Energy drinks are packed with calories, sugar and caffeine, three things that contribute to dental decay, heart diseases and obesity.

"We know that there is some evidence to show that increased intake of caffeine in adolescence can contribute to high blood pressure," said Doctor David Krol, the chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Toledo.

He says kids shouldn't have any more than 100 milligrams of caffeine a day. The Rockstar energy drink shows it has 80 mg of caffeine per serving, but remember, there are two servings in it, so that is actually 160 mg, well over the recommended 100 mg a day.

Many of these drinks have guarana in them, which the doctor says adds more caffeine than is already in the drink.

"The other thing is calories. Just like drinking pop, you are taking in a lot of calories. So that brings in the obesity issue and how much kids are drinking and then also the sugar for oral health for dental decay," said Dr. Krol.

Dr. Krol says these drinks increase the chance of dehydration and if there's an underlying health issue like an irregular heart rhythm, he says the increased caffeine will make it worse.

Dr. Krol says when it comes to the so-called energy ingredients in these drinks like taurine and guarana, they really don't know anything at all about how they affect kids.

If you are downing these to stay alert, he suggests sitting down and discussing how you can get more rest and maybe adjust your schedules so you have more down time. (Source: presstv.ir)