Who should avoid energy drinks?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, young children should not consume any caffeinated products and all energy drinks contain caffeine. Adolescents should not consume more than 100 mg of caffeine daily, and adults should not consume more than 500 mg of caffeine daily from all sources. In addition to energy drinks and shots, soda, ice tea and of course, coffee, contain caffeine. Unfortunately, many caffeinated products don’t list the amount of caffeine per serving.

We're still in the early days of learning about the full range of effects of energy drinks on physical and mental health, as well as sleep. There is an abundance of research that shows how too much caffeine can affect blood pressure and heart rate, create anxiety, and disrupt sleep. We know much less about the short and long-term effects of some of the other ingredients that are often found in energy drinks, including taurine, the vitamins niacin and pyridoxine, and sugars such as inositol.

People who have or are at risk for conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes need to strictly limit -- or better yet avoid altogether -- these energy drinks. Parents need to educate their kids about the serious risks of over-consumption of energy drinks, and to closely monitor their children's consumption, if they choose to allow them to have these drinks at all. Unfortunately, kids and teenagers are among the most likely consumers of these beverages. Energy drinks are heavily marketed to young people, who are less likely to be aware of the possible dangers of these beverages.