Diabetes risk in young adults, teens may be triggered by caffeinated energy drinks: study

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Back in September, the US Food and Drug Administration warned against consuming pure powdered caffeine for the possible health problems it may cause, including rapid heartbeat, seizures, and even death. Caffeine is present in a number of beverages in the market today, from ready to drink coffee mixes to soda, and energy drinks. These energy drinks also contain sugar, which health authorities also warn against consuming too much of.

A new study presented at the World Diabetes Congress, in Vancouver, Canada has shown that caffeinated energy drinks can cause a 25-percent increase in teenagers' blood glucose and insulin levels even if these drinks do not contain any sugar, News Corp Australia Network reports. Researchers claim that this effect may lead to developing type 2 diabetes later in life. There are currently 29.1 million people or 9.3 percent of the population who have diabetes, with about 8.1 of them undiagnosed, the CDC reports.

According to HealthDay, researchers randomly gave 20 teenagers aged 13 to 19 either a traditional 5-hour Energy shot or a shot of 5-hour Energy Decaf. Forty minutes after the intake, participants underwent a standard oral glucose tolerance test, which measures the body's ability to process sugar and is a standard screening tool for type 2 diabetes. The teens also consumed a large dose of sugar t check how their blood sugar and insulin levels responded to the intake.

All 20 participants then consumed both the 5-hour Energy shot and 5-hour Energy Decaf, so researchers could check their blood sugar and insulin response to both products. Results showed that when participants consumed caffeinated 5-hour Energy, their blood glucose levels had a 24.6% increase, and their insulin levels rose by 26.4% during the glucose tolerance test, compared to when they consumed the decaf 5-hour Energy.

Senior researcher Jane Shearer, an assistant professor and diabetes researcher at the University of Calgary in Canada explained, "The elevated caffeine content in energy drinks is what causes this response."

"The caffeine has a half-life of four to six hours," she added. "This elevated glucose/insulin response is going to last a good chunk of the day."

WebMD reports that according to Dr. Jan Hux, chief science officer for the Canadian Diabetes Association, more consumers should be concerned about the results of the study, as the participants' blood sugar levels did not go down even after their bodies produced insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar.

"You think if the insulin is high, the sugar should go down. That suggests that the caffeine is causing insulin resistance," Dr. Hux explained. "The body has to make more insulin to achieve the same effect."

However, consumers must not worry about consuming coffee, as Shearer explains that "drinking a cup of coffee is beneficial for you". In fact, the caffeine in coffee comes in a natural plant-based form, compared to the processed form of powdered caffeine found in energy drinks that directly affect a person's metabolism. Shearer and her team plan on studying the effects of regular, full-sized energy drinks such as Red Bull and Monster, which all contain a significant amount of sugar and caffeine for their next research.