cave canem Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 That's my question. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Mine did not drink them. Dd had a friend in college that another friend gave energy drinks and caffeine to help with studying before an exam. His crash happened all at once and he passed out in the middle of the test. He was fine but the exam was not. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Nope. I do allow coffee, but the teen that drinks it usually only ever has part of a cup. We don't keep soda at home or buy it at restaurants. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I consider them a once in awhile treat. Many are full of sugar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertstrawberry5 Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Energy drinks aren't ok for anyone. My husband drinks them, but if I could order him not to, I would. They are so bad. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim.engen Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 That's my question.I would say they are bad for everyone. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I don't buy them, but I don't police what they buy with their own money. I don't think DD ever bought any, but I know DS occasionally has one. As with everything, I find moderation is key. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlktwins Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Mine are almost 13, but they will not (my rule). We watched a news segment on the dangers of them and they are like NO WAY we will do that. They are really bad for you. One of mine will ask for a small cup of coffee on occasion and the occasional soda out. The other doesn't like how caffiene makes him feel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 My kids don't drink them. One child might have, but once on a road trip he got a big iced coffee/mocha sort of drink from a rest stop. It wasn't labeled an energy drink but I'm sure it was high sugar and caffeine. Anyway, he got really wired and felt (and acted) off for a few hours afterward. He avoids caffeine except in tea or chocolate. He has ADHD, and is medicated for it, but I do wish sometimes he'd take a small cup of coffee to see if that helped his energy level and cognitive abilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Mine are almost 13, but they will not (my rule). We watched a news segment on the dangers of them and they are like NO WAY we will do that. They are really bad for you. One of mine will ask for a small cup of coffee on occasion and the occasional soda out. The other doesn't like how caffiene makes him feel. Ok besides the sugar, what is so bad about them? I'm curious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlktwins Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Ok besides the sugar, what is so bad about them? I'm curious! The very high levels of caffiene in these drinks have caused heart problems and even death from a cardiac event. I will try and find some articles when I get to my desktop. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlktwins Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 The very high levels of caffiene in these drinks have caused heart problems and even death from a cardiac event. I will try and find some articles when I get to my desktop. Google "dangers from energy drinks" and you will see a lot of links. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlktwins Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Yep https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/26/health/energy-drinks-health-concerns-explainer/index.html ...and sometimes the kids don't think about that cup of coffee or other soda they already have in their system before having one of these energy drinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I have always thought they were really bad for anyone. I didn't let ds have caffeine until he was 12 or so and even then rarely. Once he was 16, and driving, and buying his own snacks I stopped trying to police it but I do offer my very strong opinion. He still drinks them, but I am not sure how much. Maybe 4 or 5 a week. And most mornings he has a small cup of coffee. I have had exactly one Monster in my life. I was on a road trip and sooooooooo sleepy I didn't think I could make it. It affected me very badly and I will never drink one again. After that I also found out I have AFib and so I am careful anyway about what I drink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MysteryJen Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 They are pretty much the only thing I have banned. I think they are terrible for you. Drink a cup of coffee, have a soda. Or better yet, get to bed earlier and eat better food. That will give you energy as well. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 They've always made me nervous, and after reading the various replies, now they really do! I would not want my teen or anyone drinking them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 WHY would a teen need an energy drink? They'll never have more energy in their life. In some countries, teens are too young to buy them! At that age, coffee is as strong as I would go. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderchica Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Ok besides the sugar, what is so bad about them? I'm curious!Anecdotally, I know a few frequent consumers (at least 1 a day, usually more) and their experiences match up with what I’ve read about- chest pains, etc. They refuse to believe it is correlated, but a healthy 22 year old shouldn’t have frequent chest pains and feel short of breath often. