Yikes. According to a new report that rounds up report from a number of scientific journals, those seemingly harmless little energy drinks that have been all the rage for the past few years may have some dire side effects, including, most notably, heart failure.
The study is concerning to those involved for two reasons. First, energy drinks like Red Bull, Rockstar, Monster, et al. are popular amongst children (30 to 50 percent of adolescent drink them, according to the report). Second, the beverages aren’t subject to the same regulation that governs soda, which is limited to 71 mg of caffeine per 12 ounces.
Beyond the caffeine are ingredients like Taurine and Guarana, which are “understudied and not regulated.” The list of side effects is certainly a scary one, including seizures, diabetes, and cardiac abnormalities.
Energy drinks have seemingly come under increased scrutiny in the wake of the malt liquor energy drink, Fourloko, which was pulled from the market after being cited as the cause of a string of incidents with college students.
