Two years ago, when Bruce Goldberger first began to study energy drinks, he found 10 brands. Teens and young adults seem to be drinking more of these caffeinated beverages than ever. "I think it's important that people recognize that caffeine really is a drug," Griffiths says, "and that they accord it respect as a drug."
Some people are more sensitive to stimulants than others, so some teens may get a bad case of the jitters from very little caffeine. Withdrawal symptoms can include headaches, mood swings and trouble concentrating. "If they use it for three or five days in a row, and then suddenly quit, then they're going to be thrown into withdrawal," says Roland Griffiths, professor of behavioral biology at Johns Hopkins University. And many teenagers also don't know how easy it is to become dependent on the stimulant. Goldberger also tested an 8-ounce sugar-free can of Red Bull, which had twice the caffeine of a can of Coke or Pepsi.Ĭaffeine researchers who've studied the effects of the stimulant on the body say there's nothing alarming about the amount of caffeine in a single can of these energy drinks.īut experts say teens often don't realize how much caffeine they're drinking. Another drink, a 16-ounce serving of SoBe No Fear, contained 141 milligrams of caffeine, which is the equivalent of almost five cans of Coke or 1 ½ cups of a typical brewed coffee. He found one of the energy drinks, Hair of the Dog, contained no caffeine. He found a significant range of caffeination.
In order to determine how much caffeine is contained in various brands of energy drinks, toxicology professor Bruce Goldberger of the University of Florida tested 10 drinks. He's always assumed energy drinks are more potent than Mountain Dew or Coke, but he says it's unclear exactly how much caffeine they contain because it's not labeled on the can. "I can skateboard longer and it tastes good," Cathcart says. Last year, teenagers and young adults spent almost $2.3 billion on heavily caffeinated drinks with names like Monster, Red Bull, Amp and Full Throttle.Įvan Cathcart, 19, says a can of Red Bull gives him a quick boost when he's skateboarding. Your Health Coffee: A Little Really Does Go a Long Way
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