Are you feeling tired, lethargic, possibly falling asleep on the job or in the car? Many individuals turn to energy drinks to provide them that added boost to their day. It is turning out that the decision to use energy drinks could prove deadly. There are at least 5 different manufacturers of energy drinks that fail to list the amount of caffeine in the can. Most recently there have been 5 deaths that have occurred due to the high dose of caffeine in the energy drink made by Monster. Consumer reports tested a multitude of products and 5 out of 27 have a 20% higher caffeine dose than listed on the label. Out of the 27 companies tested, eleven of the companies do not even list the amount of caffeine that is served in their drinks.
Most recently a 14 year old girl, died due to caffeine toxicity which caused cardiac arrhythmia after consuming 2 Monster energy drinks. Monster is quick to point out that there drink contains 240 milligrams of caffeine which is less than a 16-ounce cup of Starbucks brewed coffee.
The levels of caffeine in the drinks ranges from 6 milligrams to 242 milligrams, depending if you are consuming a 5-hour Energy or 5-hour Energy Extra Strength. One of the companies, Archer Farms Energy Drink Juice Infused, which is a private label of Target, had about 70% less caffeine than advertised.
This begs the question why do we label products if the amounts in them are not correct? If the label is wrong, how does an individual know until it is too late? You could be over-consuming the amount of caffeine or paying for a certain amount of caffeine which you are not getting. The result is that you are paying for something that you are not getting or running the likelihood of dying because of an overdose. It doesn’t seem like the manufacturers are concerned or suffering any penalties for false advertising.
Dr. Allen Taylor, the chief of cardiology at Georgetown University Hospital, says caffeine overdose is a real issue.
“Between the caffeine, the sugar, its effects on blood pressure, potential adverse effects, I think it’s really difficult to justify a case for children, young adults to be using these substances right now,” he said.
Emergency rooms visited tied to energy drinks have risen in recent years, from 1,128 visits in 2005 to 16,053 in 2008 and 13,144 in 2009, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
If this is occurring with energy drinks, are any of our food labels safe? Who is to say your milk, yogurt, or any of the labels at fast food restaurants are correct? This means you could be consuming more than you intend to whether you like it or not. The test will be to see if anyone steps up to the plate and comes down with stricter laws and guidelines to prevent such issues from occurring.