Many people in all age groups are eating energy drinks, and for that reason WHO has issued a warning, here's what it says.
A team from the World Health Organization (WHO) warned in a statement published on Frontiers in Public Health of the increasing consumption of energy drinks and their risks to public health, especially among young people.
Energy drinks are non-alcoholic beverages and contain caffeine, vitamins and other substances such as taurine, ginseng and guarana, which are known to promote energy and increase physical and mental performance. For this purpose, the WHO team under the supervision of João Breda studied the health risks resulting from the consumption of these beverages as well as the consequences and policies involved in their treatment.
According to the researchers and experts, due to increased demand and consumption of these drinks, the health risks associated with them, and consequently the global concern of the subject, and explained that sales of energy drinks in the United States rose 10% annually between 2008 and 2012, and 500 new specialized brands In the manufacture of energy drinks appeared in the markets in 2006.
According to the European Commission for Food Safety, 30 per cent of adults eat energy drinks in European countries, 68 per cent of adolescents and 18 per cent of those under the age of 10.
The risk of consumption of energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine, unlike other hot drinks that contain caffeine, energy drinks can be consumed one dose, which increases the risk of caffeine poisoning caffeine inoxication, which in turn may lead to infection in:
Heart palpitations
Hypertension
Nausea and vomiting
Convulsion convulsions
Psychosis
And in rare cases may lead to death.
The researchers also found that adolescents who consume energy drinks consistently are more likely to engage in hazardous work such as excessive drinking.
According to the WHO report, 70 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 who eat energy drinks mix with alcohol, compounding the health risks of eating them.
Energy drinks without laws
Eating alcohol or even smoking is governed by strict laws to restrict it to a specific age group, but energy drinks do not follow such laws. In order to reduce the risk of its use under these conditions, the WHO Working Group issued a number of advice:
Limit the amount of caffeine consumed so that it does not exceed the limit.
The need to establish laws prohibiting the sale of energy drinks to adolescents and children.
Avoid eating energy drinks for people suffering from heart disease and other health conditions.
Conduct more scientific research to study the impact of these drinks on young people and children.