You'll find a lot of kids and teens drinking at least one, sometimes several, a day.

 

Kids and teenagers often drink energy drinks like water; however, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, these drinks are more like syrupy drugs than beverages, but are they really that bad?

 

Public Health Nutritionist Shari Tremaine says, "The recommendation is that children shouldn't [drink energy drinks] due to the high level of caffeine and other ingredients. These drinks can cause nervousness and irritability as well as increased heart rate and trouble sleeping."

 

Most energy drinks have at least twice the amount of caffeine as a can of soda, and many contain Taurine.

 

Tremaine said caffeine is not actually something your body needs - especially not the body of a child. The absolute maximum amount for a 10-12 year old to ingest per day is 85 milligrams; most energy drinks contain at least 80.

 

She recommends the next time your youngster is tired, tell them to take a nap instead of buying them a Red Bull.

 

It's also not recommended to mix energy drinks with alcohol. Tremaine says the safety isn't known, so people who do it are really taking a risk that's not considered to be safe.