Warning on caffeine loaded sodas and sports drinks

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Warning on caffeine loaded sodas and sports drinks

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According to researchers at the University of Florida (UF) some

carbonated sodas and energy drinks are so loaded with caffeine they

can give an unhealthy pick-me-up to unsuspecting consumers.

Bruce Goldberger, director of UF's R. Maples Center for

Forensic Medicine, says because caffeine can pose health risks for

people with certain medical conditions, beverages containing the

additive should clearly list the amount they contain.

Toxicologist Goldberger says the high caffeine content in some

beverages could present problems for pregnant women and children, and

for adults with hypertension, heart disease or mental health ailments

such as anxiety.

Goldberger, who is also director of toxicology and a professor of

pathology and psychiatry at UF's College of Medicine, says the

presence of caffeine in the sodas and some of the other beverages was

not a surprise but the high concentration of caffeine in some of the

energy drinks was, and far exceeded the government's recommendations

for cold beverages.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends a maximum caffeine

concentration of 65 milligrams per 12-ounce serving of cola

beverages, though it does not regulate caffeine content of these

drinks.

Although the agency requires the presence of caffeine be disclosed,

it does not mandate that caffeine quantity be specified on labeling

for energy drinks and cold coffee beverages.

Goldberger's team tested 10 energy drinks, 19 sodas and seven other

beverages and found some energy drinks have up to 141 milligrams in a

single serving - more than twice the content of some espresso coffee

drinks.

The sodas tested, included Coca-Cola and Pepsi products, which ranged

from 0 to 48 milligrams a serving, well below the maximum recommended

amount.

A & W Root Beer, Sprite, 7-Up and Seagram's Ginger Ale were among the

caffeine-free drinks.

However, the caffeine content of most energy drinks exceeded the

maximum recommended limit.

Such drinks are often marketed as enhancing performance and

stimulating metabolism and are sometimes described as being " highly

vitalizing. "

But Goldberger says in certain people, consumption of caffeine causes

serious health effects, such as anxiety, palpitations, irritability,

difficulty sleeping and stomach complaints.

Because the amount of caffeine is not labeled on the drinks people

may unwittingly ingest too much, he says.

The American Dietetic Association suggests women avoid caffeine while

pregnant or breastfeeding, citing findings from studies linking

caffeine consumption to miscarriage and low-birth weight babies.

According to Roland Griffiths, a professor of behavioral biology in

the H. Snyder department of neuroscience at s Hopkins

University School of Medicine, caffeine is the most widely used mood-

altering drug in the world.

Although caffeine is not considered highly toxic, physicians often

recommend cutting back or eliminating caffeine consumption for

patients who are pregnant or who have anxiety, panic attacks,

insomnia or some kinds of stomach and heart conditions.

Griffiths says the daily use of even relatively low doses of caffeine

(about 100 milligrams a day) results in physical dependence, with

abstinence characterized by withdrawal symptoms such as headache,

fatigue, depressed mood and difficulty concentrating.

Goldberger says many people are aware of their food's nutritional

content but most know little about the ingredients of their beverage,

but only whether it is sugar-free or regular.

The study is published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology.