We’ve written here before about the negative mix of energy drinks and kids – do kids REALLY need all that sugar and caffeine? Now there’s more reason for concern. The popular highly-caffeinated drinks are especially risky for kids with heart abnormalities, diabetes, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or other emotional problems, say authors of a study that appeared last month in Pediatrics, the online journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Caffeine can affect children more than adults because their bodies are smaller, says Bruce Goldberger, a toxicology director who has studied energy drinks at the University of Florida.
With all the information parents have about the adverse affects of sugar overload in kids, perhaps now’s a good time to start saying “No” to Red Bulls and the like for growing kids.