A health campaign group has called for the sale of ‘energy’ and sports drinks to youngsters to be banned, after its research found that some products contained up to 20 teaspoons of sugar – more than three times the maximum an adult should consume in a day.
25. He said: "Therein
you shall live, and therein you shall die, and from it you shall be brought out
(i.e.resurrected)."
26. O Children of Adam! We
have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts,
etc.) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is
better. Such are among the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses,
lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, that they may remember
(i.e. leave falsehood and follow truth ).
27. O Children of Adam! Let
not Shaitan (Satan) deceive you, as he got your
parents [Adam and Hawwa (Eve)] out of Paradise, stripping them of their
raiments, to show them their private parts. Verily, he andQabiluhu (his soldiers from the jinns or
his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them. Verily, We made the Shayatin (devils) Auliya' (protectors and helpers) for those
who believe not.
28. And when they commit a Fahisha (evil deed, going round the Ka'bah
in naked state, every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.), they say:
"We found our fathers doing it, and Allah has commanded us of it."
Say: "Nay, Allah never commands of Fahisha. Do
you say of Allah what you know not?
29. Say (O Muhammad ): My Lord has commanded justice and
(said) that you should face Him only (i.e. worship none but Allah and face
the Qiblah, i.e. the Ka'bah at Makkah during
prayers) in each and every place of worship, in prayers (and not to face other
false deities and idols), and invoke Him only making your religion sincere to
Him by not joining in worship any partner to Him and with the intention that
you are doing your deeds for Allah's sake only. As He brought you (into
being) in the beginning, so shall you be brought into being (on the Day of
Resurrection) [in two groups, one as a blessed one (believers), and the other
as a wretched one (disbelievers)]. 7. Surah Al-A'raf (The Heights)
Of almost 197 products analysed – all sold at major supermarkets – about eight in ten would be given a ‘red’ label for containing high amounts of sugar, with more than half having the same or more than Coca Cola.
The research was carried out by the health campaign group Action on Sugar (AoS) which warned that children were being duped into thinking that the products would boost their performance on the sports field or at school.
The products served no purpose whatsoever except to make children addicted to caffeine and habituated to sugars, it claimed, while in the longer term they were “fuelling the obesity epidemic”.
Action on Sugar analysed 197 energy drinks sold at Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, The Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Ocado, Boots, and Holland and Barrett. They were defined as those with “energy”, “energise”, “energising”, “caffeine” and “stimulation” in the name or stocked under energy drinks sections of supermarket websites.
It singled out the worst offender as Sainsbury’s Orange Energy Drink which has 15.9g per 100 ml of sugar – which is the equivalent of 20 teaspoons for every 500ml (less than a pint). Next was Rockstar Punched Energy + Guava Tropical Guava Flavour which has 15.6g of sugar per 100ml, compared with Coca Cola which contains 10.6g per 100ml.
Professor Graham MacGregor, chairman of Action on Sugar and professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London, said: “Children are being deceived into drinking large cans of this stuff thinking they are going to improve their performance at school, during sports or even on a night out. In reality all they are doing is increasing their risk of developing obesity or type 2 diabetes which will have lifelong implications on their health. Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, limb amputation and kidney dialysis – hardly the image of a healthy, active person.”
Kawther Hashem, nutritionist at Action on Sugar, added: “The levels of sugar in a typical can is disgraceful. Free sugars increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and dental caries and we need to protect children and teenagers from drinking these products.”
Sainsbury’s declined to comment. But the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) said children under 16-years were not targeted in promotions. Director general Gavin Partington said: “These products are called energy drinks for a reason - they deliver a caffeine or glucose-based energy boost. They are now available in a variety of types, flavours and sizes - including a range of low and no calorie options – so consumers have a much wider choice. BSDA members do not promote energy drinks to children under 16 and all products are clearly labelled in compliance with EU regulations.
Today Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey was among senators to release a report revealing energy drink companies might have made progress deterring children under the age of 12, they refuse to stop marketing to teenagers.
Senator Markey reflected on the report today saying, “It’s time for these energy drink companies to stand up as good corporate citizens and agree to measures for appropriate marketing and consumption of their products, especially to teens. When negative health impacts from these beverages are possible, consumers need to be protected and any misleading marketing practices must be stopped.”
“I think we should start with more education,” Frank Stirlacci from Primary Care Offices told ABC40.
Dr. Stirlacci says while no real evidence has been found that these so called energy drinks are a source of real energy, they can absolutely become addictive no matter what your age.
“They are absolutely addictive, coffees okay I like it, but again you have to educate yourself and know what’s good and not good,” Dr. Stirlacci added.
