About a week or two ago I wrote a blog about the dangers of energy drinks. A mother of a 14-year-old girl filed a lawsuit when her daughter died after drinking large cans of Monster Energy Drinks. There is still some confusion over whether the girl died as a result of drinking the Monsters, or whether a heart arrythmia is to blame. However, a more recent story about the dangers of Five-Hour Energy, the supposedly "safe" energy supplement, might have you thinking twice about downing that instant upper.
A New York Times investigation recently revealed at least 90 filings with the FDA of individuals who have suffered adverse reactions after drinking Five-Hour Energy, including more than 30 that involved serious or life-threatening injuries like heart attacks, spontaneous abortion, and convulsions. In the same investigation, the NYT found similar reports associated with Monster.
The scariest part about the energy drink dangers isn't that they are potentially dangerous–instead, it's the fact that people are so woefully misinformed about what they are consuming. The companies that make these energy supplements know that something is going on, considering that they are required to report cases to the FDA of fatalities linked to their products. However, the Five-Hour Energy chief executive wasn't interested in making any comments when recently asked.
