Prime Energy and other caffeine drinks pose health risks to children, experts warn

Experts warn energy drinks may pose health risks

BOSTON – Energy drinks are as popular as ever but health experts are warning that these beverages may pose health risks, especially to children.

Caffeine levels vary considerably between brands but there's a newer energy drink called Prime Energy, which delivers caffeine levels 5-7 times that found in the average soda.

This brand is particularly popular among teen and pre-teen boys, despite product labels that say Prime is not recommended for kids under 18.

Kids are especially vulnerable to the health effects of high levels of caffeine such as disrupted sleep, digestive problems, dehydration, anxiety, jitteriness, palpitations, and high blood pressure. Those conditions are especially dangerous to children with underlying, and perhaps, undiagnosed, heart conditions.

Caffeine is not advised at all for children under 12 and should be limited to no more than 100 mg a day for children 12-18.

Boston

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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