Experts: Energy Drinks Should Have Warning Labels

By Alexander Toldt
21:04, September 24th 2008
34 votes
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Experts: Energy Drinks Should Have Warning Labels

Having focused their research lately on the energy drinks currently sold on the market, researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., reached the conclusion that some of those drinks contain so much caffeine they should carry warning labels.

Some energy drinks have as much as 14 times the quantity of caffeine than a regular soda. So when you consume an energy drink, you pour down your throat the equivalent of 14 cans of Coca-Cola or 7 cups of strong coffee, researchers said. A can of Coca-Cola contains 35 milligrams of caffeine, while energy drinks have about 500 milligrams.

Because energy drinks do not feature prominent warning labels that make clear the quantity of caffeine they contain, they cause consumers to take unnecessary health risks.

The US market of energy drinks exploded after Red Bull first launched in 1997. I guess it’s time that producers notify their consumers on what energy drinks contain and the health risks they can pose.

"The caffeine content of energy drinks varies, yet the amounts are often unlabelled and few include warnings about he potential health risks,” Dr. Roland Griffiths stated in the journal “Drug and Alcohol Dependence.”

The risks energy drinks consumers are facing include rapid heart rate, nausea, vomiting, restlessness, anxiety, depression, tremors, and difficulty sleeping, the National Institutes of Health informed.

Most energy drinks are currently marketed as dietary supplements and for this reason the caffeine limit required by the Food and Drug Administration in soft drinks does not apply. The limit is of 71 milligrams per 12-ounce can, while some energy drinks contain as much as 500 milligrams.

"It's notable that over-the-counter caffeine-containing products require warning labels, yet energy drinks do not," said Chad Reissig, who was involved in the study.

About 130 energy drinks are currently above FDA’s caffeine limit.



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