Energy Drinks, Free Coffee and Your Child…
In the McDonald’s commercial, the polite young lady offers a free coffee to customers. The man shares with her, after the description that “You had me at free” that he will try a coffee. On Sunday morning, at one of the McDonalds here in Thunder Bay, I met a young teen who I know. He was serving himself a coffee at the restaurant.
Honestly he was shaking so bad that he could hardly pour the coffee into the small cup. He spilled most of it on the counter as he filled his cup. It was his seventh “free” coffee of the morning. The free coffee isn’t being served by a nice McDonald’s employee describing the product, like in the commercial, it is an urn of free coffee that customers can help themselves too a cup or two.
Big deal? Add up the caffeine in seven cups of coffee each with four teaspoons of sugar, and you can imagine how wound up the young teen was.
coffee for free It is good for that person?
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit reports, “Energy drinks have varying levels of sugar, caffeine, and other herbal substances, but the underlying dangers are all the same. The amount of caffeine in these drinks well exceeds Health Canada’s minimum recommendations for daily intake of caffeine for children and youth.
“Most energy drinks contain over 80 mg per 250 ml, more than 3 times the amount caffeine in same amount of pop. However, some energy drinks have been found to contain up to 500 mg per serving. We also get caffeine from other foods and beverages (eg. coffee, tea, chocolate, dark pops, etc.), so many people may easily exceed the recommendations in a day.
“Caffeine in excess amounts can be very dangerous. It is an addictive stimulant drug and can cause sleep disturbances, headaches, irritability, nervousness, and anxiety. It can also cause changes in heart rate, including tachycardia, which has been associated with energy drink consumption. Caffeine will produce these effects at different rates depending on the size and body weight of the individual. For example, less caffeine is required to produce these effects in smaller individuals. Children are more vulnerable to these effects than adults.
“The herbal supplements contained in energy drinks are legal substances, but they haven’t all been tested for long term safety and side effects. Also, the different combinations of ingredients found in energy drinks may be potential harmful and side effects are unknown. Common herbal supplements and additives are taurine (amino acid), glucoranolactone (carbohydrate), vitamins (B6, B12, niacin), gingko biloba, ginseng, guarana extract, and various natural root/extract, such as panax ginseng root, maca root and yerba mate.
“Some countries around the world have decided to ban the sale of energy drinks due to their combined dangers. There are currently no regulations prohibiting sale to children in Canada.
“Some people confuse sports drinks with energy drinks. Sports drinks can rehydrate the body and replenish lost electrolytes during physical exertion. On the other hand, energy drinks contain caffeine, which is a diuretic and can actually worsen dehydration.
“As well, due to the carbonation of energy drinks, it’s difficult to consume enough of them to provide enough fluids for hydration. Also, the body may have a hard time digesting them due to the high amount of sugar. The average amount of sugar in an energy drink is 14 tsp, which is equal to the amount found in one and a half cans of pop.
“Energy drinks also contain warning labels, disclaimers, and indications for use, which should be a clear indication that these are not safe for consumption, especially for children and teens.
Health Canada’s recommendations are as follows: Energy drinks should not be consumed in excess of 500 ml/day, should not be mixed with alcohol, and should not be consumed by children or pregnant or breastfeeding women”.
Health Canada also recommend no more than the maximum daily intakes of caffeine listed below.
Age Group Recommended Maximum Daily Intake Caffeine:
* 4-6 years 45 mg
* 7-9 years 62.5 mg
* 10-12 years 85 mg
* Adults 300 mg
Popular brands of energy drinks:
* Red Bull
* Dark Fog
* Full Throttle
* Rockstar
* Red Rain
* Sobe Adrenaline Rush
* Monster
* Impulse
* Amp
* Hype
Tags: caffeine facts, energy drink facts, facts about caffeine, facts about energy drinks
