The detrimental side effects of energy drinks

[Mercola]: Over the past centuries, people have used a variety of beverages to give them an extra burst of energy. While trends have changed from tea to coffee, to soft drinks and then energy drinks, the ultimate goal has been the same. Although not marketed as such, the first energy drink may have been Coca-Cola, launched in 1886, as it originally contained two strong stimulants — caffeine and cocaine.

The company's name — Coca-Cola — was derived from the coca plant from which cocaine is derived and the kola nut, the source of caffeine. In 1960, Taisho Pharmaceuticals in Japan made the first drink specifically targeted at increasing energy. It contained essential vitamins, taurine and niacin, metabolic agents proven to boost energy and concentration.2

Building on this, in 1987 Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz added caffeine and sugar and renamed the drink Red Bull. By 1997, Red Bull was introduced in the U.S., followed closely by Monster Energy drink and then 5-Hour Energy. An explosion of sales occurred by 2006 and while others have garnered part of the market, Red Bull remains the best known with annual sales near $2 billion globally. By 2012, 13 deaths had been reported over the past four years as the result of using 5-Hour Energy. The market value is predicted to reach $61 billion by 20215 and it's estimated 30% of teenagers from 12 to 17 years drink energy drinks on a regular basis...read more>>>...