Real case, common in pediatrics and primary care consultations: a 14-year-old boy goes to the doctor because his hands have been shaking for some time, he doesn’t sleep well and it’s hard for him to concentrate. The doctor looks at him, as he asks and asks. His idea is to send him to the neurologist. Suddenly, the boy answers one of the doctor’s questions: “I usually drink two energy drinks a day, when I go to high school and in the afternoon, when I study.” He will need to be tested, but the doctor is clear: “You are swallowing a ticking time bomb. Bulk sugar, taurine and caffeine in amounts similar to five coffees alone. And what if you mix them with alcohol!” The boy denies the last claim, although he acknowledges that some friends do.
This is not new or unknown. Energy drinks are not only not a healthy food, but for minors, they are harmful. Doctors, nutritionists and health authorities know this, but they are within the reach of children in full development, without any restrictions. The scientific evidence is clear, but those in charge of legislation have not taken the step. At most, recommend that it not be consumed (printed on the can in a font that cannot be seen even with a magnifying glass).
At least, until now. As announced by El Faro de Vigo, Galicia will ban the consumption of energy drinks by minors next year, equating products such as Monster, Red Bull or Burn to alcohol. The Xunta alleges the health risks they pose due to their high content of stimulants such as caffeine or taurine, which can endanger the cardiovascular and brain systems of teenagers. They can also cause sleep disturbances, nervousness, irritability and anxiety, according to the Ministry of Health.
If this announcement becomes reality, Galicia will become the first community to put limits on these drinks, something many experts hope will be emulated by other communities. And especially, by the Ministry of Health.
It is noteworthy that this ministry, like the Ministry of Consumption, has maintained a discreet silence with these drinks, despite the fact that it has not lacked reports from its entities warning of their intake by minors. The Spanish Food Safety and Nutrition Agency (Aesan) issued a report prepared by experts a few months ago in which it was clear that “regular consumption of caffeine can cause moderate physical dependence from 100 milligrams a day (cans of 330 ml have 105.6 mg, which is equivalent to 1.3 espressos. Those of 500 ml have 160 mg) and tolerance to this substance, which creates the need to consume a larger dose than the initial one to achieve an effect similar to the original”.
“The consumption of more than 60 milligrams of caffeine in adolescents aged 11 to 17 can cause sleep disturbances. Starting at 160 milligrams of caffeine, it can cause general adverse health effects: psychological effects, behavioral changes and cardiovascular disorders.
Time bombs.
