The weather is getting hotter and you’ll be getting thirstier playing basketball or riding home from school. A cold drink may be just the thing. But be careful what you pour down your throat. Something that looks cool may not be good for your health.
There are plenty of so-called energy drinks on the market. Most of them have an attractive colour and cool name. Their nutrition lists also contains various things from vitamins to ginseng①. Sounds great！
But after a careful check you may find that most energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine. These drinks are typically aimed at young people， students， busy people and sports players.
Makers sometimes say their drinks make you better at sports and can keep you awake. But be careful not to drink too much.
Caffeine raises your heartbeat. Because of this， the International Olympic Committee has limited their use. The amount of caffeine② in most energy drinks is at least as high as in a strong cup of coffee or strong tea.
Research by Australian scientists has found that many teenagers are affected by caffeine. The results of their survey show that 27 per cent of boys aged 8—12 take in more caffeine than their parents.
There is potential③ health risks linked to energy drinks. Just one can of energy drink can make you nervous， have difficulty sleeping and can even cause heart attacks.
Therefore， teenagers should be discouraged④ from consuming drinks with a lot of caffeine in them.
① ginsengn. 人参；人参制品
② caffeinen. 咖啡因，咖啡碱
③ potentialadj. 潜在的，可能的 n. 可能性；潜力
④ discouragevt. 使泄气，使沮丧；劝阻；打消
功能饮料
天气日渐炎热，打篮球或是放学后骑车回家的时候也会感到更加口渴难忍。这时喝一瓶冰镇饮料也许是最好的选择了。不过，豪饮的同时你一定要小心，因为有些饮料虽然令人凉爽无比但可能对健康有害。
市场上所谓的功能饮料琳琅满目。它们大部分都色彩醒目，名字超炫，营养成分也是从维他命到人参无所不包。听上去真的很不错！
不过，再仔细地看看说明，你就会发现它们的咖啡因含量都很高。大部分的功能饮料都将目标人群锁定在年轻人、学生、工作久的人以及运动员等。
有时，生产商宣称它们的产品不仅能使人更加精力充沛地进行体育运动而且可以让人头脑清醒。但是千万不要过量饮用。
咖啡因会让人心跳加快。正因如此，国际奥委会已经限制其使用。而大部分功能饮料里咖啡因的含量几乎和一杯咖啡或浓茶相当。
澳大利亚科学家的研究表明，咖啡因对许多孩子造成了影响。研究结果显示27％的8至12岁的男孩子摄入的咖啡因比他们的父母都多。
功能饮料可能会危害健康。比如喝一听功能饮料就能让人产生紧张情绪，导致失眠甚至是心脏病。
因此，青少年不宜饮用含有大量咖啡因的饮料。
