Friday, 06 Feb, 2009 Health & Fitness

A nutritionist from the Universite de Montreal warns about the negative impact of energy drinks on health. It is worth mentioning that nowadays it's quite common for students to consume energy drinks so they could study at night.

According to Stephanie Cote, nutritionist with Extenso, a Universite de Montreal health and nutrition think-tank, energy drinks represent the "coffee of a new generation". They have a negative impact on health due to the fact that they are composed of sugar and caffeine.

In 2008 the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, which offers information, research and technology, as well as policies and programs to reach security of the food system and health of the environment, presented a report which states that 1.5 billion cans of Red Bull were acquired by American students in 2004. In Canada energy drinks represent a growing trend for people aged between 18 and 24. In addition, more children start consuming these drinks before they do any physical activity.

However, researchers warn that energy drinks should no be used by athletes and children under the age of 12. Cote mentioned that such drinks as Red Bull do not hydrate human body efficiently due to the fact that they include a large amount of sugar. Besides, caffeine does not automatically improve physical performance since if consumed in large quantities it can lead to fatigue and dehydration, informs the official website of Universite de Montreal .

A number of studies proved that high level of caffeine increases hypertension, causes heart palpitations, leads to irritability and anxiety. In addition, a strong dose of caffeine causes insomnia and headaches. Researchers do not advise consuming more than 2 cans of energy drinks per day. Nevertheless, the warning is often not taken into consideration and about 50 percent of young people, aged between 18 and 24, consume energy drinks mixed with alcohol. Despite the warnings, many students still enjoy consuming the so-called Vodka Red Bull.

"Usually when someone consumes too much alcohol, their head spins and they feel tired. Energy drinks cancel out these warning signs", said Cote. Thus the person continues consuming alcohol without realizing that he or she is already drunk.