'Energy drinks still harmful to health'

Energy drink makers are making products containing less caffeine, but health experts claim they are still hazardous, especially to pregnant women, children and the elderly. / Korea Times file

Caffeine cut not enough to protect pregnant women, children, elderly

By Park Si-soo

Coca-Cola and Lotte Chilsung are trying hard to repair their damaged reputations with new energy drinks containing less caffeine.

They claim their energy drinks no longer pose a health risk, citing a significantly reduced caffeine content. Yet medical experts refute this, arguing the reduction doesn’t guarantee the products’ safety. They claim caffeine-blended energy drinks are “still hazardous” and the risk is particularly high for pregnant women, children and the elderly. They added habitual consumers of energy drink have higher risk of caffeine addiction, arrhythmia and even spasms.

“Caffeine consumption, no matter how small the amount may be, can have various negative impacts on your health,” said Dr. Park Kyung-hee of Hallym University Medical Center. “The risk is particularly high for pregnant women, children and old people.” Park said energy drinks make consumers feel energetic deep into the night, and this eventually badly affects their heart and immune system.

Coca Cola, the world’s largest beverage maker, relaunched its “Burn Intense” energy drink early last month in Korea, dropping its caffeine content to 30 milligrams from the previous 80 milligrams per 250-milliliter can. Lotte prompted the move in November by halving the caffeine content of its “Hot 6 Light” to 30 milligrams.

The world’s best selling energy drink “Red Bull” has a caffeine content of 62 milligrams.

There are 15 energy drink brands available in Korea. Among the seven imported labels, “Java Monster Kona Blend” from the U.S. contains the highest caffeine content of 207 milligrams in a 325-mililiter can. That is more than half the safe limit of 400 milligrams for an adult, which is far lower for pregnant women, children and the elderly, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. A 14-year-old boy died of a heart attack in December 2011 in Maryland, U.S., after drinking Java Monster Kona Blend.

“Our energy drink is not risky at all,” a Lotte spokesman said. “We made the reduction only in response to public worries. There is no finding that Hot 6 was linked to any health trouble of consumers.” The spokesman said the new products will help the company expand its customer base to those who don’t consume energy drinks for health concerns.

Lotte was one of the companies that stirred strong public concern last year for allegations that repeated consumption of energy drink could pose a significant health risk. Heightening the fear were news reports that the beverage was allegedly the cause of the deaths of several people in the United States, Canada and Europe in recent years.

Chicago is moving to ban the sales of beverages with a high concentration of caffeine and other cities in the U.S. are expected to follow suit.

The Korean government has joined the trend. The food and drug ministry is moving to ban the sale of high caffeine drinks within 200 meters of primary and secondary schools. The ministry plans to submit a bill regarding the ban to the National Assembly by June.

Olive Young is the first private company in Korea supporting this initiative. The country’s largest drugstore chain decided last month to stop selling energy drinks, along with soda and coffee, at its 300 outlets across the country.

“We have decided to kick energy drinks off our shelves because they are not healthy,” an Olive Young official said. “Our shelves will be reserved only for fresh juice and vitamin drinks.”