Up to a third of children in the UK drink energy drinks weekly

Up to half of children worldwide, and up to a third of children in the UK, consume energy drinks every week, finds research led by UCL and The University of York. The study, published in the BMJ Open, found evidence that children who drank energy drinks on five or more days per week were likely to have low psychological, physical, educational and overall well-being such as headaches, sleep problems, alcohol use, smoking, irritability and school exclusion. The authors say that although the data support s the idea that there is a link between drinking caffeinated energy drinks and poorer health and behaviour in children, the direction of effect is unclear, and that the evidence must be interpreted with caution. The study analysed data on thousands of UK children, in addition to reviewing evidence on children's consumption of energy drinks from around the world. The findings suggest that boys drink more than girls, and that in the UK, more socio-economically disadvantaged children from the North of England drink more than any other group Co-author Dr Dylan Kneale (UCL Social Research Institute) said: " Our research suggests that boys and children with a more disadvantaged social profile are more likely to consume energy drinks, and that children who consume energy drinks appear to have poorer health. However, studies with a more robust design are needed in order understand if consumption of energy drinks causes poorer health or is simply a marker of poorer health status and social disadvantage." An average 250 ml energy drink contains a similar amount of caffeine to a 60 ml espresso.