The Washington Post provided a series of questions and answers about high-caffeine “energy drinks,” following reports that a brand called Monster Energy has been responsible for several deaths.
Anais Fournier, 14, of Hagerstown, Md., died of cardiac arrest last December after consuming two of the Monster Energy drinks over a span of two days. Her mother, Wendy Crossland, is suing the manufacturer. Crossland obtained the reports about the deaths from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration through a Freedom of Information request.
Here are some of the questions and answers:
Is death by caffeine common?
No. Scientific literature includes only a few cases, thought they may be underreported. Regardless, emergency-room visits related to energy drinks have increased tenfold in the United States from 2005 to 2009.
Are energy drinks regulated?
No. Energy drinks are sold as nutritional supplements. That puts them outside the purview of the FDA, which regulates food and drugs.
What else is in energy drinks?
They frequently contain taurine and guarana as stimulants, along with other substances. Many of the ingredients in the drinks have not been studied.
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