Emergency Room Cases Involving Energy Drinks Increase – ABCNews

According to this report, the number of people being taken to the emergency room as a result of energy has doubled from 2007-2011, and while many are due to mixing caffeine with other substances (alcohol, medication or other stimulants), 58 per cent of cases are a result of energy drinks alone. It’s great to see such an important issue gaining international media attention – while energy drinks themselves are not the problem, there needs to be greater dialogue about the cause/effect of energy drinks and the importance of healthy consumption habits. While scare tactics have proven insufficient in the past, here the ABC strikes a good balance – do you think we should see more coverage of energy drinks in the mainstream media? Let us know in the comments below!

Bubbles and the Brain

Today we’re shifting gears and focusing on an organ in your body that may unwittingly cop a beating after too many energy drinks – your brain.

Results from a study conducted by the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research shows that there may be a link between energy drink consumption and levels of depression and anxiety in young men. According to lead study author Georgina Trapp, there was no visible link between anxiety and energy drinks in the 500 or so female participants, but a ‘worrying’ link between males and the fizzy stuff.

“Participants were asked to record how many cans of energy drink they consumed a day and how often, for example every day or once a week,”

“We then used standard depression, anxiety and stress scales to assess mental health based on their questionnaire responses and this indicated that young adult males in particular showed a concerning link between anxiety and the consumption of these high caffeine energy drinks.

“Our research showed that drinking one 250ml can or more a day of energy drinks is associated with increased anxiety and the association got stronger as energy drink consumption increased.”

While the results from the study don’t yet offer any reason as to why this link between male anxiety and energy drinks exist, the researchers speculate that the high levels of caffeine elevate restlessness, insomnia, nervousness, irritability and concentration – all symptoms indicative of deeper social anxiety. And with males more likely to internalise and self-medicate than females, young men may be turning to energy drinks to mask or temporarily relieve such symptoms.

Check out the article and tell us what you think. Do you think energy drinks are potential irritants for mental conditions? Have you ever used energy drinks as a mood-booster instead of an energy hit? Let us know in the comments below!

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