The result of the autopsy was that her heart lost the ability to pump blood due to caffeine toxicity - and this was the cause of death.
We all know that energy drinks such as Monster, Red Bull and 5-Hour Energy to name but a few, are extremely popular especially amongst young people today. They are used to keep people awake all night to study, or party or to stay awake in class or at work after being up all night - partying, studying or online gaming - the reason makes no difference.
However, the reality it that:
- 5 deaths and 1 heart attack have been linked to Monster.
- 13 deaths and 33 hospitalizations have been linked to 5-Hour Energy.
As I said, they have been linked, not proven, but it is worrying enough for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to launch an investigation into the safety of energy drinks. These products are designed to produce a temporary energy rush, however they also contain a substantial amount of caffeine, sugar and other ingredients that can sometimes lead to serious side effects such as insomnia, increased or irregular heart beat, agitation, irritability, seizure and possibly even death.
One of the problems these drinks are thought to cause is high blood pressure and potentially lethal heart problems. Doctors are warning people with high blood pressure to "use caution and judgment" before consuming energy drinks, after finding that these drinks may increase blood pressure and disturb the heart's natural rhythm.
Researchers in the U.S. have studied data from seven previously published studies to determine how consuming energy drinks might affect heart health. The seven studies included healthy patients aged 18 - 45 years of age.
In the first part of the data analysis of the seven studies, researchers examined the QT interval (a segment of the heart's rhythm) of 93 people who had just consumed one to three cans of energy drink.
The QT interval describes a segment of the heart's rhythm on an electrocardiogram; when prolonged, it can cause irregular heart beats or sudden cardiac death.
Dr. Sachin Shah, lead author and assistant Professor at University of the Pacific in the U.S., said:
"Doctors are generally concerned if patients experience an additional 30 milliseconds in their QT interval from baseline.
"QT prolongation is associated with life-threatening arrhythmias. The finding that energy drinks could prolong the QT, in light of the reports of sudden cardiac death, warrants further investigation."The researchers also discovered that the systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) increased an average of 3.5 points in a pool of 132 participants.
Dr. Shah said:
"The correlation between energy drinks and increased systolic blood pressure is convincing and concerning, and more studies are needed to asses the impact of the heart rhythm."One of the major problems is that quite often a person may have a minor heart problem and not know about it, in these cases consuming an energy drink could put a person at risk of suffering serious heart problems and even death.
A review of the combination of ingredients in these types of drink by three researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the University of Queensland in Australia, and published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings in November 2010 found that:
"Four documented cases of caffeine-associated deaths have been reported, as well as five separate cases of seizures associated with consumption of energy/power drinks."Additional reports include an otherwise healthy 18 year old male who died playing basketball after drinking 2 cans of Red Bull; and 4 cases of mania experienced by individuals known to have bipolar disorder.
pressure to consume them, another problem is that these drinks are sold everywhere and are readily available to young children. The amount of money spent on marketing for these drinks is huge. Brands such as Red Bull sponsor sporting events such as the Formula 1, skateboarding and other motor sports, where young people idolize the drivers or skateboarders and believe they should be drinking it to be like them.
We know that drugs such as heroin, cocaine, etc cause damage to health and when someone stops consuming them they suffer withdrawal symptoms.
We know that caffeine also produces withdrawal symptoms when someone stops consuming caffeine.
The same thing happens with sugar, if you radically cut sugar from your diet you also suffer withdrawal symptoms.
Caffeine and sugar are the main ingredients in energy drinks, if something causes withdrawal symptoms when you stop consuming it, it can't have been any good for you - it's just a legal drug.
There are two problems associated with the consumption of large amounts of caffeine. K Steven Whiting, Ph.D of Phoenix Nutritionals in San Diego explains; one, it targets the central nervous system directly. Two, it can lead to dehydration and loss of water soluble nutrients that have a calming effect on the central nervous system. The combined effect of these two issues can cause agitation, and sleep problems and can lead to the development of longterm anxiety problems.
What scares me even more is that lots of young people even mix these energy drinks with alcohol, another stimulant which just adds to the health danger of this type of legal drug. As these drinks are relatively new, researchers still don't know what the longterm effects may be on the health of habitual consumers.
If you eat a healthy balanced diet, take regular exercise and sleep well, you will have enough energy to do anything you want. The healthy way is so much safer and means you will enjoy living and having fun for a very long time.
Social Nutrition:
You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype). Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com
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