Energy drinks: Bad for kids, bad for your teeth

Brightly-colored, sugar-filled energy and sports drinks are everywhere – in vending machines, cafeterias and gas stations.

While they may seem like a healthy alternative – athletes drink them, after all – most lack nutritional value, and many contain caffeine. The evidence actually shows these drinks can be detrimental to kids and harmful to teeth.

First off, a systematic review commissioned by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that sports drinks – which don’t contain caffeine, but do have a lot of sugar – lead to obesity and tooth decay among children. And energy drinks – which do contain caffeine – can interfere with sleep, lead to anxiety and cause dehydration.

A more recent study published in the journal General Dentistry and covered by National Public Radio found both energy and sports drinks contain high levels of citric acid, which erodes tooth enamel, leaving teeth more prone to cavities and decay.

There’s certainly a place for sports drinks – specifically to replace electrolytes and energy stores in both children and adults who exercise vigorously for more than an hour at a time. But for the public at large, these drinks are essentially empty calories.

So help to discourage children from downing sports drinks unless they’re actually playing a sport.  And the next time you’re picking up a beverage to go with that sandwich or need to quench your thirst on a long drive, stick with water.  It’s the healthier choice.