Energy drinks - sweet drinks containing caffeine and often herbal supplements - have been drawing scrutiny over their nutritional value. Now the nation's largest group of pediatricians is strongly recommending that they not be consumed by children.
"Rigorous review and analysis of the literature reveal that caffeine and other stimulant substances contained in
energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents," wrote Marcie Schneider and Holly Benjamin of American Academy of Pediatrics in a review of both energy drinks, which include brand names such as Red Bull and Monster, and sports drinks.
The authors said parents and physicians need to know more about the distinctions between energy drinks and
sports drinks (sweet drinks, including Powerade and Gatorade, that contain electrolytes). Sports drinks are all right for young athletes, they said.
They also called for industry improvement.
Benjamin, a pediatric sports medicine specialist at the University of Chicago, told MyHealthNewsDaily, "We certainly think in the interest of our children, improvements can be done in the labeling of these types of beverages."