American Medical reports: incidence and mortality from eating certain energy drinks:
Fears of caffeine concentration
Washington: Hannah Krakor *
Issued «Food and Drug Administration U.S. recent reports of incidents described by a lot of deaths that occurred after the drinks« Monster Energy (Monster Energy), which is a energy drinks. Most of the concern is concentrated on these beverages on high level of caffeine they contain. The following questions and answers about some of the issues raised by these reports:
Mortality and energy drinks
* How did the news of these deaths to the light? - Died Ni Fournier (14 years) from the city of Hagerstown, Maryland suddenly in December (December) the past because of a heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia) led to a heart attack, and it turns out they dealt Parwba 'Monster Energy' in two days. In mid-October (October) the past, the Winnie's mother Crosland Fronyi filed a lawsuit against the company «Monster Beverages, headquartered in Corona, California, claiming that the company did not explain the risks associated with eating this mixture.
In the context of a request made by the Foundation «Crosland» under the principle of freedom of information, revealed «Food and Drug Administration» details cases of the other four, in addition to a heart attack is fatal, all said to be linked to a drink «Monster Energy», while the company said that Parwbadtha safe .
Caffeine killer
* How containing energy drinks such as 'Monster Energy' of caffeine? - It's not a huge amount, in fact, Flbh «Monster Energy» size 24 oz (ounce about 29 milliliters) contains on 240 milligrams of caffeine, while containing the cup normal size 8 ounces of coffee fermented at between 90 milligrams and 200 milligrams of caffeine.
* How much caffeine can kill me? - Lethal dose of caffeine ranging from about 5 grams for most adults, meaning that it takes more than 25 cup of coffee to get to that point.
Says Sarah Keregan, a specialist poisons in forensic «University Sam Houston State» in Huntsville, Texas, said that among the reasons that make it easy to avoid death due to caffeine, the symptoms that accompany the early stages of poisoning caffeine - the dizziness, nausea and headaches - be largely unpleasant. For children, the elderly, the dose that causes serious effects probably much less than 5 grams, but the amount is not specified on the face of uncertainty.
* How common death due to caffeine? - It's not common at all, do not appear in the scientific literature only a few cases, although it is possible that there is a lack of reporting of these deaths.
However, the referral to the emergency department for reasons other than lethal on the rise, what between 2005 and 2009 the number of referrals to the emergency department for reasons of drinks energy by 10 times in the United States, but 44 per cent at least of these referrals were due to mixing drinks energy with another substance, such as alcohol.
The amount of caffeine in a box «Monster Energy» may not lead at worst only to a neurological condition excessive for most healthy adults, the Fronyi was suffering from «syndrome Ehlers Danlos» (Ehlers - Danlos syndrome), a genetic disorder caused in the ease of damage blood vessels. Since caffeine dilates blood vessels, this situation may have made them more sensitive to caffeine.
Sensitivity to caffeine
* What circumstances that may make a person sensitive to caffeine?
- Says Rita Redberg, a specialist heart in «University of California, San Francisco» The almost anything makes the heart muscle weaker is just what can increase sensitivity to the effects of caffeine on the heart and blood vessels, The incidence such as obesity and diabetes, which are not associate with normally disorder strikes heart, it could weaken the heart and opens the door for caffeine to increase the speed of his strikes (no heart) to a serious degree.
However, the sensitivity to caffeine is also a feature individual to a large extent, and that, as confirmed Jeff Goldberger, a specialist in physiology electricity cardiologist «Northwestern University in Chicago», showed Review has in 2011 for books that talk about caffeine it is almost impossible to factor in satisfactory consistent linking large doses of caffeine a heart rhythm disorder among ordinary people. Says brands such as 'Monster Energy' It is not recommended for children under 12 years of age and persons who suffer from sensitivity to caffeine.
* Why can not energy drinks are subject to regulatory controls? - Is not the prerogative of «Food and Drug Administration only supervision on food and medicine, and because energy drinks are sold as dietary supplements, they are not subject to the requirements imposed on food products that contain caffeine. In the United States, the only non-alcoholic beverages to 71 milligrams of caffeine in the drink, which has a volume of 12 ounces, a concentration of at least about a third of the focus in the drink 'Monster Energy'. Shall not be bound by energy drinks that show on the outside of the box how much caffeine they contain.
* What is also found in energy drinks?
- Are often the addition of taurine and plant Guarana Kmenbhatt, along with other materials, says Keregan Many of these components have not been studied, and «certainly not taught to the extent that you consider a new drug if you begin to describe or sell in the market».
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