Doctors have revealed the catastrophic effects that could come from loading up on high-caffeine energy drinks.
Earlier this month, energy drink distributor Alani Nu was named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by attorneys on behalf of the Rodriguez family, who lost their 17-year-old daughter, Larissa, in October.
Larissa, a decorated Texas high schooler and cheerleading captain, died from an enlarged heart caused by prolonged caffeine consumption from Alani beverages, the lawsuit claims. The teenager had no prior health issues, lawyers noted in the complaint.
Alani Nu energy drinks contain 200mg of caffeine each, twice the American Academy of Pediatrics’ daily limit for teenagers and half the recommended intake for adults.
Alani Nu’s parent company, Celsius Holdings Inc., said in a statement that the drinks ‘disclose 200mg of caffeine on the can, and the label states the product is not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant women, or women who are nursing.’
Daily Mail has reached out to Alani Nu for comment.
‘Our products comply with applicable federal labeling requirements, and our policy is not to market or sample to anyone under 18, consistent with those label warnings,’ the statement also read.
Larissa’s death also comes after a series of lawsuits surrounding Panera’s ‘charged’ lemonades, which contained 390mg of caffeine – almost a full day’s worth for an adult and four times the limit for teens – in a large size before they were pulled from menus.
Alani Nu was named in a wrongful death lawsuit by attorneys on behalf of the Rodriguez family, who lost their 17-year-old daughter, Larissa. She can be seen holding an Alani energy drink
The lawsuit alleges Larissa (seen above) had no health conditions at the time of her death
At least two deaths were allegedly tied to the drinks, including a college student with a heart condition. Panera denied wrongdoing in court documents and settled the lawsuits.
Doctors told the Daily Mail that while a one-off energy drink may be harmless for most people, regularly consuming the drinks could lead to deadly damage to the heart, stomach and brain. These effects are also exacerbated in teens, as their bodies are still developing and are more sensitive to the stimulant effect of caffeine.
‘If you consume very high amounts of caffeine, you can have an instant arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, which can actually be life-threatening because your heart could actually stop pumping blood,’ Dr Jeremy Liff, a neurologist based in New York, told the Daily Mail.
Caffeine speeds up the heart’s beating pattern, which places stress on the organ and can affects its overall rhythm. Arrhythmias disrupt the electrical signals the heart requires for pumping, leading to poor blood flow to the heart and other vital organs.
Left unaddressed, irregular heartbeats can trigger a sudden heart attack, even in people without pre-existing conditions.
Liff also warns that the poor blood flow from irregular heartbeats raises the risks of blood clots, which may travel to the brain and trigger a stroke.
Blood pressure is also a concern.
‘In the long term, drinking that much caffeine can cause you to have high blood pressure at an age which is way too young,’ Liff said.
Caffeine stimulates the nervous system to release adrenaline, which blocks adenosine receptors that are responsible for keeping the arteries widened. This raises blood pressure, increasing the heart’s workload.
‘Those are extremely grave consequences that could happen immediately,’ Liff said.
For people with a pre-existing heart condition, caffeine tolerance dwindles. In 2022, college student Sarah Katz of New Jersey suffered a cardiac arrest after consuming one of Panera’s Charged lemonades.
Sarah Katz (pictured) died on September 10, 2022, just hours after she consumed a large Panera Charged Lemonade from a branch of Panera Bread in Philadelphia. Panera denied wrongdoing but settled the lawsuit
Court documents said Katz had long QT syndrome, which causes arrhythmias due to a delayed electrical recharge between beats. Caffeine can eliminate the vital breaks people with long QT syndrome need for their hearts to recharge between beats.
Panera settled that lawsuit but denied wrongdoing.
‘If you have an irregular heartbeat already that leads to your heart going too fast, you would be much less tolerant to caffeine,’ Liff said.
‘And if you have an irregular heartbeat, you shouldn’t be drinking any energy drinks at all whatsoever.’
Liff also points to highly caffeinated drinks damaging the gastrointestinal system.
‘You can harm your stomach lining and cause ulcers, which can lead to a decrease in absorbing nutrients,’ he told the Daily Mail.
Caffeine stimulates the production of stomach acid. While the acid is essential for breaking down nutrients and aiding digestion, high levels irritate the stomach lining, leading to inflammation and the formation of ulcers.
Doctors told the Daily Mail that excessive caffeine intake can lead to heart attack, stroke and blood clots (stock image)
Many ulcers heal on their own, but they can perforate or tear, allowing acid, food and bacteria to leak through a hole in the stomach into the abdominal cavity that then spreads to the bloodstream.
This may result in sepsis, the body’s overreaction to an infection that causes the immune system to mistakenly attack healthy organs and tissues.
Sepsis, which kills 300,000 Americans every year, or one every 90 seconds, can cause multi-organ failure and long-term complications such as amputations.
Liff told the Daily Mail that there are ‘red flag’ signs a person may notice if they need to cut back on caffeine.
‘If you find that you are having a lot of trouble sleeping, have a tremor, are sweating throughout the day, if your blood pressure is high and you’re under the age of 40, there’s absolutely no reason that should be the case.
‘These are all signs that you’re drinking too much caffeine.’
