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Energy drinks cause sleep disorders in children, French agency warns

Public health body says pregnant women and people with certain heart problems or neurological disorders are also at risk from energy drinks.

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Young people and adolescents are at risk of sleep disorders, drowsiness during the day and of developing addictions to other psychoactive substances if they take drinks like Red Bull, Monster or Burn, according to a report published by France’s Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), reports The Daily Telegraph.

Energy drinks were also dubbed dangerous for pregnant women, as they increase the risk of slowing fetal growth, and women who breastfeed. Also at risk are those with certain heart problems, or psychiatric or neurological disorders, such as epilepsy.

The report highlighted hundreds of cases of people who suffered from adverse reactions after consuming energy drinks; some 257 cases were reported, of which 212 could be analysed.

In 25 cases, the role played by “caffeinated energy drinks” was considered “likely or very likely”.

Read more of this report from The Daily Telegraph.