Why Your Children Shouldn’t be Drinking Energy Drinks

While energy drinks might make you feel great in the moment, they are not good for your health. This applies especially to children – energy drinks are damaging to their teeth, as well as their overall mental and physical health. This is highlighted by the Monster energy class action lawsuit.

Energy drinks contain pharmaceutical grade caffeine. While a mug of coffee contains around 95 milligrams of caffeine, some energy drinks contain up to 400 milligrams! While this is considered a safe level for adults, there are no guidelines from the FDA on how much caffeine is suitable for children. Furthermore, some teens are drinking several cans or bottles of energy drink per day. 

This overload of caffeine and sugar may cause your children to have too much energy, which could leave them anxious and may also prevent them from sleeping. This can seriously hinder their development, mental wellbeing and subsequently, their education. 

Energy drinks can also lead to an irregular heartbeat and blood pressure as well as seizures and heart arrhythmia. It is for this reason that they should not be taken before exercise, which is often a time when people go to drink them. The American Heart Association reports more than 40 percent of calls to poison centers were related to children drinking energy drinks. 

These are not only problems for very young children, but adolescents are also going to their doctors and hospitals with symptoms such as heart palpitations as a result of energy drinks. They liquid is filled with sugar which results in severe dental damage, skin problems and increased risk of diabetes. Energy drinks have also been linked to arrhythmia syndromes in adolescents. This is an illness that was once widely unheard of and is now becoming increasingly common. 

The bottom line is that energy drinks are not healthy for anyone and they are particularly unhealthy and even dangerous for children. If you’re a parent and you regularly consume energy drinks then you should make a conscious effort to reduce your intake, for your sake as well as your kids – set a good example. 

If you have older children and are concerned about how you can prevent them from drinking energy drinks, then the first thing you should try is having an honest conversation with them. Explain to them about your concerns and why they should be invested in their health. You may also want to point out how it can disadvantage their teeth and skin, as this might be more of a reason for them to stop, as young people tend to feel invincible. Provide plenty of healthier alternatives such as iced teas and fruit juices. If you need more info on how energy drinks adversely affect your child’s dental health, it’s best to check out this dentist in Wayne NJ or one near you.

Many countries have either banned the sale of energy drinks to children or are in the process of doing so.  Before this happens in America it is up to caregivers to put rules in place and do what they can to prevent their children from drinking energy drinks. While there is a lack of guidelines about how much caffeine is safe for children, it is clear that energy drinks have too many negative, unnatural properties to be beneficial.