NEWS
Emma Coates Editor Emma has been a registered dietitian for 12 years, with experience of adult and paediatric dietetics.
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ENERGY DRINKS AND KIDS: HOW HARMFUL ARE THEY? The first energy drink appeared on our shelves in 1994, with Red Bull being the forerunner for a new market of caffeinated soft drinks, designed to keep you going. The drinks have been a source of debate regarding how safe/ harmful they are and on the regulation around their sale and advertising, particularly to children and young people. An energy drink is defined as a soft drink containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre, often containing other stimulants such as guanine, taurine or ginseng. The high glucose content of energy drinks is also a concern and may be contributing to the obesity crisis. Brands such as Monster, Rockstar and Red Bull contain around 300mg caffeine per litre, less than filter coffee at 400mg per litre, but UK kids love them. According to consumer usage data from Mintel, around 63% of boys and 58% of girls between 16-24 years of age regularly consume energy drinks. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) research suggests our younger kids are also regular consumers too, with two-thirds of 10- to16-year-olds, along with 18% of three- to 10-years-olds consuming these high caffeine beverages. There are concerns from EFSA that just one can of energy drink can exceed the recommended caffeine limit for children, which is ≤2.5mg/kg per day in children and adolescents. For healthy adults, the recommended limit is ≤400mg/ day, but ≤200mg/day in healthy pregnant women, as recommended by the NHS. Health risks for children include abdominal discomfort, headaches, irritability, insomnia or sleep disturbances and raised blood pressure. There are also concerns regarding adolescent bone health, where energy drinks are consumed in place of calcium containing drinks, thus reducing calcium intake during a period in the lifespan where bone deposition is at its peak. According to EU labelling guidelines (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011), soft drinks with more than 150mg of caffeine per litre must carry a warning about the high caffeine content and state that they are not recommended for children. However, this isn’t a particularly effective deterrent, with the UK having the highest energy drink consumption by children across Europe. Earlier this year, UK supermarkets banned the sale of energy drinks to children under the age of 16, however, smaller shops, convenience stores and vending machines haven’t necessarily followed suit. The marketing of energy drinks to children and young people has also been scrutinised, but regulating it has been a challenge. Energy drinks manufacturers use many platforms for sharing messages about their products. Social media, sporting events and online gaming are key routes of advertising, which are accessible to children and young people with or without parental controls. While energy drinks are perceived to be trendy and their accessibility and marketing continue to be relatively unregulated, kids will continue to consume them. Legislation to regulate energy drinks and their consumption by children is required to make significant changes to the current situation. For information on further reading please visit the Subscriber zone at NHDmag.com
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www.NHDmag.com August/September 2018 - Issue 137
NEWS TYPE 2 DIABETES AND FOOD CRAVINGS A recent study from Australia1 has investigated the effects of higher protein intakes compared with higher carbohydrate intake on food cravings in people with Type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to compare whether a high protein (HP) diet would provide greater reductions in cravings than an isocaloric higher-carbohydrate diet (HC). In the randomised controlled trial, a total of 61 adults with Type 2 diabetes consumed either a HP diet (consisting of approximately 29% protein, 34% carbohydrate, 31% fat) or an HC diet of 21%:48%:24% respectively. The study took place over 24 weeks, with participants engaging in 12 weeks of weight loss (WL) and weight maintenance (WM). The average age of the participants was 55 years +/8 years with a BMI of 34.3 +/1 5.1kg/m2. A Food Craving Inventory (FCI), which measured the types of food craved as well as questionnaires to measure the food craving states and traits were used at 0, 12 and 24 weeks of the study. Weight changes were similar between both the HP and HC groups. During the weight loss phase average loss was equal to -7.8 ± 0.6kg and during the weight management phase, the average weight fluctuation was -0.6 ± 0.4kg. All food cravings (except carbohydrates) decreased over the 24 weeks study and sweets and fast food craving, loss of control and emotional cravings reduced, particularly if the subject lost weight
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Reference 1 Nerylee A et al (2018). Reductions in food cravings are similar with low-fat weight loss diets differing in protein and carbohydrate in overweight and obese adults with Type 2 diabetes: A randomised clinical trial. Nutrition Research. Volume 57, September 2018, Pages 56-66. www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S0271531717310837
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www.NHDmag.com August/September 2018 - Issue 137