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 WHY would a teen need an energy drink? They'll never have more energy in their life. In some countries, teens are too young to buy them! At that age, coffee is as strong as I would go. Oh I don't know about that. Teens also stay up late and are required to get up quite early (some of them) and juggle a lot of different things (school, possibly work, extra curriculars, sports, etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Ok except something like Red Bull has less caffeine than coffee. I am sure it's not great to drink tons of Red Bull, but it's not some insane amount of caffeine. Or are we talking about something other than Red Bull? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 They are bad for everyone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 No. That's my opinion. (With some reasons back by science that have already been stated by others.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 WHY would a teen need an energy drink? They'll never have more energy in their life. In some countries, teens are too young to buy them! At that age, coffee is as strong as I would go. Starbucks Frappucino bottle (14oz) has 130 mg of caffeine Red Bull (8 oz) 80 mg of caffeine Diet Coke (20 oz) 76 mg of caffeine Personally, I don't like energy drinks, but caffeine can be consumed in larger amounts drinking a "standard" serving of coffee or soda 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cave canem Posted February 20, 2018 Author Share Posted February 20, 2018 Do you all think caffeine is the only potential problem in these drinks? Are the other ingredients just special sauce for marketing purposes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 WHY would a teen need an energy drink? They'll never have more energy in their life. All-nighter to finish term paper or lab report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 They are pretty much the only thing I have banned. I think they are terrible for you. Drink a cup of coffee, have a soda. But then I don't understand. The coffee has more caffeine than the energy drink, and the soda as.much sugar. What's better about that? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I doubt they are good for anyone, teens or adults, and I don't think it is a good idea to eat or drink something when you don't know what is in it. If I want a pick me up, and it is available, it would be a Coke, Coffee, Ice Cream or Chocolate. Caffeine and Sugar but at least you know what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlktwins Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Starbucks Frappucino bottle (14oz) has 130 mg of caffeine Red Bull (8 oz) 80 mg of caffeine Diet Coke (20 oz) 76 mg of caffeine Personally, I don't like energy drinks, but caffeine can be consumed in larger amounts drinking a "standard" serving of coffee or soda Some Red Bull have more. Some of the energy drinks are small number of oz. for the amount of caffeine than say an 8 oz. cup of coffee. Here is a site I found that was interesting. https://www.caffeineinformer.com/the-caffeine-database From what I've read, there are other ingredients in these energy drinks that may not be bad for you in smaller amounts (vitamins and minerals), but are included in higher amounts in these drinks that might not be healthy. There might also be unknown effects of these ingredients when mixed with the caffeine. Anyway, I think quite a few of the people drinking these things (i.e. cramming for tests, etc) are not having just one. It is not worth the risk for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 It’s not just Red Bull. There’s also Monster and Rockstar and a bunch of others. And some may be sold in a can that is like 24oz and may have over 300 mg of caffeine in that can. A Starbucks blonde roast venti (20 oz) has 475 mg of caffeine Starbucks Pike Place roast grande (16 oz) has 310 mg of caffeine. Yes, some of the energy drinks are sold in large containers and drinking a large quantity will be a large amount of caffeine, but coffee is also served in these large sizes with comparable amounts of caffeine. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 There are also energy shots which are smaller, less calorie but can contain more caffeine in that small container. And because they are not required to list how much caffeine is actually in the energy shots, you don't know exactly how much you are getting. Some of the deaths have come from mixing the energy shots with alcohol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 It’s not just Red Bull. There’s also Monster and Rockstar and a bunch of others. And some may be sold in a can that is like 24oz and may have over 300 mg of caffeine in that can. Really! Who drinks one 8oz can of Red Bull? It is always the big cans I see. My 12oz can of Diet Coke with Splenda has 46mg of caffeine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I doubt they are good for anyone, teens or adults, and I don't think it is a good idea to eat or drink something when you don't know what is in it. If I want a pick me up, and it is available, it would be a Coke, Coffee, Ice Cream or Chocolate. Caffeine and Sugar but at least you know what it is. I don't know exactly what is in a Coke. