Keywords
ginseng
behavior
university students
Italy
Abstract
Introduction. The consumption of energy drinks (ED) and ginseng by young people to enhance their mental and physical performance has become widespread. Reported side-effects of ED have raised doubts regarding their safety. This cross-sectional study investigates the phenomenon.
Methods. An anonymous questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of Italian university students. The resulting data were analyzed with Excel 2013, STATA 13 and GraphPad INSTAT software.
Results. ED and ginseng consumption was reported by 38.6% and 37.4% of the students, respectively. More than 70% of ED and ginseng users were 18 to 22 years old. Excluding non-responders, ED consumers were mostly males (51.8% vs. 33.0%), contrary to ginseng consumers (females 40.4% vs. 30.9%). The most frequently reported academic and other reasons for ED use were: “to study longer” (47.5%), and “to socialize” (29.1%). The most often used combinations were ED containing alcohol (65.6%) and ginseng-coffee beverages (71.8%).
Conclusions. The diffusion of ED and ginseng consumption warrants prevention and monitoring measures, and deserves further analysis.References
Ishak W W, Ugochukwu C, Bagot K, Khalili D, Zaky C. Energy drinks: psychological effects and impact on well-being and quality of life - a literature review. Innovations in clinical neuroscience. 2012; 9(1), 25-34.
Malik V S, Popkin B M, Bray G A, Després J P, Hu F B. Sugar-sweetened beverages, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease risk. Circulation 2010; 121(11):1356–1364. DOI:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.876185.
McLellan T M, Lieberman H R. Do energy drinks contain active components other than caffeine? Nutr Rev 2012; 70(12):730–744. DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2012.00525.x.
Reissiga C J, Straina E C, Griffithsb R R. Caffeinated energy drinks: a growing problem. Available at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2735818/pdf/nihms90556.pdf
Accessed in May 2017.
Zucconi S, Volpato C, Adinolfi F, Gandini E, Gentile E, Loi A, Fioriti L. Gathering consumption data on specific consumer groups of energy drinks. Parma: EFSA; 2013. (External Scientific Report for European Food Safety Authority). Available at: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/supporting/pub/en-394 Accessed in May 2017
Cardinal B J, Engels H J. Ginseng does not enhance psychological well-being in healthy, young adults: Results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2001; 101 (6): 665-660. DOI:10.1016/S0002-8223(01)00165-1.
Kitts D, Hu C. Efficacy and safety of ginseng. Public Health Nutrition 2000; 3(4A):473-85. DOI:10.1017/S1368980000000550.
Pichini S, Marchei E, Palmi I, Pellegrini M, Pacifici R, Zuccaro P. Smart drugs. Available at:
http://www.iss.it/binary/drog/cont/SD_COMPLETO_ridotto.pdf
Accessed in April 2017.
Attila S, Cakir B. Energy-drink consumption in college students and associated factors. Nutrition 2011; 27(3):316-22. DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2010.02.008.
Ayranci U, Son N, Son O. Prevalence of nonvitamin, nonmineral supplement usage among students in a Turkish university. BMC Public Health 2005; 16;5:47. DOI:10.1186/1471-2458-5-47.
Gallucci A R, Ryan J. Martin, Grant B. Morgan. The consumption of energy drinks among a sample of college students and college student athletes. J Community Health 2016; 41:109–118. DOI: 10.1007/s10900-015-0075-4.
Pettit M L, DeBarr K A. Perceived stress, energy drink consumption, and academic performance among college students. J Am Coll Health 2011; 59(5):335-41. DOI:10.1080/07448481.2010.510163.
Ballistreri M C, Corradi-Webster C M. Consumption of energy drinks among physical education students. Rev Latino-am Enfermagem 2008; 16(especial):558-64. DOI:10.1590/S0104-11692008000700009
Reid S D, Ramsarran J, Brathwaite R, Lyman S, Baker A, D’Andra C C, Ganga S, Mohammed Z, Sookdeo A T, Thapelo C K. Energy drink usage among university students in a Caribbean country: Patterns of use and adverse effects. J. Epidemiol. Global Health 2014; 5(2):103–116. DOI:10.1016/j.jegh.2014.05.004.
