Be wary of caffeinated energy drinks

Q. Is it unhealthy for my teenager to drink energy drinks such as Red Bull?

A. About 4 billion cans of Red Bull are consumed worldwide every year, according to the company's website. The thin, silver cans decorated in red and blue feature two bulls facing off against each other. Other energy drinks include Rock Star and Amp.

"Those products are caffeine-based," says pediatrician Michael Grosso, chief medical officer at Huntington Hospital. "Caffeine has some adverse health effects. It interferes with appetite and, in sufficient amounts, it can predispose an individual to palpitations." Teens drinking it may be chronically sleep deprived, he says. "We're really not in favor of these drinks for all those reasons," he says.

Suzette Smookler, administrator for clinical nutrition and education at Stony Brook University Medical Center, agrees. "If you have a can of this once in a while, it's no big deal. But when teenagers are using it, they're using it in very specific situations," Smookler says. "They're tired and need to pull an all-nighter before an exam; or they're athletes, and they're sweating and need a drink and perceive this as an energy boost." The drinks aren't efficient for rehydrating, and the "crash" afterward can be equal to the initial boost, she says.

According to an official e-mail response from Red Bull: "We do not recommend Red Bull Energy Drink to children under 13 or any other caffeine sensitive individuals. As reference, Red Bull contains the same amount of caffeine as one normal cup of coffee."