Energy drinks are everywhere, especially at High Schools. I know several high school students that drink 2 or 3 energy drinks EVERY day. I'm defiantly not against caffeine. I'm almost positive I wouldn't survive without my morning coffee and my afternoon soda. I've tried energy drinks as a substitute for coffee and my stomach hurt, I started sweating and when the caffeine rush was gone I was extremely tired.

While energy drinks aren't for me, are they really that bad for our bodies? According to Brown University, energy drinks' stimulating properties that can boost the heart rate and blood pressure (sometimes to the point of palpitations), dehydrate the body, and, like other stimulants, prevent sleep.

If you are a parent of a teen that loves energy drinks, be aware of what is in these drinks.The average energy drink contains large doses of caffeine and other legal stimulants like guarana and ginseng. The amount of caffeine in an energy drink can range from 75 milligrams to over 200 milligrams per serving. This compares to 34 milligrams in Coke and 55 milligrams in Mountain Dew.

The moral of the story is...if energy drinks are used occasionally, and drank with water, they are not necessarily bad for you. If your teen is drinking several energy drinks a day it may have long term health affects on them, not to mention daily issues like lack of energy and irregular sleep patterns.

 

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