Kaufman D W, Kelly J P, Rosenberg L, Anderson T E, Mitchell A A. Recent patterns of medication use in the ambulatory adult population of the United States. JAMA 2002; 287(3):337-344. DOI:10.1001/jama.287.3.337.
Scalese M, Simi E, Fortunato L, Chiellini P, Doveri C, Trivellini G, Siciliano V, Sbrana C, Gazzetti S, Pardini A, Taccini R, Panini R, Fortunato L, Boni A, Potente R, Luppi C, Pardini S, Bastiani L, Curzio O, Molinaro S. Ricerca sul consumo di alcol e sostanze nella popolazione scolastica. Pisa: Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; 2012. (Rapporto Espad Italia 2012)
Oteri A, Salvo F, Caputi AP, Calapai G. Intake of energy drinks in association with alcoholic beverages in a cohort of students of the School of Medicine of the University of Messina. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2007; 31(10):1677-80. DOI:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00464.x.
Pacifici R, Palmi I, Vian P, Andreotti A, Mortali C, Berretta P, Mastrobattista L, Pichini S. Emerging trends in consuming behaviours for non-controlled substances by Italian urban youth: a cross sectional study. Ann Ist Super Sanità 2016; 52(1): 104-113. DOI: 10.4415/ANN_16_01_
Attila S, Cakir B. Energy-drink consumption in college students and associated factors. Nutrition 2011; 27 (3), 316–322.DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2010.02.008.
Malinauskas, B M, Aeby V G, Overton R F, A survey of energy drink consumption patterns among college students. Nutr. J. 2007, 6, 35. DOI: 10.1186/1475-2891-6-35
Hamilton H A, Boak A, Ilie G, Mann RE. Energy drink consumption and associations with demographic characteristics, drug use and injury among adolescents. Can J Public Health 2013; 30;104(7): 496-501. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17269/cjph.104.3998.
Breda J J, Whiting S H, Encarnação R, Norberg S, Jones R, Reinap M, Jewell J. Energy drink consumption in Europe: a review of the risks, adverse health effects, and policy options to respond. Front Public Health 2014; 2(134):1-5. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00134.
Benowitz N L. Clinical pharmacology of caffeine. Annu Rev Med 1990; 41:277–288. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.me.41.020190.001425.
Nehlig A, Daval J L, Debry G. Caffeine and the central nervous system: mechanisms of action, biochemical, metabolic and psychostimulant effects. Brain Res Rev 1992; 17(2):139–170. DOI:10.1016/0165-0173(92)90012-B.
Rush E, Schulz S, Obolonkin V, Simmons D, Plank L. Are energy drinks contributing to the obesity epidemic? Asia Pac. J. Clin. Nutr 2006; 15(2): 242–244.
Bray G A, Nielsen S J, Popkin B M. Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity. Am. J. Clin. Nutr 2004; 79(4): 537–543.
Greer F, Hudson R, Ross R. Caffeine ingestion decreases glucose disposal during a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp in sedentary humans. Diabetes 2001; 50(10): 2349–2354.DOI: 10.2337/diabetes.50.10.2349
Siegel R K. Ginseng abuse syndrome: problems with the panacea. JAMA 1979; 241(15):1614-1615. DOI:10.1001/jama.1979.03290410046024.
Buettner C, Yeh G Y, Phillips R S, Mittleman M A, Kaptchuk T J. Systematic review of the effects of ginseng on cardiovascular risk factors. Ann Pharmacother 2006; 40(1):83-95. DOI:10.1345/aph.1G216.
Deliens T, Clarys P, De Bourdeaudhuij I, Deforche B. Correlates of university students’ soft and energy drink consumption according to gender and residency. Nutrients 2015;7(8):6550-66. DOI: 10.3390/nu7085298.
