Young people and their nutrition

Lack of research and regulation in energy drinks, as well as their high consumption and the fact that there are reported cases of toxicity are a serious health risk for children, adolescents and young people.

According to the authors from the University of Miami,  30-50% of the young population consume energy drinks are consumed regularly.  In the U.S. these drinks are categorized as food supplements and by that they avoid the FDA limit on caffeine content of 71 mg per 12 ounces (about 355 ml) in soft drinks. Furthermore, safety tests and leaflets (which are mandatory for all kind of medicament) are also avoided. As a result, there are energy drinks that contain up to 400 mg of caffeine and that is only the stated caffeine. There are also unstated amounts of stimulants made from ingredients such as guarana,seeds of Cola (cola nuts), cocoa and yerba mate.

46% of  5448 reported cases of caffeine overdose in 2007 in the U.S.,  are from people under 19 years of age. The authors recommend a maximum caffeine intake of 2.5 mg / kg for children and 100 mg / kg for adolescents. A study from New Zealand (also included in the survey) claims that the consumption of only 1 energy drink leads to the exceeding of the recommended intake of 2.5 mg / kg.

The toxic effects of energy drinks are being monitored in countries like Germany, Australia and New Zealand. There is a significant number of reported cases of adverse effects associated with consumption of energy drinks: liver damage, kidney failure, respiratory disorders, agitation, confusion, seizures, psychotic states, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, rhabdomyolysis, tachycardia, cardiac dysrhythmia, hypertension, myocardial infarction, heart failure and death.

The long-term health effects of the regular consumption of energy drinks in children and teenagers are still unclear, but all gathered information indicates that these drinks can have many harmful, even potentially fatal effects.

The marketing of energy drinks is primarily aimed at men which are pre-adolescents, adolescents and young adults, says Dr. Higgins of the University of Texas. The bare fact that a child can enter the supermarket and buy and consume such beverage is frightening.

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Don’t think that just because you started going to the gym and doing weight-loss exercises, you will automatically start losing weight.

For a period of 16 months researchers from the University of Kansas observed a group of young people who were doing exercises. Exercising was held regularly and was observed. The diet was not specified by the scientists and each participant was eating at his/her own discretion. It turned out that young people didn’t make any changes  in the ratio of fat, protein and carbohydrates in their food. Women in particular were making the following mistake: they thought that increasing their physical activity allows them to eat everything that they want. So when everybody was weighted, it turned out that men lost an average of 10 lbs. and the women didn’t lose any weight. There were even women who gained weight.

When discussing the food the participants were consuming during the experiment, it became clear that women didn’t think about the number of calories in the food they were eating and consumed around 700 calories more that usual, while men did much better by consuming just 200 calories more.

According to the scientists, this experiment is a proof that despite the increased physical activity, wrong diet will always prevent you from losing weight. This is why the experts think that planning is very important as to the people who want to want to lose weight, as well as to the ones who want to gain muscle mass. As boring as counting calories is, it important to know how many calories you are taking with your daily meals and how many calories you are losing while exercising or performing other activities. Think about it – the difference of 500 calories a day between the both sexes is the reason why the women in the experiment didn’t lose any weight while the men did better (but not by much).

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