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MysteryJen Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I suggest coffee (because no one likes it and won't drink it) and they are too lazy to go buy a soda, because I don't keep it in the house. Sometimes teens are easy.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Marmalade Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I have no problems with my kids occasionally wanting a frappuccino or Mountain Dew as a pick me up. But energy drinks are full of all kinds of questionable ingredients in addition to the insane amount of caffeine. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/127/3/511 Ah! I found the article I originally went searching for. It popped up in my newsfeed some time ago. Three parents in the UK purposely gave their kids energy drinks and monitored their health. You kind of have to scroll down past the ads to get to the actual article. I have no idea if the Mirror is reputable or not, but Jamie Oliver is. :) https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jamie-oliver-claims-energy-drinks-11820385 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 My teens will also have a coffee every now and again but I wouldn’t like it if they consumed energy drinks. Empty calories, high in sugar, overpriced & just not good for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I’m a few months away from having a teen, but it’s a no for me. I tried one exactly one time, and I felt awful. There are other ways to get a pick me up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 They seem like a complete waste of money to me, but so does all soda, juice and sugary drinks. By "energy" drink, I assume a liquid with some form of sugar, otherwise it's not actual energy, though it could be a stimulant because of the caffeine. I try to limit the amount of sugary liquids my dc and I consume as they are terrible for our teeth, primarily. Ditto with candy for the same reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 They seem like a complete waste of money to me, but so does all soda, juice and sugary drinks. By "energy" drink, I assume a liquid with some form of sugar, otherwise it's not actual energy, though it could be a stimulant because of the caffeine. I try to limit the amount of sugary liquids my dc and I consume as they are terrible for our teeth, primarily. Ditto with candy for the same reasons. Yeah they are ridiculously expensive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 The question was "are energy drinks ok for your teens?" (bolding mine). I don't get the caffeine evangelists here. If they are ok for your teens, then fine. No one is going to snatch them out of their hands. But why are you seeming to argue that they should be ok for mine? I have a daughter who has spent numerous hours at the cardiologist's office. High doses of caffeine aren't ok for her heart rate. We also have a lot of family with diabetes. Sugar doesn't cause diabetes but subjecting your pancreas to high amounts of sugar that it has to deal with, isn't good for that. (She does have coffee on occasion with her doctor's blessing but we aren't ok with energy drinks.) (There are some studies that show that heart and diabetes can be hidden problems for a lot of people so it isn't a stretch to say that I don't think that they are healthy in general. But I won't look down on those who decide to drink them.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I do not buy them. My son does not like sugary drinks and is too cheap to buy them himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 The question was "are energy drinks ok for your teens?" (bolding mine). I don't get the caffeine evangelists here. If they are ok for your teens, then fine. No one is going to snatch them out of their hands. But why are you seeming to argue that they should be ok for mine? I have a daughter who has spent numerous hours at the cardiologist's office. High doses of caffeine aren't ok for her heart rate. We also have a lot of family with diabetes. Sugar doesn't cause diabetes but subjecting your pancreas to high amounts of sugar that it has to deal with, isn't good for that. (She does have coffee on occasion with her doctor's blessing but we aren't ok with energy drinks.) (There are some studies that show that heart and diabetes can be hidden problems for a lot of people so it isn't a stretch to say that I don't think that they are healthy in general. But I won't look down on those who decide to drink them.) I'm not trying to talk anyone into caffeine. I'm just a little confused by the (incorrect) claim that in general energy drinks have more caffeine than coffee. That's just not true. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 No. We don't keep them around and she's never asked. She does drink coffee, to which she does not add sugar, though we limit her daily intake, and the occasional soda with caffeine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 (edited) The question was "are energy drinks ok for your teens?" (bolding mine). I don't get the caffeine evangelists here. If they are ok for your teens, then fine. No one is going to snatch them out of their hands. But why are you seeming to argue that they should be ok for mine? I have not seen anybody here argue that another user's kids should use energy drinks. The debate has been about whether they are actually more harmful than other sweet and/or caffeinated drinks. I prefer to base my decision on the actual content of the beverage, rather than the label. That's why I have asked what exactly makes an energy drink