Beware! Caffeine Toxicity/Poisoning from excessive use of energy drinks can lead you to death

The concern about the health of kids due to frequent intake of energy drinks and other beverages is heightening after the death of 14-year-old Maryland girl, who was reported dead after drinking two energy drinks within 24 hours. 

Add caption Caffeine Toxicity/Poisoning from excessive use of energy drinks can lead you to death

According to details; Anais Fournier died last December due to caffeine toxicity which rose sharply after she consumed two cans of Monster energy drinks, which contained 480mg of caffeine – almost equal to caffeine found in 14 cans of Coca Cola.

Fournier suffered a cardiac arrest the next day and passed away from cardiac arrhythmia due to none other than risen caffeine toxicity; U.S. TODAY reported, the amount of caffeine found in the body of the girl was almost five times the recommended caffeine limit from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

 

Wendy Crossland, the mother of deceased girl, told media that her daughter had 24-ounce energy drink while she was hanging around with her friends in the mall. 

“She drank another one less than 24 hours later, even though she knew I do not allow them because I know they are bad for you. She went into cardiac arrest three hours later at home,” Crossland said further. 

Caffeine poisoning is not rare in the U.S. and cases of caffeine poisoning have increased over the last few years, from 1,128 in 2005 to 13,114 in 2009. 

Caffeine is a stimulant, and is found in a multitude of food products, from coffee, to chocolate, to sodas -- and the amounts found in those products usually are not enough to cause any harm to health, Medscape noted. 

But caffeine poisoning is not uncommon in the U.S. TODAY reported that cases of caffeine poisoning have increased over the last few years, from 1,128 in 2005 to 13,114 in 2009. 

A recent study in the journal Pediatrics showed that anywhere from 30 percent to 50 percent of teens and young adults drink energy drinks. Nearly half of the 5,448 reported caffeine overdoses in 2007 were in people younger than 19. 

"The known and unknown pharmacology of agents included in such drinks, combined with reports of toxicity, raises concern for potentially serious adverse effects in association with energy drink use," researchers wrote in that study. "In the short-term, pediatricians need to be aware of the possible effects of energy drinks in vulnerable populations and screen for consumption to educate families."

Drinking Hazards - - Teenage Drinking Habits Lead to Increase in Breast-Related Diseases

Young women who drink alcohol put themselves at a higher risk of developing breast disease that is a known risk factor for cancer.

Women with benign breast disease have hard lumps in their breasts, which may in some instances turn cancerous. The broad group of conditions includes irregular cysts, breast discomfort, sensitive nipples, and itching. Earlier reports have linked adolescent drinking to benign breast disease based on women's recollections many years later but the participants were not followed up till adulthood.

To explore the link between alcohol consumption during teenage and risk of benign breast disease (BBD), researchers followed 6899 American women. The participants were made to complete annual questionnaires from 1996 through 2001, when they were 9 to 15 years old. The participants were the followed by questionnaires in 2003, 2005, and 2007. On the 2003 survey, the participants (then aged 16 – 23 years) provided information about their drinking habits during the previous year. On the 2005 and 2007 surveys, a total of 6899 women (aged 18 – 27 years) reported whether a health care provider had ever diagnosed them with BBD and whether it was confirmed by biopsy.

When the women were interviewed at age 18 to 27 years, 67 - or about 1 percent - said they had been diagnosed with benign breast disease and had the diagnosis confirmed with a biopsy. After adjusting for factors like body mass index, it was found that those who drank more were also more likely to suffer from the condition, with each average daily drink adding to the risk. Girls who drank 6 or 7 days a week had a five per cent higher risk of suffering from benign breast disease than those who never drank or who drank less than once a week.

It's not clear why alcohol would have an effect on the condition, but researchers speculate that alcohol's effect on the female hormone – oestrogen, could promote breast tissue growth.