After spending many college weekends popping caffeine pills before heading out to party, my stomach felt ripped to shreds by the age of 22. Stupid. I've since matured -- herbal tea and my favorite rainbow coffee mug are best of friends these days.

Now energy drinks are the rage. However, beyond the jitters, researchers have seen an association between high consumption of canned energy and risky "toxic jock" behavior, such as unprotected sex, substance abuse and violence. It's not just young adults reaching for super-caffeinated cans of Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle, Amp and the like. Four middle schoolers headed to the ER last spring with heart palpitations and sweating after downing Spike Shooter -- a 428 milligrams of caffeine powerhouse.

While many energy drinks have less caffeine than a cup of brewed Starbucks coffee, they are served cold, which means people may down multiple cans quickly. It's even worse for those mixing alcohol with energy drinks -- a study published this month revealed college students choosing these super-charged mixers got drunk twice as often as alcohol-only drinkers. The awake drunks were also far more likely to be injured and more likely to be victims or perpetrators of aggressive sexual behavior.

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After six students fell ill and two were hospitalized, all Colorado public high schools banned energy drink Spike Shooter from their hallways. Over 200 of the state's 7-11 stores pulled the product as well, after finding out the drink was not intended to be marketed to adolescents.

The drink made students feel shaky and made their heart race. Spike Shooter contains the same amount of caffeine as two to three cups of coffee, and the manufacturer says that it was never intended to be used by children and teenagers. Labels on the can warn "Read label before drinking" and tell users to start with a half-can serving their first time using the product.
The company also warns that those taking certain medications or with certain medical conditions should stay away from their product.

This story serves as another reminder to read your food labels. Just because a product is sold in your favorite store (and I applaued 7-11 for be responsible enough to know their customer base and remove the product) doesn't mean that it is safe or suitable for you or for everyone. Keep that in mind when you're trying something new, especially if it contains supplements or excessive amounts of certain ingredients, that you should make sure it's appropriate for you.

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