Kids and Energy Drinks

Hi Julie, I believe the Red Bull has too much caffine and sugar. My 9 year old grandson wanted it, said "all the kids get it" but I said NO. He should be drinking real juice or something with vitamins. The kids like the vitamin water. They usually don't need any more energy. They already have more than we do!!! Grandma Mary

On a purely calorie-conscious level, red bull has slightly more calories than coke (and LESS than apple juice!!) It also has 3 times the caffeine of coke. I don't know how old your son is which would affect how I felt about the other ingredients. If he's in elementary school, and just wants to drink it because of the "cool" marketing, I would tell him if he thinks he needs an energy drink, he needs to go to bed earlier and stop playing video games or using the computer. The only way to get energy is to go outside and PLAY! If he's in jr high/high school I would just emphasize the calories and provide low-cal options (I don't believe in artificial sweeteners). Almost all of the other ingredients seem to be some type of B-vitamin or an amino acid, so really the caffeine and sugar seem to be the worst ingredients in there.

For a "grab off the shelf" alternative, Snapple's RED teas have far fewer calories than soda or juice, their black teas have even fewer calories, but are less interesting to a kid.

How old is your son?, around where I live most gas stations and stores will actually ID you (you have to be 18) to buy this type of drink because of the content. I would definitely find out where he got it from. I can understand why you wouldnt want him drinking this stuff on a regular basis, one every once in a while wont hurt him buty still is not secessary. I love the comment about making him write a research paper on it, that may open up his eyes with very littel arguing between the two of you.

I don't think that Red Bull is healthy either. My husband drinks them, and makes him to jittery. Take your son to a health food store and try wheatgrass shots or ginger root shots for energy. Also, B-12 vitamins are a natural source for extra energy.

Here are a few links. These energy drinks are definitely not appropriate for a teen and though nothing is proven because they have not been out long enough to do a long-term study on their effects, there are scientists who feel they are dangerous. Kids are often mixing them with alcohol and this makes them more dangerous, because the effects of the alcohol are masked by the high amounts of caffeine.
Let your son read about them and explain that energy drinks are being marketed toward teens by people who want to make money off him and his friends, even though they can be dangerous. Explain that there are lots of dangerous or bad products out there but often their makers don't care and just want to make money without thinking about what it might do to the consumer. The same way you have to talk to him about drinking alcohol, doing drugs and having sex, you have to explain to him that you don't approve of them. A fun alternative may be to mix juice with seltzer or to buy one of the more "natural" sodas made with fruit juice and without caffeine or high fructose corn syrup as a treat.

http://nutrition.ucdavis.edu/InfoSheets/ANR/EnergyDrinkFa...

Another article:
http://www.sciencecases.org/energy_drinks/energy_drinks.asp

Hi Julie,

I recently received an enlightening email at work about energy drinks. It came as a pdf file and I am unable to attach it here for you. If you want to send me your email address, I'd be happy to send it to you. I wish I had time to type it up here for all of you to read....I never realized that some "energy" drinks actually contain alcohol!

M.

I would not allow Red Bull or any energy drinks for children - I believe they have more caffeine and stimulants than Coffee. Thats a big rush and a major crash shortly thereafter. I'd have to research it more but I'd advise water (dehydration causes tiredness. Do you want your son to have any caffeine? Not sure how old he is but green teas are good, Glaceu Vitamin water is good too but the calories and sugar content are high. No sugar added juices are a good drink alternative. Energy drinks are highly marketed these days - definitley look up the ingredients online to understand them. For instance Guarana = caffeine (I learned this when I was pregnant and drinking what I thought was a natural vitamin/fruit packed energy drink one week - I thought WOW this is great - until I realized it was like drinking coffee and I wasn't drinking any caffeine at the time, no wonder I felt so energized!)

Hi Julie,

I am with Melissa on this one and suggest you trust your instinct. Energy drinks are typically loaded with caffeine, sugars or other sugar alternatives, and a variety of other ingredients that are not great for adults or kids to be consuming. I know I don't want my kids having these products and hope that I can educate them to make wise choices as they get older so when the time comes for them to make their own decisions, they make healthy choices for themselves. I am not sure the age of your son, but maybe you can give him a "homework" assignment...if he wants to continue drinking Red Bull, he needs to write a research paper on the ingredients contained in Red Bull and the effects they have on the human body. This way, you aren't telling him "no" and giving him a reason to rebell and he is educating himself enough to make an educated decision on Red Bull himself. Essentially, you are teaching him to be an educated consumer. Just a thought, I hope it helps in some way.

Blessings,
C.

Red Bull contains additives like taurine and glucuronolactone. An 8.3-ounce can of
Red Bull has 80 milligrams of caffeine - a 12-ounce can of Coke has 34. That's poison for kids.

Caffeine, sugar, and sodium! Most of these energy drinks are not even appropriate for adult consumption. Take Gatorade - it's fine - when you are working out, and working out enough to need it! But, there is no reason to drink it when you are not - no one needs additional electrolytes when they are sitting around the house. And children typically don't need these drinks at all.

Red Bull has 2-3x more caffeine than soda (which is another drink that is just awful for you from sugar to calcium depleting chemicals like phosphoric acid), has "mood stabilizers" don't really know what that means to out bodies, has quite a bit of sodium and too much sugar for one drink.

