Sweet drinks with a high risk
They taste of watermelon, coconut-blueberry or pink grapefruit and all come with a promise: You will be more powerful and alert if you consume the sweet energy drinks. The advertising promises work: According to the Statista data platform, sales of energy and sports drinks in Switzerland totalled around CHF 500 million in 2023, compared to CHF 300 million in 2018.
Children and young people are among those who are particularly fond of the colourfully designed cans . According to a major European study, 68 per cent of energy drink consumers are teenagers. For children between the ages of three and ten, energy drinks account for 43 per cent of their caffeine consumption. There is no minimum age for buying these drinks in Switzerland. Addiction Switzerland writes : «Since their commercialisation, energy drinks have contributed greatly to the increase in caffeine consumption among the population. Caffeine is thus consumed by new target groups, in new contexts and in higher quantities than with conventional coffee.»
One energy drink contains 30 grams of sugar. This corresponds to about ten sugar cubes.
In fact, these sweet pick-me-ups are not just empty advertising promises. Energy drinks work, and this is due to their ingredients. Firstly, there is caffeine. The Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) ordinance on beverages allows a maximum of 160 milligrams of caffeine per 500 millilitres of energy drink. Most energy drinks available on the market exceed this limit. A 250-millilitre can therefore contains 80 milligrams of caffeine.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) classifies a maximum caffeine dose of 3 milligrams per kilogramme of body weight per day as safe for children and adolescents - although this does not mean that caffeine consumption has no effect on consumers' well-being.
Short boost, rapid fatigue
In addition to caffeine, the sugar in energy drinks has a stimulating effect. On average, a 250-millilitre can contains 30 grams of sugar. This corresponds to about ten sugar cubes. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a maximum of 25 grams of so-called free, i.e. added, sugar per day for adults; the values for children are correspondingly lower.
Like all sugary drinks, energy drinks therefore favour weight gain and the formation of tooth decay. Because they also contain a lot of acid, the Federal Food Safety Office (FSVO) warns of damage to teeth, as this attacks the tooth enamel. The high sugar content also ensures that people quickly reach for an energy drink again: if you drink one, your blood sugar level rises quickly and you feel energised. But it falls again just as quickly. You feel weak and tired, need more energy - and open the next can.
Regular consumption of energy drinks can lead to permanently high blood pressure, which causes the blood vessels to age more quickly.
Felix Oberhoffer, paediatric cardiologist
To date, there have been almost no studies on the effects of energy drink consumption on the bodies of children and adolescents. According to a 2021 review, young consumers often suffer from insomnia, nervousness and headaches.
In a study funded by the German Heart Foundation, a team led by Felix Oberhoffer from the Department of Paediatric Cardiology and Paediatric Intensive Care Medicine at Munich University Hospital was the first to investigate how energy drinks acutely affect the cardiovascular function of young people. «There are already studies on this in adults that have found a negative effect,» says study leader Oberhoffer. «Our results now show that children and adolescents react even more strongly to energy drinks than adults.»
Caffeine enters the brain via the blood and the blood-brain barrier. There it binds to so-called adenosine receptors. Adenosine blocks stimulating substances such as dopamine and promotes sleep. When caffeine binds to the receptors instead of adenosine, it cancels out the effects of adenosine: this is how caffeine makes you sleepy.
Half-life
It takes about 45 minutes for our body to absorb the caffeine from a can of energy drink. After around 2.5 to 5 hours, half of the caffeine is broken down in the liver.
Habituation effect
Caffeine is not an addictive substance. However, our body gets used to it. With regular intake, the effects of caffeine are therefore felt much less strongly.
Effects
Caffeine affects almost every human organ. Existing anxiety disorders can be intensified by caffeine and the risk of depression can be reduced.
The health risks of energy drinks
Physically healthy children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18 took part in the study. They were given a drink on two consecutive days - once an energy drink and once a sugary comparison drink without the usual ingredients of an energy drink. The maximum daily dose of caffeine considered safe was not exceeded.
