2023-10-30 01:13:54
It is not just any drink, nor is it harmless to health. Especially when it becomes the go-to drink for a teenager and its consumption begins in childhood. Energy drinks are not for children due to their high presence of caffeine, taurine and sugars and, however, it is increasingly common to see minors with a striking can of this type in their hand during recess, before an exam or following playing a soccer game with friends.
And it is not a simple perception, since the data is conclusive and confirms the experts’ feeling that there is abuse of the consumption of these drinks among children and adolescents. Good proof of this is that the latest Estudes report, prepared by the National Plan on Drugs and published in 2022, alerts that 45% of young people between 14 and 18 years old take them frequently, with the prevalence being higher in boys (50.7%) than in girls (39%). “The most serious thing is the trend,” warns Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, epidemiologist and professor of Public Health at the University of Navarra, who warns that “in the data collected it can be seen that the prevalence of consumption of energy drinks in 2021 “It is the largest of the entire series analyzed, which makes it clear that we are facing a problem that is getting worse.”
Early start
One of the biggest concerns recognized by the specialists consulted by A TU SALUD is the age at which the consumption of this type of beverage begins. «We see that they are increasingly starting to be drunk earlier, with children who admit to having consumed them when they were only eight or ten years old, motivated by the environment and because there is an inadequate perception of what these drinks are. In fact, they are confused with isotonics for athletes because they sponsor many events of this type and because they are classified as energetic, when in reality the adjective that should be used is stimulants, because they only stimulate and do not provide any energy,” explains Félix. Notary, president of the Spanish Society of Adolescent Medicine (SEMA).
Added to this early start is that they are alternatives that are very accessible to minors, since they are sold “in stores where they buy a snack, a pack of stickers or a magazine. This phenomenon means that its consumption is skyrocketing and that it is now common in half of adolescents,” laments Notario. A circumstance that Martínez-González classifies as “absolute barbarity and a serious danger.” If this is not stopped, it can have serious consequences for the health of our young people in the medium and long term. “It is a major public health problem,” he warns.
The most vulnerable
Although there are other healthier alternatives – and water is unbeatable in this comparison – drinking an energy drink sporadically does not have to pose a health risk. The key is precisely in that sporadic nuance. “An isolated consumption of a very small amount does not have to cause alterations,” says Francisco Pita, member of the Nutrition Area of the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition (SEEN). However, as the specialist warns, there are profiles that are more vulnerable to its consumption, even in these reduced quantities: “Great caution should be taken and it would not be recommended in people with psychiatric, cardiological or metabolic diseases, such as diabetes or hypertension. “The most appropriate thing would be to try to avoid the consumption of this type of drink, since no quantity has been determined as a safety limit above which they may not be harmful.”
And minors not only add to the list of profiles most vulnerable to the harmful effects of these drinks, but also lead it. «The reasons are numerous, since children and adolescents have their brains in formation. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for skills such as planning, setting priorities, and impulse control, is one of the last to mature; In fact, it is usually reached following 20 years. Therefore, drinking these drinks in childhood and adolescence is very dangerous, because it prevents the proper development of neuronal connections. This immature brain is more prone to the probability of falling into abusive consumption and addiction, because it is not prepared to set limits,” explains Gurutz Linazasoro, member of the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN). For this reason, “if these drinks must be taken sporadically by adults, in the case of minors their intake should be avoided by all means,” insists the neurologist.
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Physical and mental consequences
When excessive consumption of these drinks occurs, the brain responds, but in a harmful way. «Drinking a can of these, which can be up to half a liter, is equivalent to consuming the amount of caffeine of between two and three espresso coffees. “Would we give that to a 12-year-old child?” asks Rosaura Leis, president of the Nutrition Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP). The answer is obvious, “since it is like extracting all the good things from coffee, such as its antioxidants, and mixing it with water and sugar. “It’s crazy,” laments Martínez-González. Hence A few days ago, the AEP released a forceful statement regarding the sale and consumption of this type of stimulants in childhood and adolescence.
It is no wonder, since the impact on the physical and mental health of minors who abuse these drinks is very dangerous. «Its continued use and in large quantities can be harmful. The intake of sugars carries the risk of weight gain and alterations in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. On the other hand, the intake of caffeine and other stimulant substances can cause alterations in the sleep pattern and, finally, increased fatigue despite its name. In this scenario, psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, mania and, in selected cases, conditions related to schizophrenia may appear, in addition to promoting psychological addiction to this type of drink, with minors being especially vulnerable at this point,” warns the spokesperson for the SEEN.
And this is confirmed by the Notary, who adds that “given that minors have a low body weight, the impact that caffeine, taurine and sugar have on them is more disproportionate, which is why we are already seeing symptoms related to irritability, anxiety, nervousness, headaches and even, in the most serious cases, even seizures and poisoning.
And the heart also suffers, since “at the cardiac level, excess caffeine can cause tachycardia, arrhythmias or worsening of previous heart disorders,” says Pita. In fact, “we are observing children with blood pressure above what is recommended, which can lead to acute hypertension and trigger a cardiovascular accident or a stroke in the most extreme cases. The cardiovascular system at these ages is more immature and sensitive to all toxins and we also face two very dangerous phenomena, which are tolerance to these stimulant agents and dependence on them,” warns the president of the SEMA. .
All these risks are triggered if, in the middle of adolescence, these energy drinks are mixed with alcohol, an increasingly common trend “that exponentially multiplies the harmful impact on health of these addictive and psychoactive compounds,” warns Martínez-González. “This triggers altered subjective states that include a decrease in the perception of alcohol intoxication and which we know is usually the gateway to the consumption of other prohibited toxic substances, such as tobacco, cannabis or other drugs,” warns the Notary. For all this, the experts are resounding: It is time to take action on the matter, raise awareness in society and put limits on the consumption of energy drinks by minors.
One more step towards its regulation
►On October 16, the Xunta de Galicia announced that it will process a rule to limit the consumption of energy drinks by minors, an announcement that has served as a starting signal for, at least, other autonomies to also consider taking the step. Aragon, the Balearic Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Navarra and the Basque Country already plan to study the regulation among the youngest, while the Valencian Community and Castilla y León have already begun to address the issue seriously. «It is good news that measures are being taken, but here politicians, paediatricians, parents and teachers must act in unison. Legislation is needed in this regard, but also the support of all these agents to enforce it and raise awareness in society. Good nutritional labeling, which makes clear the high caffeine and sugar content and the risk it has for minors, is essential,” demands Leis.
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