According to Roland Griffiths, a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, many of these drinks do not label the caffeine content which has potential health dangers.
Griffiths, who is also a senior author of a new report on the beverages says that though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits the caffeine contents of cola-type soft drinks to 71 milligrams per 12 fluid ounces, no such limit is set on energy drinks as they are designated as dietary supplements, not food products.
Caffeine intoxication can cause nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, gastrointestinal upset, tremors, rapid heartbeat, restlessness and pacing. In rare cases, caffeine intoxication can cause death.
Fearing that the energy drinks may serve as a "gateway" product leading to more serious drug abuse, the authors of the study have called for labeling on energy drinks to inform consumers of its contents. The study is published in journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