Goldman R D. Caffeinated energy drinks in children. Can Fam Physician 2013; 59(9): 947-948.
Miller K E. Wired: energy drinks, jock identity, masculine norms, and risk taking. J Am Coll Health 2008; 56(5):481-489. DOI: 10.3200/JACH.56.5.481-490.
Nowak D., Jasionowski A. Analysis of the consumption of caffeinated energy drinks among Polish adolescents. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2015;12(7):7910-21. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph120707910.
Heckman M A, Sherry K, Gonzales De Mejia E. Energy drinks: an assessment of their market size, consumer demographics, ingredient profile, functionality, and regulations in the United States. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2010; 9:303–317. DOI:10.1111/j.1541-4337.2010.00111
O’Brien M, McCoy T, Rhodes S, Wagoner A, Wolfson M. Caffeinated cocktails: energy drink consumption, high-risk drinking, and alcohol-related consequences among college students. Acad Emerg Med 2008;15(5):453–460. DOI: 10.1111/j.1553-2712.2008.00085.x.
Thombs D, O’Mara R, Tsukamoto M, Rossheim M E, Weiler R M, Merves M L, Goldberger B A. Event-level analyses of energy drink consumption and alcohol intoxication in bar patrons. Addict Behav 2010; 35(4):325–330. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.11.004.
Ferreira SE, Hartmann Quadros IM, Trindade AA, Takahashi S, Koyama RG, Souza-Formigoni ML. Can energy drinks reduce the depressor effect of ethanol? An experimental study in mice. Physiol Behav 2004 (82):841–847. DOI:10.1016/j.physbeh.2004.06.017
Ferreira S E, De Mello M ., Pompeia S, De Souza-Formigoni M L.. Effects of energy drink ingestion on alcohol intoxication. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006 (30):598–605. DOI:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00070.x
Rahamathulla M P. Prevalence, side effects and awareness about energy drinks among the female university students in Saudi Arabia. Pak J Med Sci (2017), 33(2):347-352. doi: 10.12669/pjms.332.12084
( Ministero della Salute. Comitato nazionale per la sicurezza alimentare parere n. 5 del 2012 Energy drinks e bevande alcoliche. Avaliable at: http://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/c_17_pubblicazioni_1790_allegato.pdf Accessed in February 2017
Nordt S P, Claudius I, Rangan C, Armijo E, Milano P, Yanger S, Tomaszsewski C. Reasons for energy drink use and reported adverse effects among adolescent Emergency Department patients. Pediatr Emerg Care (2016) Published Ahead-of-Print, feb 2016- Last Updated: May 23, 2017. DOI: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000000644
Arria A M, Caldeira K M, Kasperski S J, Vincent K B, Griffiths R R, O’Grady K E. Energy drink consumption and increased risk for alcohol dependence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res (2011) 35(2):365–75. DOI:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01352.x.
Mattioli AV, Pennella S, Farinetti A, Manenti A. Energy drinks and atrial fibrillation in young adults. Clin Nutr. (2017): S0261-5614(17)30162-0. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2017.05.002.
Stacey N, van Walbeek C, Maboshe M, Tugendhaft A, Hofman K. Energy drink consumption and marketing in South Africa. Prev Med. (2017): S0091-7435(17)30174-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.05.011.
Berger A J, Alford K. Cardiac arrest in a young man following excess consumption of caffeinated “energy drinks”. Med J Aust (2009): 190(1):41–3.
Lehtihet M, Beckman Sundh U, Andersson D H. Energidryck–farlig eller inte? Läkartidningen (2006): 103(38):2738–41.
Iyadurai S J, Chung S S. New-onset seizures in adults: possible association with consumption of popular energy drinks. Epilepsy Behav (2007): 10:504–8. DOI:10.1016/j.yebeh.2007.01.009
Avci S, Sarikaya R, Buyukcam F. Death of a young man after over use of energy drink. Am J Emerg Med (2013); 31(1624):e3–4. DOI:10.1016/j.ajem.2013.06.031.