Schoolies risking health with alcohol and energy drink mix

TheConversation: Young people are fuelling big nights out by drinking alcohol mixed with energy drinks to help them party through the night, according to a new Victorian government report. The VicHealth report found that people who mix their alcohol with energy drinks are also more likely to be problem gamblers, show other risk-taking behaviour such as heavy alcohol use or illicit drug use, and report more mental health problems. Executive Manager Dr Bruce Bolam from VicHealth, which funded the studies, said while overall levels of consumption of these products was relatively low compared to beer or wine in the wider population, in young people the level of consumption was very high.

Man develops acute hepatitis from consuming too many energy drinks

BMJ: A 50 year-old man was admitted to the emergency department  with  acute  hepatitis, most likely due to his intake of 4 - 5 energy  drinks every day for three weeks, reveal doctor s writing in the  journ a l BMJ Case Repor t s. After the man started consuming energy drinks, he developed  malaise, anorexia and worsening abdominal pain, which  progressed to nausea, and vomiting. He originally thought his  symptoms were down to a flu - like syndrome. However, he  became alarmed when he developed dark urine and generalized  jaundice. He didn't note any changes in his diet or use of alcohol, tobacco,  or illicit drugs, apart from consuming energy drinks. As a  construction worker, he used the energy drinks to help get  through his labor - inten sive workday. Physical examination revealed jaundice and right upper  abdominal tenderness. Lab tests revealed high levels of liver  enzymes, called transaminases, indicating liver damage, and  evidence of chronic hepatitis C infection. Liver biopsy showed severe hepatitis.

Mixing Energy Drinks, Alcohol Tied to Abusive Drinking in Teens

Dartmouth: Expanding what we know about college students mixing alcohol with energy drinks, investigators from Dartmouth’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center found teens aged 15-17 years old who had ever mixed alcohol with energy drinks were four times more likely to meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder than a teen who has tried alcohol but never mixed it with an energy drink. The Dartmouth team, led by James D. Sargent, MD with first author Jennifer A. Emond, MSc, PhD published “Energy drink consumption and the risk of alcohol use disorder among a national sample of adolescents and young adults,” in Journal of Pediatrics.

Acute poisoning from alcoholic energy drinks on the rise

Scimex: Australian sales of highly caffeinated energy drinks have steadily increased since they were introduced in the early 2000s, and these days are being mixed with alcohol to produce popular alcoholic energy drinks. Now, Australian experts have reported on the health risks associated with these drinks, and say that high-risk "binge" drinking and incidents of acute poisoning are on the rise.

Energy drinks significantly increase hyperactivity in schoolchildren

Yale University. US: Middle-school children who consume heavily sweetened energy drinks are 66% more likely to be at risk for hyperactivity and inattention symptoms, a new study led by the Yale School of Public Health has found.

Caffeine

• Caffeine occurs naturally in more t han 60 plants including coffee beans, tea leaves, kola nuts used to flavor soft drink colas, and cacao pods used to make chocolate products. 
• Man-made caffeine is sometimes added to foods, drinks, and medicines. 
• 90% of people in the world use caffeine in one form or another.
• The average american adult has an intake of 200 mg per day, the amount in two 5-ounce cups of coffee or four sodas. 
• Whether caffeine is consumed in food or as a medicine, it changes the way your brain and body work and changes how you behave and feel. 
• Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. Your central nervous system includes your brain, spinal cord, and the other nerves in your body. 
• Caffeine’s main effect on your body is to make you feel more awake and alert for a while, but it can also cause problems. 
• It can:

• Make you jittery and shaky
• Make it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get a good night’s sleep
• Make your heart beat faster
• Cause an uneven heart rhythm
• Raise your blood pressure
• Cause headaches, nervousness, and/or dizziness 
• Make you dehydrated (dried out) especially after a workout
• Make you dependent on it so you need to take more of it

