Seven autonomous communities are considering following in the footsteps of Galicia and they will study regulating the sale of energetic drinks to minors, according to Efe. Experts and organizations such as Ministry of Health o to Spanish Association of Pediatrics advise against the consumption of this type of products in teenagers. These are the reasons:
Drinks with high caffeine content are those that provide more than 15 milligrams of this substance per 100 milliliters of drink, as specified by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN). On the labeling of these drinks it is mandatory to inform about the content of caffeine and is expressed in milligrams per 100 milliliters (mg/100 ml). Typically, on average, so-called “energy drinks” contain 32 mg of caffeine per 100 ml. Therefore, the caffeine in a 500 ml can, a common sales format, reaches 160 mg per can, the equivalent to two espresso coffees.
The problems that can be triggered by the abuse of these drinks mainly have to do with three aspects: its high content of caffeinethe large quantities of sugars that they house and their frequent combination with alcohol.
According to the AESAN, the consumption of more than 60 milligrams of caffeine in adolescents from 11 to 17 years old (about 200 milliliters of energy drink with 32 mg of caffeine/100 ml) can cause sleep disturbances. Above 160 milligrams of caffeine (500 milliliters of an energy drink with 32 mg caffeine/100 ml), it can cause general adverse health effects: psychological effects and behavioral alterations and cardiovascular disorders. These effects would be added to those of other foods that contain caffeine: coffee, tea, chocolate, guarana, etc. Therefore, “Its consumption by adolescents is not recommended.“says the agency.
The body remembers that energetic drinks with sugars “can contribute to exceed the recommended daily intake of simple sugars (50 g per day according to the WHO recommendation) since a 250 ml can provides between 27.5 and 30 g and the 500 ml container between 55 and 60 g.