2023-07-31 05:20:00
Everyone knows how difficult exam times are. Even more so in summer. That is why it is common to see libraries full of students eager for any extra boost. In college cafeterias, the promise comes in the form of energy drinks. Available in various sizes and flavors, they promise to keep you awake. Also improve physical performance when you go to the gym, and your night endurance if you mix them with alcohol. And all for less than two euros.
Boys, girls, adolescents and young people (as happens with ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks) are once again the most exposed, vulnerable and unprotected groups against these products. Already in 2013, a study conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), warned of the problem: 16% of children (3 to 10 years old) consumed energy drinks on a regular basis. That is, between four and five times a week (or more), which is equivalent to two liters a month.
In Spain, according to the STUDIES survey, carried out in a population between 14 and 18 years old, 45% of adolescents declared having drunk this type of beverage in the last month. As in other countries, consumption is more frequent among boys (51%) than among girls (39%). These differences are related to the promotion, advertising and marketing strategies of the brands. In addition, studies also show a manifest social gradient: consumption is higher in those adolescents who live in areas of greater material deprivation.
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The most recent data from ESTUDES confirm that we have a public health problem. Energy drinks are those with a high content of caffeine and sugar (its two main ingredients), and other stimulants. They have practically zero nutritional value. A 250 milliliter can of the leading brand in the sector contains 80 milligrams of caffeine. following the EFSA recommendations on the safe intake of caffeine, the maximum amount should not exceed 3 milligrams per kilogram of a person’s weight. That is, 150 milligrams for a 50-kilo teenager. Each 500-milliliter can of Monster already contains 160 milligrams and more than that amount.
Those who state that they drink these drinks get, on average, worse grades, repeat more courses and miss more classes
In relation to the amount of sugars, energy drinks usually provide between 27.5 and 60 grams per 250 milliliters and 500 milliliters, respectively. Or what is the same: the equivalent of 11-12 teaspoons of sugar, or about 220-240 kilocalories, for each 500-milliliter container. In fact, most brands have already brought out light, zero or no options to reduce these amounts of sugar and replace them with sweeteners.
Despite its energizing promises, the rest of its components have not been proven to have any benefits either. However, what most studies do conclude is that consumption of these beverages (especially in large quantities or mixed with alcohol) has Negative effects on physical and mental health. For example, cardiovascular and neurological risks, psychological problems or behavioral and sleep disturbances. Returning to the data from Spain, those who state that they drink these drinks get, on average, worse grades, repeat more courses or miss class more, compared to those who report not drinking energy drinks.
Finally, we must remember that it is common to combine the consumption of these drinks with alcohol. And that, by masking the depressant effects of alcohol, such as sleepiness and tiredness, the risk of alcohol poisoning increases.
In Spain, the consumption of these drinks is completely normalized, and there is no specific regulation regarding the ingredients they may contain, their maximum concentrations, or in what possible combinations. In turn, it is estimated that 70% of people are unaware of the composition of energy drinks, or what their possible side effects are.
For this reason, more and more nutrition professionals (including public figures such as the chef Jamie Oliver) who advocate a regulation on these beverages that restricts, for example, the maximum caffeine content. They also demand greater control of advertising aimed at children and adolescents, or the prohibition of its sale to children under 16 years of age. Intervention is already taking place in some countries. In ours, the Ministry of Consumption announced a set of measures in 2021; in the end, they ended up being 10 recommendations agreed upon in conjunction with the energy drink industry itself. This decalogue warns of the health risks of these drinks, advises against their consumption by adolescents, warns athletes that they are not useful for rehydration and reminds manufacturers of the obligation to include a label indicating their high content in caffeine and, therefore, are not recommended for children or for pregnant or lactating women.
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