by Marie J Kelley

Created on: July 11, 2008

In gas stations, grocery stores, health food stores and even in vending machines, soda drinkers can now find energy drinks. Energy drinks are typically caffeinated sodas, juices and coffees with extra caffeine, guarana, vitamins and other chemicals included to stimulate one's body. For adults, these energy drinks help us keep going and get through our work and home life, but for children, drinking excessive amounts of energy drinks can have devastating consequences to their mental and physical health.

A dangerous ingredient in these caffeinated drinks that many parents overlook is the B vitamins. When taken in proper doses, B vitamins help to maintain healthy nerve cells, but taken in large quantities over long period of times, these vitamins can cause serious health problems such as numbness, jaundice, upset stomach and chronic nervousness. In some cases it can have a serious affect on the liver. Children who are drinking large amounts of energy drinks multiple times a day may be risking toxic levels of B vitamins.

Overdosing on caffeine is also a serious concern in regards to children who consume many energy drinks. Depending on size and body weight, two energy drinks consumed one after another can cause toxic levels of caffeine in a child. The symptoms, which are the same as other stimulants like cocaine, include rapid heart beat, flushed face, twitching, disorientation, hallucinations and even in some cases it can cause death. Just because caffeine appears in so many sodas doesn't mean it's not a drug, and just like all other illegal drugs, it is dangerous.

Besides the devastating affects of an addiction or life altering overdose, energy drinks and their ingredients haven't had long term studies dedicated to them yet. Unfortunately, no one knows what the affects of taurine or guarana will be on our children's bodies ten years from now or even just two years from now.

As adults, we know our limitations as well as the effects of what we put in our body. Unfortunately, children aren't as knowledgeable and put themselves in great danger when consuming energy drinks. Symptoms caused by becoming addicted to the caffeine or symptoms caused by accidentally overdosing on any number of the ingredients can have long term effects for children. Children are naturally energetic, there is no need to allow them a supplement to make their energy level increase. The risks of these energy drinks far out way the buzz that children will get and parents need to know that.

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