Wednesday 1 June 2011

ENERGY DRINKS ARE BAD FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS

Energy drinks are found to be harmful for children and young people under 25. To people who feel run down, or who haven’t been getting enough sleep lately, or  for students who need to stay up all night cramming for exams, or the person trying to work long hours, energy drinks might seem like a magical potion that boosts their energy levels.   It's really very important to know what you are consuming and what are its contents, how does it affect your health in the long run. Everything you eat and drink that are processed is something you have to watch out for.  All the money and power in the world cannot buy two things, love and health.

A study that was conducted by Oklahoma State University suggests that children and young adults who consume energy drinks may be more prone to experience anxiety, depression and addictive behaviours later on in life. Dr. Conrad Woolsey calls the drinks a “pharmacological Molotov cocktail.” Due to the fact that the human brain does not fully develop until age 25, young adults in this age group are more susceptible to being affected by the ingredients in the pumped-up soft drinks. Energy drinks contain additives such as taurine and inositol, and other substances, which are used in some anti-anxiety and antidepressant medication. When taken alongside a stimulator, like caffeine or guarana, they can affect the action of neurotransmitters in the brain. All energy drinks contain high amounts of caffeine. Overstimulation of stress neurotransmitters early in life can cause them to be overactive later, leading to anxiety and depression.

Children should stick to drinking water after exercise. Doctors explain that children never need energy drinks, as they do not contain any nutrients necessary for the healthy growth and development of the body and mind, except caffeine and other substances that overstimulate the body, stressing the immune system and nervous system. “You don't really want to stress the body of a person that's growing”, said Dr. Holly Benjamin, a spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics.












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