Corona-based Monster Beverage Inc. has fired back at a medical study that claims energy drinks are potentially harmful, especially to young people.
The study by the Radiological Society of North America said adults in good health who consumed energy drinks – of which Monster Beverage is the leading producer in the United States – experienced increased heart rates one hour later.
Researchers attributed that to the high level of caffeine and taurine in those drinks, according to the report released Monday.
Monster Beverage wasted no time responding to that claim.
On Tuesday, it posted a statement on its website that called the study “alarmist and misleading,” and said the researchers did nothing to demonstrate that energy drinks can damage a person’s heart.
“The paper offers no new information and confirms what scientists have known for decades: taurine helps the heart function more efficiently by improving the pumping force of the heart without any changes in blood pressure or heart rate,” the Monster Beverage statement read.
For the past several years, Monster Beverage’s energy drinks have been questioned by some healthcare and government officials for their potential health risks.