Welcome to Ask Doctor Zac, a weekly column from news.com.au. This week, Dr Zac Turner talks about banning energy drinks for under 18s. QUESTION: Hi Dr. Zac, My 17-year-old son is an avid consumer of energy drinks — he averages at least two a day and sometimes will even have one at dinner! We’ve had countless conversations about how bad it is for you, but he always calls me a hypocrite for drinking coffee. I don’t think coffee and energy drinks are the same, do you agree? Do you think energy drinks can be harmful to a teenager’s growing body? Should he have them at all? Ruth 55 Victoria ANSWER: Hi Ruth, In the UK the Children’s Nutrition Campaign (FCC) is campaigning to ban the sale of energy drinks to children under the age of 18. I believe a similar ban should be implemented in Australia. We tell our children not to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol because of its effects on their developing bodies and brains – energy drinks are in the same space. Before we get into the devastating effects of energy drinks on youth and why they have set our youth up to have a raging sugar addiction — let’s answer your first question. A cup of coffee is not at all the same as an energy drink. Energy drinks and coffee share the same stimulant, caffeine, which provides the energy boost we all love and crave. The difference, however, is the sugar levels. The amount of caffeine in a can or bottle of energy drink can range from 80 mg to over 500 mg. For comparison, an average cup of coffee has 100 mg of caffeine. The devil in this detail is the sugar levels between these two. A can of energy drink can have up to 27.5 grams of sugar – that’s two heaping tablespoons. To put your son’s drinking habits into perspective — if he has three energy drinks, he has six tablespoons of sugar. For reference, the recommended daily amount of added sugar for men is 36 grams, or nine teaspoons. I’m going to assume you drink milk with your coffee — which means you don’t have any added sugar. Your coffee is not the same as its energy drink — so don’t let this one know, try to alter your judgment. Harmful effects on health There is no safe limit of energy drinks for teenagers. Your son will probably feel energized after grabbing one, as a result of the sugar and caffeine. The effects of caffeine usually wear off after about an hour, after which the sugar will lose its effect. Your son would go into an extreme sugar crash, so he would drink another energy drink later in the day. Along with these energetic effects, energy drinks have been found to increase the risk of irregular heart rhythms, disrupt sleep, cause weight gain, cause tooth decay, contribute to mental health problems, and increase the risk of diabetes. When it comes to studies that have focused on young people who consume energy drinks, they have found an increased risk of sleep problems, poor learning and poor performance. In some cases it was a factor that increases the risk of drug and alcohol use. Your son would struggle to concentrate in class and not perform at his best. He would also struggle to get a proper night’s sleep, which would increase stress levels and irritability. I can safely assume that high sugar intake leads to a pretty serious addiction, and like any other addictive substance, there are consequences. Addiction to sugar can lead to diabetes, heart disease, obesity and other related health problems. Ruth, sometimes we can’t wait for our politicians to take action, so I encourage you to do so and ban energy drinks in your household. Teach your son why it’s bad for him and introduce him to cups of coffee when he turns eighteen. I have a question: [email protected] Dr Zac Turner holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Sydney. He is also a physician and co-owner of the telehealth service, Concierge Doctors. He was also a registered nurse and is also a qualified and experienced biomedical scientist as well as a PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering
