Are energy drinks dangerous? - KMSP-TV

They're growing in polarity and sold over the counter pretty much everywhere, but are energy drinks dangerous?

The Food and Drug Administration has received reports of 13 deaths over the past four years that cite the possible involvement of 5 Hour Energy.

Last month, the FDA announced they'd received five fatal filings mentioning Monster Energy Drinks.

Matt Coggin, the owner DBA Barbeque, says that he runs on energy drinks.

"It's quick and it definitely gets me through my day," he said.

Emory University professor Dr. Robert Geller says the big problem is people overdoing it with the drinks.

"We often have this idea that when one is good, two must be better, and if two are better, then four are evenbetter, and this is not one of those stories," Geller said.

People downing large quantities of energy drinks can lead to strokes and heart attacks, Geller said.

"When you have too much caffeine, you start getting bad effects from the caffeine," said Geller.

Jesse Altman owns Atlanta energy and coffee drink Whynatte. He says people should look at the label.

"People should know what they're putting in their bodies," Altman said.

The problem is while products like Whynatte and Red Bull tell you how much caffeine is in the can, energy supplements like 5 Hour Energy and Monster don't.

"If there's one thing I would advocate for the industry is to have labels that tell you how much caffeine you're consuming," Altman said.

He says consumers need to use some common sense.

"Would you go out and drink eight cups of coffee in an hour? Probably not the same goes for an energy drink," he said.

Elaine Lutz, a spokesperson for Living Essentials LLC, the company that owns 5 Hour Energy, told FOX 5's Justin Gray that they are unaware of any deaths proven to have been caused by the consumption of the drink.

While the FDA does not regulate supplements such as 5 Hour Energy, they can take action if they find out they are causing harm.