Dangerous drinks?
Energy drinks typically contain high levels of sugar and at least as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. But the drinks also often tout the energy-boosting effects of a mix of other ingredients, ranging from taurine and l-carnitine, naturally occurring amino acisd, to ginseng (a Chinese herb typically used in alternative medicine). But despite this "special blend" of ingredients, studies suggest energy drinks don't boost attention any better than a cup of coffee does.
Better labeling?
Most people aren't aware of energy drinks' potential to have serious side effects. As a result, parents and siblings may leave the beverages accessible, unknowingly putting young children at risk.
Labeling energy drinks with something similar to the Surgeon General's warning that appears on cigarettes or alcohol could help reduce some of these unintentional exposures.
Children and adults with underlying risk factors (such as a seizure disorder, arrhythmia or a predisposition to high blood pressure), as well as caregivers of those children, should also know the risks and be advised not to consume energy drinks.