One ingredient you may not know about in your drinks is Guarna. A drink like ‘Monster’ only tells you how much caffeine content is in it and other drinks like AMp tell you exactly how much Guarana is in your drink on top of the caffeine itself.
“On average a regular cup of coffee is 75-150, so 1 -2 cups of coffee is not harmful but add on top of it Guarana and on top of the caffeine, it’s way more caffeine than you think,” Dr. Stirlacci added.
So what does this mean in simpler terms?
Take the popular energy drink amp for example… It contains 296 mg of Guarana which is equal to at least 3-4 cups of coffee… on top of the already 150 mg of caffeine already in the drink. That’s 6 cups of coffee per can. Which can add up to 18 cups if you drink say 3 cans per day. Don’t forget the 16 grams of sugar.
The senators have recommended several steps to energy drink manufactures and the FDA. They hope they will ensure children and teens are properly protected from deceptive advertising practices.
Energy drinks have become increasingly popular over the last few years, and with their association with sports and an active lifestyle, you could easily think that energy drinks might be good for you. And with many of them being marketed to children, parents may be wondering whether or not energy drinks are part of a healthy lifestyle for their kids.
Ingredients of Energy Drinks
The ingredients of energy drinks vary a great deal from one brand to another, but many of them contain potentially harmful substances, such as caffeine, taurine, sugars, sweeteners,herbal supplements, and other ingredients. Although energy drinks are easily confused with sports drinks and vitamin waters, they are actually quite distinct, in that sports drinks and vitamin waters may be suitable for rehydration, whereas energy drinks are not. This is because some of the ingredients in energy drinks carry potential risks, these beverages typically provide little or no benefit, and they can cause drug interactions.
The main psychoactive ingredient in energy drinks is caffeine, typically containing from three to five times the amount contained in cola -- the highest concentrations being in "energy shots." Caffeine is a stimulant of the central nervous system, which has effects on the brainthat make you feel more alert by blocking the message that tells your brain you are tired. While many people find the effects of caffeine pleasantly refreshing, for some, it can induce anxiety, depression, and other unpleasant side effects.
Consumption of Energy Drinks by Kids
Kids are consuming more and more caffeine in the form of soda and energy drinks. The average caffeine consumption of teens in the US is 60-70mg per day, but can be as high as 700mg per day. About a third of American teens and half of college students regularly consume energy drinks.
Many caffeinated drinks, including energy drinks, are deliberately marketed to kids. And the reputation of energy drinks as a rather illicit substance -- "speed in a can," "liquid cocaine," and a "legal drug" -- actually fueled their popularity when introduced in Austria after years of legal resistance. The excitement generated in young people at the thought of risk-taking is unfortunate, and at the same time, cynically manipulated by advertisers. Alcoholic energy drinks are particularly concerning as a commodity marketed to risk-taking youth.
In this context, energy drinks can even be seen as a gateway drug, paving the way to experimentation with other substances.
Health Risks of Energy Drinks
There are a number of health risks associated with energy drinks, including:
- Caffeine intoxication
- Caffeine withdrawal symptoms, including headaches
- Caffeine overdose, which can be life-threatening
- Cardiovascular problems
- Raised blood pressure
- Obesity
- Sleep disorders
- Calcium deficiency
- Dental problems
- Increased postprandial hyperglycemia, particularly concerning for people with diabetes
- Electrolyte disorders, particularly concerning for people with eating disorders
In addition, there is a risk of drug interactions when energy drinks are combined with:
- Medications for ADD/ADHD
- Antidepressant medications, including MAOIs and SSRIs
- Over-the-counter painkillers, which can contain caffeine
Safe Limits to Energy Drink Consumption in Kids
As a psychoactive drug, it would not be appropriate to consider any consumption of caffeine by children or teens to be "safe." A better way to think about it is to limit kids' daily caffeine intake to below 2.5mg per kg of body weight for children, and 100mg per day for teens. Bear in mind that many everyday foods and drinks contain caffeine, and these should be included in your calculations.
And remember, energy drinks typically contain a lot of sugar, which can be addictive. Daily sugar consumption in childhood has been linked to violence later in life, and sugar addiction is harmful to kids. It is just one type of food addiction that can continue into adulthood, and is a major contributor to the current obesity epidemic in kids and adults.
Just How Bad Are Energy Drinks for Recovering People?
For those recovering from alcohol and drug addictions, the urge to find a fix seems to be never-ending. To replace their drug of choice, the recovering addict will find other means to soothe their minds and souls. A replacement “high” that has become common among recovering people is the use of energy drinks. Energy drinks’ combination of caffeine, vitamins, and herbs can provide the kick they need, and, it’s legal and can be found at any corner store. Energy drinks can be a healthier alternative to drugs and alcohol, but what most don’t known is that the very things that make energy drinks so popular can also lead to active addiction.
