Danger in energy drinks? Many say yes.

Recently, ESPN put out an interesting article on energy drinks and the effects they're having on today's youth. The article was picked up by the FDA and pushed out in their "NewsWatch" e-newsletter. I hope you'll take a few moments to read the article, watch the video, and think about what's being said. I was very surprised.

Click here to be taken to the article

I know that I've used energy drinks many times in the past year, including before and after my church league softball games. When I've needed to stay awake to finish a project or make a drive to Dallas or Kansas City late at night or early in the morning, I'll pop open an energy drink just to give me that extra boost I think I might need to get me there. Some people drink coffee. I drink Diet Mountain Dew or an energy drink.

The story doesn't talk as much about energy drinks and their effects on adults as it does the effect they may have on kids. That's where the story hits home for me. I know I've often bought my 12-year-old an energy drink when we've stopped at the store on the way home from softball. Not a big deal, right? Well ... maybe it is.

An article in 2008 linked energy drinks to tooth erosion (click here to read it) and another said they're 10 times worse for teeth than cold (click here to read that article) so we know there's a link there. Maybe it's time that the use of energy drinks should be discussed with younger patients. Maybe it's time for dental professionals to discuss the possible dangers with kids, not only to teeth but to the entire body.

Think about it.