• Did You Know? Caffeine doesn’t make a drunk person sober or fit to drive – it DOES NOT get rid of the effects of alcohol. 
• Caffeine is both a drug and a food additive. 
• Caffeine is used in both prescription and over-the- counter medicines to treat tiredness or drowsiness and to improve the effect of some pain relievers. 
• HEART: People with heart problems shouldn’t use caffeine because it makes their hearts work too hard.
• ANXIETY: People with anxiety problems or panic attacks may find that caffeine makes them feel worse. 
• After drinking caffeine, it usually reaches its peak level in your blood within one hour and stays there for four to six hours. 
• Caffeine increases the release of acid in your stomach, sometimes leading to an upset stomach or "heartburn." 
• DEHYDRATION: Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it makes your body lose more water. So, drinks that contain caffeine aren’t good for quenching your thirst. Whether you drink sodas or coffee with caffeine or use medicines with caffeine, take care to drink extra water when you are working out or in the heat so your body doesn’t get dehydrated (dried out). 
• PREGNANCY: Most experts feel that using small amounts of caffeine during pregnancy is safe, but larger amounts of caffeine can be harmful during pregnancy. Women who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant should speak with their doctor about using caffeine.  
• TOLERANCE: When people use caffeine every day, their bodies get used to it, and they don’t get the “good effects” of feeling more awake and able to concentrate unless they use more of it. This is called “tolerance.” 
• ADDICTION: Some studies show that caffeine causes a physical dependence or addiction. If a person gets withdrawal symptoms when they suddenly stop using caffeine, then the person has a physical dependence on caffeine. Withdrawal symptoms don’t feel good and can include: severe headaches, muscle aches, temporary feelings of depression, and irritability. When people experience these symptoms, they often just take in more caffeine to make them go away. This cycle is hard to break.
• OVERDOSE: Symptoms of caffeine overdose (for example with pure caffeine products) can include rapid or dangerously erratic heartbeat, seizures and death. Vomiting, diarrhea, stupor and disorientation are also symptoms of caffeine toxicity. These symptoms are likely to be much more severe than those resulting from drinking too much coffee, tea or other caffeinated beverages.
• DEATH? Caffeine overdose is dangerous and can kill you.
  FDA knows of a 19 year old college student who died after taking an overdose of caffeine tablets to stay awake. A caffeine tablet contains as much caffeine as one to three 5-ounce cups of coffee.The FDA is also aware of at least one death of a teenager who used powdered pure caffeine.
• WARNING. PURE CAFFEINE: Pure powdered caffeine is a powerful stimulant and very small amounts may cause accidental overdose. Parents should be aware that these products may be attractive to young people. These products are essentially 100 percent caffeine. A single teaspoon of pure caffeine is roughly equivalent to the amount in 25 cups of coffee.
• HOW MUCH? Experts agree that 4 to 7 cups of coffee or more each day is too much. Studies suggest that moderate amounts of caffeine are not harmful. How much is moderate? One hundred to 200 mg (one to two 5-ounce cups of coffee) each day is the limit that some doctors suggest, but each person is a little different. How caffeine affects people varies with their size, their sex, and how sensitive they are to caffeine’s effects. Experts agree that 600 mg (four to seven cups of coffee) of caffeine or more each day is too much. 
• BE INFORMED. Learn how much caffeine is in your foods and drinks. Check the Caffeine Content Table to see how much caffeine you take in each day. If you’re taking in too much caffeine, you may want to cut back. This isn’t easy – reduce your caffeine slowly to make withdr awal symptoms (like bad headaches, and feeling tired, and depressed) as mild as possible. 

Caffeine Content in Common Drinks and Foods 

Product: Size (ml) / Caffeine (mg)

• Coffee 150 ml (5 oz) / 60-150 mg 
• Coffee, decaf 150 ml (5 oz) / 2-5mg
• Tea 150 ml (5 oz) / 40-80 mg
• Hot Cocoa 150 ml (5 oz) / 1-8mg
• Chocolate Milk 225 ml / 2-7mg
• Red Bull 8,3 oz / 77 mg
• Jolt Cola 12 oz / 100mg
• Josta 12 oz / 58 mg
• Mountain Dew 12 oz / 55mg
• Surge 12 oz/ 51ml
• Diet Coca Cola 12 oz / 45 mg
• Coca Cola 12 oz / 64 mg
• Coca Cola Classic 12 oz / 23 mg
• Dr. Pepper 12 oz / 61 mg
• Mello Yellow 12 oz / 35 mg
• Mr. Pibb 12 oz / 27 mg
• Pepsi Cola 12 oz / 43 mg
• 7-Up 12 oz / 0 mg
• Mug Root Beer 12 oz / 0mg
• Sprite 12 oz /  0 mg
• Ben & Jerry’s No Fat Coffee Fudge Frozen Yogur 1 cup / 85 mg
• Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream 1 cup / 40-60 mg
• Dannon Coffee Yogurt 8 oz. / 45 mg
• 100 Grand Bar 1 bar (43 g) / 11.2 mg
• Krackel Bar 1 bar (47 g) / 8.5 mg  
• Peanut Butter Cup1 pk (51 g) / 5.6 mg
• Kit Kat Bar 1 bar (46 g) / 5 mg
• Raisinets 10 pieces (10 g) / 2.5 mg
• Butterfinger Bar 1 bar (61 g) / 2.4 mg
• Baby Ruth Bar 1 bar (60 g) / 2.4 mg 
•  Special Dark Chocolate Bar 1 bar (41 g) / 31 mg
• Chocolate Brownie 1.25 oz / 8 mg
• Chocolate Chip Cookie 30 g / 3-5 mg
• Chocolate Ice Cream 50 g / 2-5 mg
• Milk Chocolate 1 oz / 1-15 mg
• Bittersweet Chocolate 1 oz / 5-35 mg 

Source: Food and Drug Administration  / FDA Consumer Advice on Powdered Pure Caffeine