one half of deployed military personnel
report daily use. These drinks are loaded with caffeine. A single cup of coffee
has 100 mg of caffeine; this results in a blood level of 1-2 mcg/mL. The usual
caffeine content of an energy drink is 80 to 140 mg but some have double that
level. A potentially level dose of 3000 mg caffeine (80 mcg/mL blood level) can
be reached by consumption of 12 highly caffeinated drinks within a few hours.
There are many ingredients in energy drinks and reading the label might not reveal the entire story.
Guarana, also known as Brazilian cocoa, is a South American plant that contains
the caffeine compound guaranine. One gram of guaranine is equal to 40 mg of
caffeine, but it’s typically not included in the total caffeine count. It’s like having caffeine with caffeine.
These drinks are particularly dangerous when combined with
alcohol. The combination is believed to lessen the effects of alcohol but
actually lessens the perception of impairment and encourages greater alcohol
consumption. The combination of alcohol and energy drinks is associated with an
increase of risk of riding with or being an intoxicated driver as well as the
risk of committing or experiencing sexual assault. These drinks are marketed as
dietary supplements and are exempt from most regulations. Many states have banned the sale of premixed
alcohol/energy drinks.
A reasonable goal for adults is a maximum of 500 mg of
caffeine daily. This is only 30 ounces of coffee – a Starbucks Vente is 20
ounces, a Dunkin Donuts medium hot coffee has 14 ounces but the large iced
coffee has 30 ounces. Children and adolescents have no need for any caffeine at
all.
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