News / News
Researchers from the Faculty of Medicine of the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), Jagiellonian University (UJ), Lublin University of Medicine, and the Lublin University of Technology will study the effects of energy drinks on human health.
The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin has received a ministerial grant for the project "Investigating the effects of the use of energy drinks and selected plant adaptogens on the health and mental state of young adults - a research project". The analyses and studies will be carried out in cooperation with research teams from the Medical University of Lublin, the Jagiellonian University (Collegium Medicum) and the Lublin University of Technology. Professor Ryszard Maciejewski is the lead scholar.The aim of the project is to conduct research on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of energy drinks and plant adaptogens, and to assess their toxicity and health effects. The researchers will analyse both the elemental composition of energy drinks (ED) and the composition of plants and plant-derived raw materials with adaptogenic, psychostimulant and nootropic effects. Furthermore, studies on the toxicity of these substances and the interactions between them will be carried out. Of importance are the planned behavioural studies on laboratory animals along with microscopic analyses of their tissues. In addition, an assessment of psychological functioning in the context of cognitive performance and the risk of developing psychopathology in young adults consuming energy drinks is planned, also with regard to the risk of possible behavioural addictions.
Lead scholar Professor Ryszard Maciejewski, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the Catholic University of Lublin, observes: "The aim of the teams is to increase knowledge on the composition and adverse effects of energy drinks and selected plant adaptogens. A detailed analysis will determine whether components of energy drinks and plant adaptogens can have cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic effects on cells, whether components of energy drinks and plant adaptogens interact with one another, and how they can affect the nervous system and the whole body. In addition, we want to obtain information on the mental state of young adults who consume energy drinks and determine the characteristics of their neurophysiological activity".The project is aimed to raise awareness of the impact of the above products on human health. This will be accomplished through the preparation of teaching and information materials (based on the results obtained) and a comprehensive promotional campaign employing modern resources.
