According to statistics from the Brewery and Beverage Association, the Norwegian people drank 68 million liters of energy drink in 2022. And that’s without the figures for December. That’s roughly 136 million cans of Burn or Monster. Never before have Norwegians slurped down so much energy drink. In 2014, the total was 17 million litres. What is the cause of the massive increase? – I believe that a close explanation for the increase in popularity in recent years is the extensive marketing of these drinks. This is what senior researcher at the Institute of Public Health, Anne Lise Brantsæter, writes in an e-mail to news. Drinks it every day It’s right after lunch at Nord University. The canteen area is still packed with pupils and students. And several have an energy drink in their hand. – I drink one to two a day. That’s what Nora Rubi Karlsen (18) says. She is a music student at Bodø High School and is visiting a conference at the university. ENERGY DRINK: – It’s very good and the design is cool, says Nora Rubi Karlsen (18). Photo: Marie Staberg / news – I always buy one before school and then I buy one at lunch. Karlsen is one of many who are hooked on energy drinks. Her favorite is Monster original and she has been drinking it since eighth grade. – I have become so used to drinking it and then it gives me a feeling of having energy. It may be a placebo effect, but it gives me more energy than I sometimes have. If we consume caffeine daily over time, the body will get used to caffeine and tolerance will increase. And if you don’t take your daily dose against maturity, the body can feel withdrawal. And Karlsen has experienced that. – I can get a little irritable, get quite a headache when I haven’t drunk it and get more tired than usual. The Consumer Council’s survey on the use of energy drinks among children and young people from 2021 shows that 45 per cent have experienced at least one side effect. Concerned about the development CAFFEINE POISONING: Early symptoms of acute poisoning can occur as early as 500-600 mg of caffeine per day. Photo: Kim Abel / Kim Abel – We are concerned about the intake of soft drinks and energy drinks among children and young people. Especially with regard to caffeine and caffeine addiction. That’s according to nutrition researcher at the Institute of Public Health, Marianne Hope Abel, who is worried about the development. According to the SHOT survey for 2022, 60 percent of students who use performance-enhancing agents say that they drink energy drinks. In addition, about half of the students say they experience fatigue, while a quarter experience sleep problems. – Sleep and sleep quality are extremely important. Especially for young people who are growing and who have to concentrate on school. It has a lot to say for both mental and physical health. – It is really worrying that these drinks with so much caffeine are used as widely as they are. So how do energy drinks really affect us; do we become nimble and fast, or tired and lethargic? Caffeine is a central stimulant that affects heart rate, breathing, concentration and performance, says Abel. – It seems aggravating now and then, but the effect wears off when you get used to it. And in the end, you just need it to function normally. There is therefore no doubt that energy drinks can be addictive. Acid damage to the teeth and sleep problems are among the consequences of drinking too many energy drinks. – It is very sour so it eats away at the teeth. Many of the energy drinks contain sugar, which can be harmful both for dental health and obesity problems. How much can you drink? – Personally, I find it cynical that someone makes a lot of money on a product that does not have a single useful nutrient, but on the contrary is designed to create addiction. This is what senior researcher at the Institute of Public Health, Anne Lise Brantsæter, writes in an e-mail to news. She further writes that the effect of energy drinks is primarily linked to caffeine. – This is particularly worrying for children, young people and pregnant women because they tolerate caffeine less well than others. FAVORITE: A survey by the Consumer Council from 2021 shows that Monster was the most popular energy drink. Photo: Marie Staberg / news – The negative health effects of caffeine are sleep disturbances, anxiety and behavioral changes in children, effects on children’s birth weight in pregnant women and effects on sleep, anxiety, the heart, blood vessels and the nervous system in adults. Energy drinks have both positive and negative consequences depending on the amount, age and other individual factors. So how much caffeine can one drink before it becomes too much? For a young person who weighs 60 kg, the tolerance limit for sleep disturbances will correspond to a small can, i.e. 250 ml of energy drink. For an adult weighing 70 kg, the tolerance limit for daily intake will be 5.7 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight. This is equivalent to 400 mg of caffeine, which is more than two large cans (1.25 litres) of energy drink or 4-5 cups of coffee.
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– Drinks one to two daily – news Nordland