“Anything done in moderation is not going to harm me or anyone else.” “There is nothing wrong with caffeine…it is safe.” “I can buy energy drinks anywhere…they can’t be all that bad.”
In some respects, these claims do contain some truth. Some studies have suggested that consuming energy drinks may improve heart function and can provide a healthy energy boost. While this may be true, there are hidden dangers associated with energy drinks that can pose real threats to health and sobriety. Not only can these dangers threaten your sobriety, but the side effects of energy drinks can be life-threatening.
Energy Drinks Aren’t That Bad For Me, Right?
People in recovery will balk at the notion that energy drinks can be addictive or pose health risks. Some common justifications for drinking energy drinks: “This is much better than (drinking/snorting/smoking/shooting up)”“Anything done in moderation is not going to harm me or anyone else.” “There is nothing wrong with caffeine…it is safe.” “I can buy energy drinks anywhere…they can’t be all that bad.”
In some respects, these claims do contain some truth. Some studies have suggested that consuming energy drinks may improve heart function and can provide a healthy energy boost. While this may be true, there are hidden dangers associated with energy drinks that can pose real threats to health and sobriety. Not only can these dangers threaten your sobriety, but the side effects of energy drinks can be life-threatening.
How Bad Are Energy Drinks For Those In Recovery?
What may come as a shock is that caffeine is classified as a drug. Caffeine crosses the blood/brain barrier and stimulates the nervous system causing increased alertness and insomnia. Those who use caffeine build a tolerance and experience withdrawals. While caffeine is an effective diuretic and is useful in the treatment of asthma people who consume excessive amounts can experience caffeine intoxication which can include increased agitation and irritability. Other complications from caffeine intoxication can include heart issues, seizures, psychosis, and even death.
Many energy drinks also include the amino acid taurine. Commonly found in meat, fish, and eggs taurine is used in energy drinks to help increase mental clarity and physical performance. However, excessive amounts of taurine, along with caffeine and sugar, has unnatural effects on the central nervous system. One of the functions that can be impaired is in the way stress is handled. If the ways stress is handled are impaired any new coping skills that were learned in treatment can also be impaired. Therefore, the old ways in which we dealt with stress (drugs and alcohol) resurface.
Many energy drinks also include the amino acid taurine. Commonly found in meat, fish, and eggs taurine is used in energy drinks to help increase mental clarity and physical performance. However, excessive amounts of taurine, along with caffeine and sugar, has unnatural effects on the central nervous system. One of the functions that can be impaired is in the way stress is handled. If the ways stress is handled are impaired any new coping skills that were learned in treatment can also be impaired. Therefore, the old ways in which we dealt with stress (drugs and alcohol) resurface.
12 Signs of an Energy Drink Addict
You Know You’re Addicted to Energy Drinks When
- You dream about owning a glass door mini-fridge, devoted solely to your energy drinks.
- You can grab a can from your fridge, open it, and be half way through it before you realize you’re even drinking it.
- CaffeineInformer.com is your homepage.
- You have an eagle eye for spotting caffeine content of an energy drink in 5 seconds flat.
- Your state has cheated you out of over $10 by charging bottle deposit fees for drinks that no store will accept returns on.
- All you want is a drink to sip because you’re bored or thirsty, and you choose an energy drink.
- You’re arguing with yourself about how much sleep you need for the next day, and you use energy drinks as a bargaining tool to convince yourself that you can make it the next day on less sleep.
- You consider mixing one in with your milk and cereal.
- You treat new energy drinks like a fine wine, first smelling the drink before you sip a little to wash around your mouth.
- You can no longer try a new energy drink in your home town, because you’ve tried them all.
- You drive outside of your home town in search of new energy drinks.
- You put your unfinished cans in the fridge, and fall in love with yourself the next morning for doing so.
Were any of these true for you?
In all seriousness, energy drinks can be dangerous to your health and addiction to energy drinks can be financially burdening. If you want to break your addiction make sure you read about the caffeine withdrawal symptoms that can result in order to be prepared for the detox process.
What is an energy drink?
This is a kind of beverage containing ingredients are purported to boost the energy levels in the body. These drinks are marketed as providing both mental and physical stimulation due to its paramount ingredient, caffeine. It may sometimes be carbonated and also added sugar or other sweeteners. Herbs extracts and amino acids are also common ingredients to the energy drinks though in very small quantities.
Is energy drink addictive?
Looking at the ingredients that form the energy drink, it is beyond reasonable doubt that energy drinks can be addictive. The main addictive ingredient of the energy drink is the caffeine, though the sugar additives can also be addictive.
