It was another long and exhausting Monday afternoon. I was enjoying my break between classes when out of nowhere I felt a total system collapse about to whack me in the face.
The two hours of sleep I got the night before were not going to sustain me through another mind-numbing biology session. I had to do something and it needed to be fast.
To Market One I ventured, looking desperately for a quick pick-me-up. Glowing in the fridge among a vast variety of beverages was a mysteriously dark can of Rock Star Energy Drink. It was something that I had never tried before, and would soon learn that I would never allow near my mouth again.
The flavor left my taste buds crying, asking me “what have we done to deserve this?”
Having to live with the agony I put my poor little taste buds through, I made myself a promise. From that moment I would do everything in my power to let no innocent student digest an energy drink without knowing the harm they were putting themselves in.
Don’t get me wrong—I am neither a health freak nor a vegetarian and I can’t remember the last time I got my six to eight servings of fruit a day. However, I do understand that there is no way on God’s green earth that these drinks can have any positive benefit on your or my precious little body.
According to the University of New Hampshire’s health services, there are over 500 energy drinks available today on the market. To make matters worse they also report that 31 percent of teenagers (that’s over 7.6 million people) say they drink energy drinks.
What makes these drinks so awful isn’t just their chemically dysfunctional taste but so the dangerous amount of caffeine that they contain.
According to the McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois, “Energy drinks often contain amounts of caffeine higher than the maximum amount that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows in cola beverages (45.3 mg/8.4oz.).”
While coffees, teas, sodas and other caffeinated beverages must follow strict FDA guidelines, energy drinks are allowed to run wild.
Essentially, these multi-billion dollar companies have been entrusted to regulate their drinks for the good of their consumer, (I know it really sounds like an oxymoron).
Red Bull, which is the most popular selling energy drink in the United States has 66.7 mg of caffeine in an 8.3 oz bottle, according to the McKinley Health Center.
The same-sized can of Amp energy drink has 69.6 mg of caffeine and a can of Sobe Adrenaline Rush has 76.7 mg of caffeine, according to the McKinley Health Center.
To put these drinks in perspective a 12 oz. can of Coca-Cola only contains 29.5 mg. of caffeine.
Red Bull, Amp, Monster, and the other variety of energy drinks are mere infants compared to the demon-king energy drink called Cocaine.
Cocaine claims to be 350 percent stronger than Red Bull, which has 280 mg. of caffeine in an 8.3 oz. can, according to MSN.
Caffeine abuse is becoming more of a problem with each new day. Nine out of ten Americans are addicted or have signs of addiction towards caffeine according to Mayoclinic.com.
The average age of a hospital victim for caffeine abuse is 21, according to UNH health services.
Extreme caffeine intake can have appalling affects on your body. Side affects and symptoms include headaches, insomnia, dizziness, stomach pains, and in rare cases heart tremors according to MSN.
I leave you with the facts and will let you make the decisions. These drinks are hazardous to our taste buds and our health. Please think twice before the next time you want Red Bull to give you wings.
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