Yahoo Lifestyle Should energy drinks be regulated?
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Two experts face off on the question of energy drinks and regulation.
Who do you side with?
Dr Steve Hambleton, Australian Medical Association (AMA) President
“The AMA believes urgent action is needed to control the sales of energy drinks. While the manufacturers suggest consuming fewer than two per day, there’s no way of monitoring or enforcing that limit. There are no warning labels alerting consumers to possible side effects (including palpitations, respiratory distress and insomnia) or the immediate and long-term health impacts – especially for pregnant women – and there are currently no uniform standards on what is considered a safe limit for consuming caffeine.
Also, there’s currently no recognised guidance value for caffeine, such as an “acceptable daily intake”. A Food Standards Australia and New Zealand Expert working group found increased anxiety levels in children when given doses of about 3mg caffeine per kilogram of body weight per day. The anxiety level for kids aged 5-12 equates to a caffeine dose of 95mg per day (about two cans of cola) and about 210mg per day (around three cups of instant coffee) for adults.
Although manufacturers say these drinks are not targeted at young audiences, they’re freely available and cleverly marketed. Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity in the US released a report warning energy drink makers are aggressively targeting teens via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – campaigns parents may never see. In 2010, teens were exposed to 18 per cent more TV ads and heard 46 per cent more radio ads for energy drinks than adults.
Australian and New Zealand ministers responsible for the regulation of food and beverages are currently undertaking a review of the policy guidelines relating to the addition of caffeine to foods – most notably in regard to energy drinks. We hope these review processes reach an agreement on appropriate regulations to warn people of the health dangers of energy drinks and restrict their sale in the interests of public health.”
Kristen Beck, Women's Health nutrition expert
“As a nutritionist, I’m not a fan of energy drinks. Nutritionally they offer nothing (even if some contain herbal extracts,B vitamins and amino acids) but regulating these products to the same extent as cigarettes and alcohol would be excessive. Consistent labelling, accurate disclosure of caffeine content and clearer warnings are all wise considerations, however, the major sticking point is the intended target market. Energy drinks are geared towards, and consumed mostly by, adolescent and young adult males, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Health concerns relating to energy drinks, like all things, lies with their overconsumption. A review of research from the CDC suggests most of the potential health risks of energy drinks are associated with guzzling three or more energy drinks a day. At this amount, the risk of sleeping problems and links to increased stress and anxiety are concerning. But most energy drinks contain one to three times the amount of caffeine as a standard cup of coffee.
So if you’re consuming only one, your caffeine intake wouldn’t be much more than most coffee drinkers. Most people don’t harass their baristas about the caffeine content of their morning latte, nor would we be impressed if we were limited to one mocha per day. Energy drinks are nutritionally rubbish and should be limited or avoided completely, however, until we regulate all beverages containing caffeine – as well as caffeine supplements and foods – energy drinks should not regulated.”
