Caffeinated & hooked: Why energy drinks are a teen health time bomb

Two years ago, two YouTubers and sports stars, Logan Paul and KSI, launched an energy drink called Prime Hydration. Even though it had not formally launched in India then, youngsters bought it at ridiculous prices in the black market, some forking out as much as ₹1,500 a can. Now, one can get it for around ₹250. The hype around Prime shows how the thirst for energy drinks is growing with adolescents and young adults looking for a quick energy fix: reaching out for one, then another and another, till they are trapped in a caffeinated vice grip.While one energy drink is unlikely to do much harm, doctors warn against excess consumption. In January, Dr Shailaja Mane, who heads the paediatric department of DPU Super Specialty Hospital in Pune, treated a 17-year-old girl suffering from obesity, irregular periods, sleeplessness and irritability for 18 months. The doctor found that she had been consuming an excessive amount of energy drinks. Once she stopped, the teen lost 2kg in three months. Her period also regularised with help from hormonal medicines.Most energy drinks have much more caffeine than regular soft drinks. For instance, a 250ml bottle of regular cola has around 21mg of caffeine while a 250ml can of a popular energy drink has 80mg. Prime has 140mg in a 330ml can. A classic Italian espresso would have 50mg caffeine. Not that kids should trade energy drinks for espressos. For adolescents aged between 12 and 18, the American Academy of Paediatrics suggests capping daily caffeine intake at 100mg while for children under 12, there’s no designated safe threshold. Behind the buzzDr Samrat Shah, a senior consultant internist and metabolic expert from Mumbai, says energy drinks temporarily boost energy through caffeine and sugar. “Caffeine blocks adenosine (a molecule that regulates heart rate, blood pressure and sleep) receptors, enhancing alertness by increasing neurotransmitter activity. Sugar provides quick energy by rapidly increasing blood glucose levels. Together, they briefly improve focus and energy,” he explains.But excessive intake can cause an increased heart rate and a subsequent sugar crash, warns Dr Shah. In teenagers, prolonged consumption can potentially disrupt endocrine function, leading to insulin resistance, and increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity and hormonal imbalances. “Adolescents and people in their 20s can easily get addicted,” says Dr Shah.Maharashtra, and more recently, Punjab are the only two states in the country to have banned the sale of energy drinks within and near schools. But they are still widely available at corner shops and e-commerce sites.Not just a caffeine problemBesides caffeine and sugar (or artificial sweeteners), energy drinks also contain an amino acid called taurine. A study published in Nature two weeks ago suggests taurine may increase the risk of blood cancers. While taurine is naturally produced in the body and is also found in protein-rich foods, excessive intake through energy drinks and supplements could exacerbate leukemia, the study found.Several countries are regulating consumption, with Lithuania being the first to ban sale to those under 18 in 2014. Latvia followed suit in 2016, and Poland banned sale of caffeine and taurine to minors in 2024. Sweden, Turkey and Hungary have also banned sale to kids, while Denmark and Uruguay have a total ban in place.But there’s widespread consumption globally. In a 2024 review published in the Public Health journal, researchers from Teesside University and Newcastle University in England studied over 1.2mn children and young adults from more than 21 countries to find kids as young as 10 were being sold these energy drinks that were cheaper than bottled water. “Energy drinks are marketed to children and young people as a way to improve energy and performance, but evidence is clear that they are harmful to their mental and physical health as well as behaviour and education,” study lead Amelia Lake said in a press release. ShowQuotesThe teen who needed de-addictionDiabetes reversal coach Anoop Gupta gets regular queries from parents seeking energy drink de-addiction for their teenaged kids. He was recently approached by the parents of a 16-year-old girl who used to drink 3-4 cans of energy drinks daily for a year and a half. So much so, that without the drinks, she would feel tired, anxious and foggy. Her heart would race, she would have headaches, restlessness, sleepless nights and mood swings. Gupta put her on a nine-month recovery process with an anti-inflammatory diet to reset her system, mindfulness to restore balance and a supervised, safe detox from caffeine. Today, her parents say she sleeps better, has clearer focus, and feels like herself again.Gupta says those under 18, and people who already suffer from chronic health issues should avoid energy drinks altogether. But there’s the pressure to be part of the cool gang, especially with the hyper-masculine branding and packaging. “These drinks are expensive but when kids see their parents, friends and cousins drinking them, they have a natural urge to fit in. Over time, such drinks are not restricted to social occasions but become everyday drinks,” says Dr Mane, urging adults to mind their own habits first.