Army warns of new threat: Energy drinks
(CNN)The
US military is warning against the danger of troops over consuming
energy drinks, saying it could do "some serious harm to your body."
A
post on the pentagon's official science blog this week details the
health risks involved, citing a report that found soldiers in the field
were more likely to fall asleep on duty if they consumed multiple
beverages a day.
The study by the
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, titled "Energy drink consumption
and its association with sleep problems among US service members on a
combat deployment," looked at data from over 1,000 soldiers and Marines
conducting operations in Afghanistan in 2010.
The
research found that nearly 45 percent of deployed military personnel
consumed at least one energy drink daily, while nearly 14 percent
reported drinking three or more per day.
"These
products generally are unregulated and can have negative side effects,"
the report said. "Those who drank three or more drinks a day also were
more likely to report sleep disruption related to stress and illness and
were more likely to fall asleep during briefings or on guard duty."
The
military has long had an interest In keeping troops on the battlefield
awake, and from Instant coffee to caffeine-infused chewing gum in
military rations, access to stimulants has been a feature of being
deployed overseas.
Soldiers serving
in recent war zones across the globe have grown particularly keen on
energy drinks with many forward operating bases in Iraq and Afghanistan
maintaining large stocks of the beverages.
One
of the more commonly seen brands, Rip It, is actively involved in
supporting military groups like the USO and highlights its military
connection in its online marketing.
On
the company's website it says their drink "has been tested on the
battlefield and is a favorite of our troops." The company did not reply
to a message left by CNN.
Dr.
Patricia Deuster, professor and director of the Consortium for Health
and Military Performance at the Uniformed Services University of the
Health Sciences, told the Defense Department's science blog that
"doctors don't know what the effects of (energy drink) ingredients are
in larger doses."
"I don't think anybody has an answer on the long term effects question," she added.
First, the FDA, European Food Safety Authority, and others have affirmed the safety of energy drinks and their ingredients. Second, most mainstream energy drinks actually have far less caffeine than a similar size coffeehouse coffee. In fact, many have about half as much. Even so, America’s leading energy drink manufacturers voluntarily go far beyond all federal requirements when it comes to responsible labeling and marketing practices, including displaying total caffeine content – from all sources – on their packages along with advisory statements indicating that the product is not recommended for children, pregnant or nursing women and persons sensitive to caffeine.
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