«To ensure that the results were not falsified, nobody knew what type of drink they had just drunk,» says Oberhoffer. The test subjects' cardiovascular function and heart rate were then measured at regular intervals for 24 hours. The doctors found that blood pressure was significantly higher for 24 hours after consuming energy drinks.
«So it's easy to imagine that regular consumption of energy drinks can lead to permanently high blood pressure. And this has potentially massive consequences for the blood vessels, which age more quickly,» says the expert. In addition, the heart has to fight against increased resistance and thus thickens. The Munich scientists attribute this effect of energy drinks to the caffeine they contain. «Whether other substances may also play a role would have to be investigated in further studies,» says Oberhoffer. However, this is not easy because there are so many different substances in the drinks.
One can per week is enough
«One thing is certain: these drinks are not healthy,» says the doctor, «and it would be best not to consume them at all.» But that's easier said than done with a lifestyle product like this, which tastes particularly good to children and young people and which they like to carry around with them.
Study leader Oberhoffer: «If you absolutely want to drink energy drinks, you should limit yourself to one small can per week. That way, you can rule out the possibility of chronic damage.» People with a history of cardiovascular disease, obesity or diabetes should not take any unnecessary risks and should avoid energy drinks as a matter of principle.
The topic is underestimated
Unfortunately, children do end up in hospital because they consume too many energy drinks. «Although the problem has been known for a good 20 years, it is still handled far too carelessly,» says Christian Balmer, Head of Cardiology at the University Children's Hospital Zurich. It can happen that children and adolescents develop tachycardia - in other words, their heart suddenly beats particularly fast. Many parents do not realise that this can be linked to the consumption of energy drinks. «We still have a lot of educational work to do here,» says Balmer.
Energy drinks mixed with alcohol mean that young people do not realise when they have drunk too much.
Christian Balmer, paediatric cardiologist
Energy drinks are often seen as sugary drinks and the high sugar content makes them attractive to children. However, parents are not aware of the high caffeine content. «A small can contains as much caffeine as a cup of coffee,» says Balmer, «and you wouldn't give your child coffee.» The accelerated pulse is noticeable, even children and young people notice it when they are sensitised to it.
It is therefore plausible that the consumption of energy drinks can trigger cardiac arrhythmias and exacerbate existing ones. If large quantities are consumed, it can even lead to ventricular fibrillation, says Balmer - a life-threatening situation. However, with a moderate consumption of one or two energy drinks per week, this risk does not exist.
Alcohol and energy drinks: A risky mixture
Mixing alcohol with energy drinks is a downright dangerous behaviour. Just as young people like to do before parties, for example: With a few energy drinks, they get themselves in shape for the night so that they can dance for as long as possible. «The effect of an energy drink cancels out the sedative effect of alcohol, so that young people don't even realise that they are drinking more than usual,» says cardiologist Balmer. «They get a rush and suddenly have far too much alcohol in their blood.»
If parents notice that their children are consuming energy drinks, they should look for the cause.
Felix Oberhoffer, paediatric cardiologist
If you absolutely need a sweet pick-me-up, you should therefore opt for cola: It contains less caffeine and is therefore less risky. Raoul Furlano also warns against combining energy drinks and alcohol. «This mixture can lead to significant health problems,» says the Head of the Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the University Children's Hospital Basel (UKBB). However, it is not known whether, for example, age influences the extent to which possible side effects occur.
«It probably depends more on body weight and fat distribution,» says Furlano. «However, we can neither rule out nor confirm scientifically that the age of the consumer plays a role.» There are also no reliable statements to date on the question of whether and how long-term consumption affects health.
What is an energy drink?
You can find more information about Red Bull in our article «What a can of Red Bull does to your child's body».
If parents realise that their children are consuming energy drinks, they should talk to them and try to find out: Why does the child think they need a performance-enhancing drink? Is the child suffering from a lack of sleep? Are they tired for other reasons? Could a healthier diet and more exercise be alternatives?
«If you resort to the effects of an energy drink, whether as a child or an adult, because you feel you can't do without it, you should urgently look at what adjustments can be made,» says Felix Oberhoffer. «In the case of children and adolescents, parents should look for the causes.»