more dangerous than coffee (if the concern is caffeine) or soda(if the concern is sugar). So, can anybody enlighten me? ETA: I am talking about a person with normal health. Of course somebody with an underlying heart condition or diabetes would need to avoid these beverages, but I assume they would not consume coffee or soda either. Edited February 20, 2018 by regentrude 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 (edited) I have not seen anybody here argue that another user's kids should use energy drinks. The debate has been about whether they are actually more harmful than other sweet and/or caffeinated drinks. I prefer to base my decision on the actual content of the beverage, rather than the label. That's why I have asked what exactly makes an energy drink more dangerous than coffee (if the concern is caffeine) or soda(if the concern is sugar). So, can anybody enlighten me? For me, it’s the concentration. And the fact that many don’t just have one. And if you mix it with alcohol as can happen for some college students, it masks the effects of the alcohol so you are “wide awake drunkâ€. I just view them with caution. And I don’t really see redeeming qualities there to make it worth it for me personally. Edited February 20, 2018 by Jean in Newcastle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdj2027 Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I don't buy them but what my kids do with their allowance is their choice. However, I have two coffee drinkers, one drinks tea and #4 sticks to water and cold fruit and herbal teas. They very rarely drink a soda and none of them drink energy drinks. Hubby and I drink coffee and tea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 (edited) For me, it’s the concentration. And the fact that many don’t just have one. And if you mix it with alcohol as can happen for some college students, it masks the effects of the alcohol so you are “wide awake drunkâ€. I just view them with caution. And I don’t really see redeeming qualities there to make it worth it fir me personally. The concentration of what? There is not a higher caffeine concentration in many energy drinks than in coffee. This is precisely my question. People also may have not just one coffee. The debate about concurrent alcohol consumption has nothing to do with energy drinks per se. ETA: And I should clarify: I have no skin in the game since I don't drink energy drinks.But I would like to know the science behind it before deciding something is bad. Yes, I have seen reports of studies, but I cannot take a study with 20 subjects seriously. Edited February 20, 2018 by regentrude 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Yeah I'm not clear on the concentration part either. Probably the biggest turn off (aside from it just being some stupid sugary drink among many) is the cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 The concentration of what? There is not a higher caffeine concentration in many energy drinks than in coffee. This is precisely my question. People also may have not just one coffee. The debate about concurrent alcohol consumption has nothing to do with energy drinks per se. ETA: And I should clarify: I have no skin in the game since I don't drink energy drinks.But I would like to know the science behind it before deciding something is bad. Yes, I have seen reports of studies, but I cannot take a study with 20 subjects seriously. If you read my previous post you would have seen that I was specifically concerned with energy shots, which indeed have a higher concentration of caffeine in a small "shot sized" bottle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlktwins Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 This is an excerpt from the first article posted above https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/26/health/energy-drinks-health-concerns-explainer/index.html . "Most energy drinks typically contain large amounts of caffeine; added sugars; vitamins, such as B vitamins; and legal stimulants, such as guarana, a plant that grows in the Amazon; taurine, an amino acid that's naturally found in meat and fish; and L-carnitine, a substance in our bodies that helps turn fat into energy."Overall, the concern is that these vitamins, amino acids and herbals are often in higher concentrations than naturally in food or plants, and the effects when combined especially with caffeine may be enhanced," said Katherine Zeratsky, a clinical dietitian at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Higgins, who has led multiple studies on energy drinks and health impacts, agreed.With the caffeine, sugar and stimulants, Higgins said that more research is needed to determine how those ingredients could interact to cause negative health effects." Just too many unknowns for me and my family. We drink some coffee here (1/2 caf 1/2 decaf). If we have a Starbucks, we order decaf. Sodas are usually decaf, but one son sometimes has a Coke. No Mountain Dew. We are working on eating less sugar overall too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I think it's hooey. I tried a SF Red Bull once. I had no more energy and it tasted gross. Once tried one of those Five Hour Energy shots they sell (got a free sample in the mail). I drank it before bed and fell asleep no problem. LOL Except for the caffeine, I don't think any of the other ingredients qualify as a stimulant (not counting sugar because I'd never drink the ones with sugar anyway). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.