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Kids and Energy Drinks
September 19, 2008 |
They usually come in a shiny can and can taste as good as candy. Those are just
two reasons your kids may be reaching for the latest energy drink. “It’s such an
appealing name, "energy drinks" and people are so worn out we have such busy
lives and the kids are fatigued because they stay up late playing video games
then school’s demanding then football and they think oh we need energy drinks,”
says Dr. Thomas Schiller, a pediatrician with Lee Memorial Health System.
Don’t let the sweet taste and promise of more energy fool you. “But if you look
into what it really is, I mean it’s basically a caffeine drink,” says Dr.
Schiller.
Many dietitians agree that most energy drinks do not offer much in the way of
nutrition. “Empty calories. You’re not getting anything nutritional from it and
you’re going to have a lot more energy if you eat healthy,” says Elizabeth
McCormick, a dietitian with Lee Memorial Health System.
In fact some of the beverages can be so unhealthy they can cause your child or
teenage to experience some of scary side effects. Caffeine will make people
irritable. Sure it will make you a little bit more awake but you’ll be cranky.
People get headaches, with withdrawl they get shaky. I’ve had teenagers come in
and they have their heart will have irregular heartbeats from the caffeine
content,” says Dr. Schiller. He tells parents to remember that caffeine is a
stimulant drug.
While it is culturally acceptable it can still cause addictive behaviors
especially if you start consuming it at a young age. Research shows the average
energy drink contains the caffeine equivalent of about two cups of coffee. |
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