Although the label clearly states that energy drinks are not recommended for children, pregnant women, and people with heart problems, they are still readily available to everyone. One can often contains an amount of caffeine that approaches or even exceeds the recommended daily intake, especially for the younger population. The Institute for Public Health warns that this is not a harmless drink.
"They do not have any nutritional components that would be considered desirable for consumption. In addition to acting on the adrenocortical axis, (shortening a bit here because it got confused) or the adrenaline system, they have a diuretic effect and will negatively affect the cardiovascular system," said hygiene specialist, head of the Department of Food Quality and Safety, Dr. Magdalena Vujović.
And in practice, this means a series of unpleasant symptoms.
"The feeling of a pounding heart, a skipping heart, an accelerated heart rate, then the feeling regarding the nervous system can lead to tremors, which is a fine trembling of the periphery of the extremities and a kind of lethargic mood," says Vujović.
The recommended daily dose of caffeine, according to EFSA research, is about three milligrams per kilogram of body weight, which means that even one can is often too much for children.
"Now you can imagine, if a child with an average weight of 50kg is in elementary school or early middle school, how much more is actually in that can, which has about 400mg of caffeine," said Vujović.
According to the study Prevalence of Energy Drink Consumption in the World: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis from 2024, globally, 18% of children aged 3 to 10 years and 68% of adolescents aged 10 to 18 years have tried an energy drink at least once. Monthly consumption among adolescents is 32–45%, and daily intake is 8–10%. Young people often mix this drink with alcohol during outings, which leads to additional stress on the body.
"It leads to dehydration, heart rhythm disturbances, and fine hand tremors. That apparent focus weakens over time because, in addition to caffeine, it also contains a large amount of sugar, which is a rapid increase in energy levels, i.e. glycemia and therefore insulin," Vujović points out.
Despite everything, energy drinks are readily available in schools, through snack and beverage vending machines. While these drinks promise energy, medical experts warn, the price we pay may be much higher than it seems at first glance.
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