How energy drinks can affect kids’ mental, physical health
For young kids and adolescents, energy drinks hold a certain appeal. Whether it’s the fun and colorful packaging, the sweet flavor or the marketed “energy boost” to help sustain them through a study or gaming session, these drinks are a hit with the younger generations.
What’s lesser known about these energy drinks are the serious health concerns they can pose. A research review published by ScienceDirect outlines these adverse reactions and also found that boys are at a greater risk of consuming energy drinks than girls.
While ingredients will vary drink to drink, many energy drinks are packed with not only sugar, but caffeine levels that should be thoughtfully considered before consumption, according to Dr. Stuart Berger, Division Head of Pediatric Cardiology at Lurie Children’s.
“A regular cup of coffee has about 100 mg of caffeine, give or take, and some of these energy drinks, depending on the volume, have almost 400 mg — so almost four times as much,” he said.
Berger notes that caffeine in high doses can have negative effects on the heart, it can make the heart pump harder, and it can cause arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats.
“Some kids may just feel palpitations and sort of live with that and it’d be OK. But there are other kids who, because of the caffeine and the dose and the effect on the heart, can have very serious and life-threatening arrhythmias. The problem is you don’t know which kids have underlying cardiac abnormalities, which puts them at risk for this,” he said.
On social media, energy drinks are often positioned as a helpful “pre-workout” aid, but Berger notes they can actually cause the opposite effect.
“The energy enhancement or improved athletic performance may not be what you get because of the anxiety, the arrhythmias — even the depression that’s been associated with them — you may not be getting what you think you’re getting,” he said.
These psychological and mental factors are what Dr. Tareq Yaqub, pediatric psychiatrist at Lurie Children’s, is particularly concerned about in looking at the research.
“We know that brains are not fully developed until your mid-20s, so adding something that can greatly alter a temporary euphoria or mood and have such a physiologic change and response in your body is not great.”
Yaqub notes that energy drinks can sometimes function as an escape for kids who are already struggling, and that families should be aware of what else might be going on with their child that’s causing them to reach for this level of caffeine.
Maybe they’re struggling with energy because of existing mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression, have trouble focusing, or perhaps have experienced previous suicidal ideation and have the impression that these drinks will serve as a mood booster or stimulant. What Dr. Yaqub says is that the physiological effects caused by energy drinks, such as racing thoughts, quickened heartbeat, and sleep disruption, are not actually helping kids cope and can even exacerbate existing challenges.
Alternatively, Yaqub suggests parents pay attention to their kids’ social habits and mood and keep open lines of communication with them so they have a safe outlet to discuss their struggles and don’t reach for a can to comfort them.
“Take what your children are saying seriously. When we don’t respond to them in ways that they find adequate, they look for means on their own.”
Berger and Yaqub both advise parents to read labels, keep an eye on what their children are consuming and generally steer kids under 18 away from energy drink consumption.
• Children's health is a continuing series. This column was provided by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.