Nutrition experts have their sights on energy drinks, calling on the government to regulate the levels of caffeine permitted.
The Daily Signal reports:
Pat Crawford and Wendi Gosliner, researchers with the University of California’s Nutrition Policy Institute, want the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on energy drinks with restrictions similar to those placed on alcohol. They argue that the FDA must “ban the marketing of energy drinks to young people of all ages,” and launched a public education effort on the dangers of caffeine.
“Caffeine is a strong and potentially dangerous stimulant, particularly for children and adolescents,” Crawford and Gosliner said in the editorial. “Making matters worse, consumers do not know the risks of the high levels of caffeine in an energy drink. Unlike coffee, energy drinks are widely marketed to adolescents, putting them at risk of extreme caffeine overload with potentially devastating cardiovascular and neurological consequences.”
Cries for regulation come in the wake of the death of a teen who overdosed on caffeine. It was reported that he consumed a large Mountain Dew, a cafe latte from McDonald’s, and, according to classmates, chugged a 16-ounce energy drink over a span of two hours.
All of which, while consumed in such a small period of time, led to a fatal cardiac event.
So, what they’re saying is that while he consumed other caffeine-containing beverages, the one that sent him spiraling into his fatal cardiac event was the energy drink.
Everyone knows we cannot bring up the fact that most drinks served at Starbucks, the liberal utopian capital, contain just as much if not more caffeine than the average energy drink.
Think I’m crazy here? A 16 oz Grande Dark Roast has 260 mg of caffeine compared to a 16 oz can of Monster with only 160 mg.
See what I did there? Actual research in order to provide facts. (Something those with an agenda tends to twist into their favor.)
Let’s look at a few others, shall we?
16 oz Grande Caffè Americano has 225 mg
16 oz Grande Cold Brew Coffee has 200 mg
16 oz Grande Iced Mocha has 175 mg
Have we picked on Starbucks enough yet? What about another average energy drink? 16 oz of Redbull has roughly 160 mg of caffeine. Let’s up the ante a bit and look at a 16 oz can of Rockstar Punched at 240 mg.
NOW WE’RE TALKING!!!
Have we not realized how ridiculous of an argument it is to want the government to regulate the amount of caffeine in energy drinks when the average cups of coffee at Starbucks contain more?