Reuters (5/27, Mishra) reports that “Americans are consuming more energy drinks, with a notable increase among young adults, survey data show.” Researchers “point to high caffeine levels in energy drinks and a ‘rapidly expanding body of literature’ that suggests negative health effects and risky behaviors may be linked to high consumption of the beverages.” In addition to the caffeine, “people who drink energy drinks consume approximately 200 calories from these beverages daily, which is considerably higher than other sugary beverages like soda,” said Dr. Sara Bleich at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Information about the ADA’s nutrition-related activities is available at ADA.org/nutrition. Dentists can refer patients to MouthHealthy.org, ADA’s consumer website, for up-to-date and evidenced-based information about nutrition.