Rapid Fat Loss Diets

Friday, December 26, 2008

Energy Drinks Are Unsafe For Teenagers

By Julieanne van Zyl

These days, the desire for a quick fix is causing more problems than it is solving, so its a good thing that healthy energy drinks are being manufactured. While it might look like we have quick answers to our problems, they are often short-term solutions, which do nothing to fix the situation permanently. Sadly, one of the "quick fixes" that we are becoming increasingly addicted to and which seems to be the favorite of many people is the energy drink. Whether it is Red Bull or Power Horse, energy drinks give us the instant energy boost that we might need at that point in time.

But because of the abundance of these drinks, it is constantly available to teenagers and kids who can purchase them for a few dollars each. Sadly, research has shown that kids who drink profuse amounts of energy drinks are at a risk of exhibiting rowdy behaviors and increased violence levels. According to the Journal of American College Health, "Miller and colleagues found that a compilation of behaviors known as "toxic jock syndrome" was correlated with high consumption of energy drinks.

Toxic jock syndrome includes symptoms such as substance abuse, unprotected sex and violence". With this research proven in different related studies, it is only natural to see that teenagers and frequent energy drink consumption is not a good combination. So, if you have got a teenage son or daughter, try as much as possible to dissuade them from drinking these drinks too frequently and instead teach them to live healthy lives by adopting healthy lifestyles.

As if taking excess energy drinks are not enough, research has shown that an astonishing 49% of all teenagers are into some kind of substance abuse. This basically means that about 1 in every 2 teenagers you find in high schools are into some kind of drugs. Not only are they into drugs, a larger majority are into alcohol abuse. A recent survey among youths showed that British girls were known to be the most violent females in the world.

When you look at the rate of alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom, you will understand why this is so. The average British chap somehow gets involved in binge drinking at least once a week. Binge drinking is simply drinking lots of beer at once -this could be between 5-20 bottles in one sitting. Now teenagers have discovered a very potent combination that will get them just as high as drugs or marijuana. This is the mixture of energy drinks and alcohol. This deadly combination makes it a lot more risky for teenagers because of the health implications.

A survey carried out in ten schools located in North Carolina showed that students who took a combination of these drinks often needed medical attention and were virtually ignorant of the fact that they were drunk. This is not shocking as it is possible that the large amounts of caffeine in most energy drinks is accountable for high energy levels in spite of how much alcohol you drank. So, if you find your teenager son having a lot of these, maybe you had better be on the lookout.

They found that students who mixed the drinks got drunk twice as often, were more likely to be injured or require medical treatment while intoxicated, and were more likely to perpetrate or experience sexual assault than students who drank alcohol alone. The effect was not related to the amount of alcohol consumed.

Some researchers have recommended that because the caffeine in energy drinks tends to make folks feel more energetic, people who mix the drinks with alcohol do not understand how high they are and are more likely to take foolish risks.

"You're every bit as drunk, you're just an awake drunk," said researcher Mary Claire O'Brien of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.

So, it's a good thing that a healthy energy drink has been formulated, so that teenagers can benefit from them. - 17273

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