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as energy drinks, which contain a higher-than-usual level of caffeine, have been brought under the microscope. drinks. Over three years, Dr Danielle McCarthy and her as energy drinks, which contain a higher-than-usual level of colleagues at Northwestern University collated the incoming call caffeine, have been brought under the microscope. data of the Illinois Poison Center in Chicago.” The research team specifically focused on calls related to caffeine medications and —_ Dangers of mixing alcohol and stimulant drinks dietary supplements, not on coffee or tea products. In fact, as far back as December 2000, The Lancet* published Their findings are startling, to say the least. Apparently, more an article by Karen Birchard which mentioned that the Irish than 250 cases of medical complications from ingesting caffeine government had ordered "urgent research into the effects of so- supplements came into the poison centre. Twelve per cent or 31 called ‘functional energy’ or stimulant soft drinks after an inquest cases required hospitalisation, of which 20 cases needed treatment jury recommended urgent research". The reason behind the call in an intensive care unit. More pointedly, the average age of the _— for an investigation was the case of an 18-year-old who died caffeine abusers was twenty-one. A while playing basketball. He had surprising number of caffeine . consumed three cans of Red Bull, a overdoses involved young people _ the lrish government had stimulant soft drink. taking alertness pills such as NoDoz " . The Lancet article also noted that or energy drinks, sometimes mixed ordered urgent research into stimulant drinks are a popular mixer for with alcohol or other drugs. This the effects of so-called vodka among young drinkers. Further, study goes a long way in highlighting . when persons already drowsy from the general social ignorance of the "functional energy" or consuming excessive alcohol switch to medica si eeffects a catfeine stimulant soft drinks after an stimulant drinks. they tend to display supplements. As Dr McCarthy warns: . . aggressive behaviour traits, even "Young people taking caffeine, either inquest Jury recommended leading to late-night violence. to stay awake or for a feeling of urgent research". Apparently, this problem had been so euphoria, may actually end up in the widespread that it prompted certain emergency department more often Irish establishments to refuse to sell than we think. Young people being stimulant drinks. At the same time, hospitalized for chest pains and heart palpitations are rarely asked according to the Lancet article, the European Union if they've taken caffeine supplements because everyone perceives Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, David Byrne, them to be safe."*! backed the inquest jury's recommendation for research into In fact, most people would assume that the young adults who stimulant drinks, saying he had asked the EU's scientific had abused caffeine would also have consumed other "poisonous" committee to look again at stimulants and their effect on the body. substances. Not quite, as the study found that caffeine alone was In response to the government's request, SafeFood, the Food abused in 68 per cent of the cases recorded. While it is true that Safety Promotion Board, established a Stimulant Drinks most of the '§ requiring hospitalisation involved the combined Committee to commission independent scientific research into the abuse of caffeine along with a pharmaceutical product, it is health effects of stimulant drinks. As detailed by Derek Finnegan disturbing to note that an overdose of a substance like caffeine, in an article in Nutrition Bulletin,” the report published by this which most of us associate as a food product, can invoke a serious committee in March 2002 recommended that stimulant drinks medical reaction. In this case, stimulant soft drinks, also known should be labelled with an indication that they are unsuitable for Endnotes http’//www.wisegeek.com/what-is-high-fructose-corn-syrup.htm 1. http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa091699.htm 9. Focus-On-Nutrition.com, "Carbonated Beverages", 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonation http://www. focus-on-nutrition.com/sodas.shtml 3. Mercola, Joseph (Dr) with Rachael Droege, "The Real Dangers of 10. Greenhalgh, "Carbonated soft drinks", op. cit. Soda to You and Your Children", 11. Harvard School of Public Health, "Active Girls Who Drink Colas http:/;Awww.mercola.com/2003/jul/9/soda_dangers.htm are Five Times More Likely to Fracture Bones", 16 June 2000, 4. CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest), "Liquid Candy: How _http:/Awww.hsph. harvard.edu/ats/Jun16/june16_02.html Soft Drinks Are Harming America's Health", 12. Wyshak G., R. E. Frisch, T. E. Albright et al., "Nonalcoholic http://www. cspinet.org/liquidcandy/ Carbonated Beverage Consumption And Bone Fractures Among 5. Valentine, Judith, PhD, CNA, CNC, "Soft Drinks: America’s Other Women Former College Athletes”, J. Orthopedic Research 1989; 7:91-9 Drinking Problem", http:/www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/soft.html 13. Wyshak G. etal., "Carbonated Beverages, Dietary Calcium, the 6. Greenhalgh, Alyson, "Carbonated soft drinks", Dietary Calcium/Phosphotus Ratio, and Bone Fractures in Girls and http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/healthy_living/nutrition/drinks_soft2.shtml; Boys", J. Adolescent Health, 1994; 15:210, http://www. statistics.gov.uk/CCl/nugget.asp?ID=6 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3225/is_n4_v50/ai_15752799 7. Gill, Timothy P., Anna M. Rangan and Karen L. Webb, "The weight 14. Tucker, Katherine L., Kyoko Morita, Ning Qiao, Marian T. Hannan, of evidence suggests that soft drinks are a major issue in childhood and _L. Adrienne Cupples and Douglas P. Kiel, "Colas, but not other adolescent obesity", The Medical Journal of Australia, 2006; carbonated beverages, are associated with low bone mineral density in 184(6):263-64, http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/184_06_200306/ older women: The Framingham Osteoporosis Study", Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 0_11091587#0_i1091587 2006; 84:936-42, http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/84/4/936 8. Gazzaniga, Marin, "Sickeningly Sweet: The Effects of High-Fructose 15. "Regular Cola Consumption Linked to Lower Bone Density in Corn Syrup", MSN Health & Fitness, http://health.msn.com/centers/ Women", http:/www.medscape.com/viewarticle/461898 diabetes/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=1001 18604; 16. Tufts University press release, "Consuming Cola May Up Bray, George A., Samara Joy Nielsen and Barry M. Popkin, Osteoporosis Risk For Older Women", 6 October 2006, posted at "Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play arole —_http://www.emaxhealth.com/4/7732.html in the epidemic of obesity", Am. J. Clin. Nutrition 79(4):537-543, April 17. Reinberg, Steven, "Cola Raises Women's Osteoporosis Risk: 2004, http:/www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/79/4/537; Caffeine might be the culprit, experts say", HealthDay, 6 October 2006, ordered "urgent research into the effects of so-called ‘functional energy’ or stimulant soft drinks after an inquest jury recommended urgent research”. NEXUS = 31 ... the Irish government had FEBRUARY — MARCH 2007 www.nexusmagazine.com