Ukrainian legislation still does not prohibit the sale of energy drinks to minors, as they are not included in the list of goods with restricted access for persons under 18 years of age. This loophole allows teenagers to freely buy energy drinks, which, according to doctors, makes the situation particularly dangerous. Stanislav Fanta, a cardiovascular surgeon, told a UNN correspondent about how exactly such drinks affect teenagers and how dangerous it is.
Modern teenagers perceive energy drinks as a "harmless way to cheer up," but the cardiac surgeon emphasizes that the composition of such a drink puts a strain on the cardiovascular system, especially for a developing organism. In addition, doctors are increasingly recording cases where children or young people are admitted to the hospital with heart complaints after consuming energy drinks.
They usually contain extremely high doses of caffeine, adrenostimulants, and excessively high doses of sugar. Such a combination can temporarily increase endurance, but for a child, it is negative and extremely dangerous. Caffeine causes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and can cause vascular spasm. These processes often cause heart complications in adolescents.
The effects of stimulants sometimes manifest instantly - in the form of heart rhythm disturbances or rapid heartbeat. Also, the cardiovascular surgeon notes that caffeine in such dosages as in a can of energy drink can lead to dehydration and "thickening" of the blood. This can increase the risk of blood clot formation and provoke severe circulatory disorders. Doctors have even recorded heart attacks in very young patients due to the consumption of energy drinks.
There have been cases in practice when 22-year-old and 26-year-old patients were admitted with myocardial infarction. Their coronary vessels were intact; the infarction occurred due to vascular spasm, so-called MINOCA. One of the patients drank seven cans of energy drink in a short time. This provoked a spasm, and as a result: a heart attack.
In addition, some teenagers sometimes do not even realize that they have congenital features of cardiac conduction, which in themselves do not cause symptoms. However, against the background of stimulants, these hidden conditions can become critical. Energy drinks can be the "trigger" for the first threatening episodes.
Adolescents often have undiagnosed congenital features of the heart's conduction system. Without energy drinks, they often pose no threat, but after consuming them, they can cause dangerous supraventricular arrhythmias. In some cases, this becomes a direct threat to life.
No less critical is the risk of addiction. After periodic consumption of energy drinks, the body gets used to high doses of stimulants and stops producing enough natural activating substances on its own. The teenager begins to feel tired, irritable, experience "lapses" in concentration, and reaches for a new can. This forms a vicious circle that is difficult to break.
After a short burst, there is a need for a new dose, because the body's own hormonal mechanisms are suppressed. This is similar to addiction: without an energy drink, a person feels a lack of strength. For a teenager, this is especially dangerous, because the body is still forming.
A separate issue is the vitamins declared on the wrapper of energy drinks, which manufacturers try to use to create the illusion of "usefulness." The doctor says that even if vitamins are present, their form and bioavailability are highly questionable. Moreover, they do not compensate for the harmful effects of caffeine and sugar.
Even if these vitamins are added, one must look at their form and dosage. Most synthetic vitamins in such drinks are simply not absorbed and do not bring any benefit. This is just marketing.
Prolonged daily consumption of energy drinks can cause not only heart problems but also type 2 diabetes in the future, due to increased stress on the pancreas and fluctuations in insulin levels, the doctor says.
Regular consumption increases the risk of diabetes, insulin insensitivity, and mood swings. The teenager begins to think that they are powerless without an energy drink, although this is only a consequence of the biochemical processes caused by the drink itself.
As the doctor concludes, there are no safe doses for adults and adolescents. In many cases, even one can can trigger a dangerous reaction.
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