Energy drinks have been seen almost everywhere across the world over the past few decades. The caffeine in energy drinks makes parents wary of their children's consumption habits.
Energy drinks were first introduced in Japan in the 1960s with the Liporiran-D and later spread to an international scale with the introduction of Red Bull. Red Bull has grown past just an energy drink and is now the largest energy drink company in the world.
Eating Well shows some of the most common ingredients in energy drinks, which include taurine, sugar, and carnitine.
Taurine is an amino acid that helps regulate blood pressure and improve cognitive function. Energy drinks commonly contain 500-2000 mg per can, which is under the ~3000 mg maximum for consumption per day.
Sugar is not in every energy drink. Due to the rise in health concerns regarding sugar, many companies tend to stay away from adding sugar to their drinks. Examples of sugar-free energy drinks are Alani, Ghost, Monster Ultra, Bubbl’r, and Celsius. These also help promote that energy drinks are not as bad for one's health as many people believe.
Carnitine is another amino acid; it assists with fat burning and endurance. The safe amount per day is ~3 grams, but energy drinks commonly only contain 25-30 mg, which are only used by a person if their body is in a deficit.
These ingredients, in moderation, do not show any negative effects on a person and, if correctly consumed, can help benefit their health.
Students here at Anderson may occasionally run on only a few hours of sleep for a +12 hour day. Therefore, an energy drink may be the only way for a student to get through the day. Caffeine also helps boost energy in athletics as well as alertness. When consumed in moderation, ~200 mg of caffeine, there is little health risk.
Access to energy drinks may help students when it comes to a difficult exam or a long day ahead of them, including classes, club meetings, and sports practices. The increased focus helps students not to get distracted or off-task when doing work or an exam.
“If I know I’ll struggle, I will [have an energy drink],” Ryan Yuskewich (10) said.
Mayo Clinic Health System shows that when caffeine is consumed in moderation— less than 400 mg a day for adults— it helps to reduce Alzheimer’s disease, liver diseases, and heart attacks.
PubMed Central argues that an average teenager can safely consume 100-175 mg of caffeine per day. Multiple energy drinks, like Monster, stay within the 100-175 mg range of caffeine. However, when teenagers consume excess caffeine, they may experience nervousness and shakes, cardiovascular issues, and are prone to worse diets.
Monster Ultras may be seen as the most effective and safest energy drinks for teens; they have zero sugar, caffeine in the safe range for teens, and also include vitamins and amino acids like carnitine and taurine. These ingredients help with improved focus, fat burning, and improved health.
In moderation, energy drinks can help students to succeed and focus, especially when their day may include heavy school work, club meetings, and sports practices.