Caffeine is a stimulant and it acts by stimulating the central nervous system, which has effect on the brain and hence making you feel wonderfully alert though in the actual sense you are tired. This is so because the caffeine stimulated the nervous system and consequently blocking the message that tells your brain that you are tired. The effect induced by caffeine, is pleasant to many people, but to some it may result to anxiety, depression and other unpleasant side effects.
Energy drinks often contains caffeine or sugar which can affect the neurotransmitter causing temporal energy boost. These are the brain chemicals which regulate the human moods and behaviors, and if they can be stimulated, they can make our bodies have a feel of energy gain. This is the property that the energy drink manufacturers capitalize on. It simply works by blocking the messages which would otherwise trigger energy needs.
What are the side effects of energy drink?
The main cause of side effects in energy drinks is the high amounts of caffeine in them. Though some of the other ingredients can also have some side effects, the main side effects which are attributed to energy drinks are related to caffeine. Thus the side effects that we will look at here may be similar to those of caffeine addiction particularly.
The following are the main side effects of energy drinks:-
- Risk of cardiac attack – caffeine which is an ingredient of energy drinks is known to cause heart diseases. Taking of energy drinks leaves a person under a very high risk of getting a cardiac arrest. For those with history of heart diseases, this cardiac arrest can occur just after a few energy drinks. Researches done on the effects of energy drugs on the human body have indicated that energy drinks causes forceful heart contractions, which could be very harmful to some with certain heart conditions.
- Chronic headache – since caffeine is addictive, reduction or too much caffeine can cause severe headache due to the withdrawal symptoms of caffeine. Therefore taking too much energy drinks can lead to severe headaches.
- May lead to insomnia – since energy drinks stimulate the rain to keep a person awake/alert, its abuse may cause someone to miss sleep. The lack of sleep can be very harmful to your body, since it affects your drive to perform other concentration heavy tasks.
- Can lead to Type 2 Diabetes – this is a type of diabetes which results from too much sugar in the body. Since these energy drinks many of them have high levels of sugar, their consumption may lead to typpe2 diabetes.
- Addiction – another risk or side effect of taking energy drinks is addiction. The ingredients of the energy drinks such as caffeine and sugars are highly addictive. Addiction itself is a danger to your health, but the biggest problem is that the addiction will make you dependent on energy drinks and thus you cannot survive without taking them. This will even put you to a much bigger ganger of the side effects of the individual ingredients of the energy drink.
- Jittering and nervousness – when caffeine is taken in high levels into the body, it causes some people to shake and be nervous. The energy drinks are high in caffeine and thus when frequently taken, they can lead to this side effect.
- Interaction with prescription drugs – it has come to the knowledge of scientists that, some of the ingredients of energy drinks can interact with the prescription drugs, especially those meant for depression treatment.
Should energy drinks be made illegal?
The debate on whether energy drinks should be declared illegal has been ongoing in many areas of the world. Some countries are in the process of banning the sale of the drinks, especially to underage. Among the noticeable countries which have come out to show the world that energy drinks should be banned is Lithuania.
The recent reports are that, “Lithuania has banned the sale of energy drinks to anyone under 18 on the basis of health concerns. The ban will take effect in November 2014 after it was approved by parliament in May. Lithuania’s health
ministry said it was setting a precedent within the European Union.” The message from the state read, “According to our survey, a majority of other nations say that they only have recommendations in place, not bans,” ministry official Almantas Kranauskas said. “I think it will serve as an impetus for other countries. Many of them are still hesitating and might be influenced by the lucrative energy drinks industry.”
The recent reports are that, “Lithuania has banned the sale of energy drinks to anyone under 18 on the basis of health concerns. The ban will take effect in November 2014 after it was approved by parliament in May. Lithuania’s health
ministry said it was setting a precedent within the European Union.” The message from the state read, “According to our survey, a majority of other nations say that they only have recommendations in place, not bans,” ministry official Almantas Kranauskas said. “I think it will serve as an impetus for other countries. Many of them are still hesitating and might be influenced by the lucrative energy drinks industry.”
Living close to the college campus every single store has caffeine pills and every energy drink ever made. I know students stay up all night to study for finals and stuff like that but is this stuff addicting? is it like an amphetamine? What happens if you take these pills and drink this stuff all the time will they need to go to rehap?
I have read stories about people that have had heart attacks, young people dying from heart problems because they use this stuff all the time. Why is not controlled or perhaps sold over the counter at a drug store like cold medicine is?
I have read stories about people that have had heart attacks, young people dying from heart problems because they use this stuff all the time. Why is not controlled or perhaps sold over the counter at a drug store like cold medicine is?
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