For senior Blythe Caldwell, energy drinks not only taste good, but increase her focus and help her work.
Caldwell consumes an energy drink about four times a week.
“It helps me focus,” she said. “I feel like I learn better, I have a better attention span.”
This may be the case for some students, but the energized feeling lent by energy drinks may not be the only effect on a drinker’s body.
Caldwell recognizes the benefits and is also aware of the possible negative effects of energy drinks.
Energy drinks provide something other caffeine products can’t, she said, as coffee gives her the shakes. Energy drinks are Caldwell’s preference, but she also knows of the possible health effects.
The drinks sometimes cause negative health effects for Caldwell if she doesn’t eat while drinking one.
“I can’t drink one unless I have something to snack on,” Caldwell said.
There is a possibility that energy drinks may even cause death in some cases.
“There’s been now five deaths reported to the FDA,” said Faith Yingling, director of Wellness at the University. “The FDA is just investigating these deaths, there are no direct links to energy drinks. But certainly it’s raised a red flag.”
The FDA is investigating “reports of illness, injury or death of people who took products marketed as ‘energy drinks’ or ‘energy shots,’” according to a post on its website Nov. 16.
Where the danger occurs is in the caffeine, Yingling said.
“We don’t really know the body’s reaction to caffeine — especially for people who have underlying issues or things they don’t know about,” she said. “It increases your heart rate.”
The FDA “evaluates other possible causes before deciding whether the product actually caused the medical problem,” according to its website.
While there are sometimes negative health effects reported after the consumption of energy drinks, that doesn’t necessarily mean the products actually caused the health problem, according to the FDA website.
The large amounts of caffeine in energy drinks have been known to have negative effects on some people’s health, Yingling said.
“Caffeine is a stimulant, it’s a drug,” Yingling said. “It affects people differently.”
Consumers also may not know exactly what they’re getting with energy drinks, she said.
“It’s how much of that caffeine you’re consuming and what else you have consumed too,” Yingling said. “It’s about how [the caffeine] combines with other things you’re consuming.”
It’s important for students to learn to be educated consumers, Yingling said.
The facts on the container may come into play with energy drinks. Some of them label the amount of caffeine, and others don’t.
Jeffrey Bryden, instructor in the Marketing Department, said some consumers might not even care about the labels.
“There’s all these warning labels — it’s like, who are we kidding?” he said. “If it’s not good for them, [companies] shouldn’t sell it. There are all these legal warnings so [companies] don’t get sued.”
If the container doesn’t state the amount of caffeine in the product, it may be cause for consumer concern, Yingling said.
“Consumer health is very important,” Yingling said. “People need to really know what they’re consuming, and know these products are not regulated in the way other food products are.”
The makers of energy drinks categorize the drinks as either dietary supplements or conventional foods, according to the FDA website.
The FDA regulates both categories but the qualifications differ, according to the website.
Along with FDA regulations, the method of marketing may also be an issue for consumers when it comes to energy drinks, Yingling said.
The drinks are mainly marketed to youth, Yingling said.
Despite what Yingling said, Bryden hasn’t seen any marketing focused on teens specifically, instead, the marketing is widely focused.
He said the drinks seem to fit the young person lifestyle. The negative press and rumors of death may even increase the popularity of energy drinks, he said.
“Negative press is publicity that might stimulate sales,” Bryden said. “Teenagers are immortal — not really, but they think they are.”
The popularity of the drinks may also be due to an increasing amount of consumers craving caffeine, Bryden said.
“It seems to fill the bill right now,” he said. “[Energy drinks are] perfect — they’re fairly inexpensive and readily available.”
There needs to be more research and data on the topic, Yingling said.
“In the future, it would be great if there could be more regulation on these types of drinks,” she said. “More labeling and letting people know exactly what’s in there. In the meantime, consumers should be aware of the risks and be advised of their own health issues.”
While some people may not know much about the effects of energy drinks, Caldwell believes she already knows her limits when it comes to her caffeine intake.
While Caldwell believes she could give up energy drinks, she plans to continue consuming them.
“To me, energy drinks are like alcohol, you have to know your limits,” she said.
