Check Your Caffeine Consumption

By Suparna Chakaraborthy

Thursday, June 3, 2010, 16:33

The energy drinks and shots taken contain a high levels of caffeine, which is unsuitable for youngsters, especially teenagers, pregnant women and people sensitive to caffeine. Caffeine is a good source of energy but at the same time high quantity has it's own hazards.

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) warned that when consumed in high doses, caffeine could lead to irritability, anxiety, tremors, dizziness and insomnia and some people may experience short-term anxiety effects if consuming more than 3mg of caffeine daily for each kilogram of body weight.

This tells us that an adult should not consume more than two cups of caffeine in a day. For most healthy adults. up to 400mg of caffeine in total a day.

Caffeine consumed in high quantity in the form of tea, coffee and cola is very common in children. It has been reported that 73 percent children consume caffeine through tea and cola.

"The adverse effects of caffeine under these circumstances can be a serious problem. The NZFSA should ... seek ways to persuade industry to modify the marketing and even the composition of these drinks", says Professor John Birkbeck, adjunct professor of nutrition at Massey University.

Energy drinks and shots should be should be labeled with how much caffeine they contain and advice the product is not recommended for children, lactating women, or people sensitive to caffeine. The caffeine amount written on the label should be shown to the trainer before consumption.