Energy drinks may cause dangerous side-effects in youngsters, says study

A new research now suggests that energy drinks may cause negative side effects in youngsters.

The research that was conducted in the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada said that there should be more action done to restrict sales of the drinks to under 16s.

This came after a recent study found that 55 per cent of 12 to 24-year-olds reported negative health impacts, including rapid heart rates and seizures.

Reseachers quizzed over 2,000 youngsters on how often they consume energy drinks like Red Bull or Monster and said that they could potentially be more dangerous than other caffeinated drinks because of the way they are consumed.

Of those who consumed the drinks, study saw that 24.7 per cent of them had experienced a fast heartbeat or struggled sleeping (24.1 per cent), while 0.2 per cent even reported suffering seizures.

Apart from them, 18.3 per cent experienced headaches, 5.1 per cent reported nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea, and a further 3.6 per cent reported experiencing chest pains.

However, what caused worry among them is that the “vast majority” of those who experienced these adverse effects had consumed far less than the recommended maximum of one or two drinks.

Speaking about the study, lead Professor David Hammond said that at the moment there are no restrictions on children purchasing energy drinks, and they are marketed at the point-of-sale in grocery stores, as well as advertising that targets children.

He went on to add that the findings suggest a need to increase surveillance of health effects from these products.