Energy drink consumption rising in the U.S.

(Reuters Health) - Americans are consuming more energy drinks, with a notable increase among young adults, survey data show.

Energy drinks are non-alcoholic beverages with high levels of caffeine or other stimulants, plus amino acids, herbs and vitamins. They’re marketed as fatigue killers and refreshing beverages that can improve physical and mental performance - but this may come at a price, researchers say.

They point to high caffeine levels in energy drinks and a “rapidly expanding body of literature” that suggests negative health effects and risky behaviors may be linked to high consumption of the beverages.

Beyond the caffeine, “people who drink energy drinks consume approximately 200 calories from these beverages daily, which is considerably higher than other sugary beverages like soda,” Sara Bleich at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston told Reuters Health.

Furthermore, ingredients in some of the drinks - such as guarana and taurine - are so poorly studied it’s hard to say whether they’re safe in large quantities.

Read more at Reuters