I say - stay away from it! Alternative - of course - water! But - kids don't drink that anymore - right? What about the iced teas that are natural - or something else that's natural. I only have a 2yr old - so I'm not there yet - but I drink water at home - if I'm out - I buy the Green Tea sweetened with honey (it's pretty natural overall). My husband drinks all those energy drinks - but they really are not good for you (I just can't quite wrestle them out of his hands!).

Hi Julie,

Keep those carbonated energy drinks away! Is he a High Schooler or younger? The caffine content is massive and bad for his heart and the carbonation is bad for his bone density. I do not know what else is poison in them, but the "kick" they get is not energy but the "jumping" of their NERVES that is very UNHEALTHY.
My company does have a powered energy drink high in B vitamins and low on sugar and caffine, so if you would like to offer a alternative choice, email me and I will send you a sample and the link for the product. It is very inexpensive comparatively (1/2+ price of those on market) with the caffine of 1 reg cuyp of coffee and FOS sugar (OK for Diabetics) and Stevia-a sweet nutritious plant for sweetness. This stuff is tasty and "focused" energy-no headaches or jitters or shakes. Let me know. Kids under HS age, do not need energy drinks! If in sports, then my product would be a focus-energy drink and safe, but young children have no need for energy-they have naturally bottled it up!

Good Luck and God Bless!
M. G ###-###-#### EST ____@____.com

Red Bull is dangerous. I don't know how old your son is but I would greatly discourage him from drinking it. go to www.cosmeticsdatabase.com and look up all the ingredients on the Red Bull can.
For an alternative we use NingXia Red. It's safe for even babies. My daughter was a year when she got her first cold and I gave her NR in her bottle for the day. It will boost the immune system along with provide anti oxidants, vitamins & minerals. It's a natural healthy safe 'energy' drink. It was created to be nutritious not an 'energy drink' but because of it's contents it does give an added boost.
Send me a line if you'd like more info. :)
Good luck!

Hi Julie,
Yes, steer clear of Red Bull! Even drinks that claim to be healthy often have artificial sweeteners, so depending on how militant you want to be (I wouldn't TOUCH the stuff, myself), you probably want to read all labels.
What about plain old fruit juice? If you think that's too sweet, and not enough fun, you can look for healthy soda-type drinks, such as Fizzy Lizzie, which combines fruit juice and seltzer, or GUS (Grown Up Soda) which has a lot less sugar and no artificial substitutes.
The only thing you'll need to watch for is peer pressure!
Good luck!
S.

Yikes! First I would say to find out who gave it to him and politely ask them to refrain from doing so in the future!

You don't mention your sons age, but I would say he doesn't need any energy drinks...milk, water, o.j., depending on his age, watered down fruit juice.

I can't imagine there is much healthy about an energy drink -probably a lot of caffeine, to give you energy (til you crash!)!

If he needs energy, give him a string cheese...plenty of protein and calcium!!LOL

Best wishes to you!
J.

First, I would have to ask...why does he need the extra energy?
Is he drinking it for the energy or because his friends drink it and it's "cool"?

My kids like the Monster drinks... I hate them! I limit how often they are allowed to have them (mine are 15 & 17 yrs old). If they are pulling an all nighter with their friends, then I will allow them to have a can of it. Otherwise, they aren't allowed to have it. (this is only once in a while and I still don't like it.)

It's been found that if kids drink too much of these kinds of things, they can actually have a heart attack (I had a nurse tell me this). It can also cause high blood pressure.....

Talk to your son, find out why he is drinking it. Offer him other alternatives and let him know the dangers of drinking this stuff.

i cant remeber where, but i just read an article about energy drinks and children. basically, they said they are very dangerous for children from a medical standpoint. what does he need the "engery" for. they have too much caffeine and questionable ingredients for kids and result in kids who arent able to concentrate as well in school, the attention is lessened. i wish i knew where i read it, sorry i cant help more. all energy drinks would be debateable. what ever happened to gatorade?

Julie

I feel the same way with my son. I am not to sure what all red bull has into it. I know I have tried some energy drinks myself. Arbonne has energy fizz tablets and they are amazing and alot healthier than the energy drinks in the store. If you want more info on it or some samples just let me know, I would love to help. Good luck.

J.

Hi Julie,
You didn't mention how old your son is. If we're talking about a kid, then no, I don't believe they need or should have energy drinks. What could he be doing that he'd need an energy boost? Unless he's a high schooler, I wouldn't consider allowing these drinks at all. I also don't allow my kids Gatorade and don't appreciate when other parents give this to my kids as if it's a juice. My kids are not running a marathon or playing any intensive sports, but parents serve Gatorade as if it were Kool Aid. I am wondering where your son got the Red Bull from, did he buy it somewhere or did a friend give it to him?

Hi Julie K.

My name is R.. I don't know what exactly is in the Red Bull other than a lot of sugar, but my son told me that he read an article about Red Bull where it says that it contains an ingredient that can cause cancer in the liver if it is drank in a regular basis. So please talk to your son about it. If he eats the proper food, and takes the vitamins and minerals for his age, he won't need to drink any stuff for energy. Believe me, I raised 3 healthy children.

Good Luck!
A little about me. I am 54 years old. Mother of three groun-up children, and recently received my first grandchild. I teach fourth elementary.