Monster Energy Drinks Linked To 5 Deaths

It looks like the family of one teenage girl, who they say died after drinking a highly caffeinated Monster Energy Drink, isn't the only family grieving. Now, FDA reports show that five deaths may be linked back to the energy drinks. 

The FDA is investigating the incident reports, which doctors and companies must submit to the FDA every year, reports Bloomberg. It's part of an ongoing investigation into caffeinated drinks. "FDA continues to evaluate the emerging science on a variety of ingredients, including caffeine," said representative Shelly Burgess to Bloomberg. 

So far, there have been 37 reports of adverse reactions to the drinks since 2004; among those are five death reports. That includes reports of nonfatal heart attacks, abnormal heart rate, abdominal pain, and vomiting. A representative for Monster told The New York Times that the company was "unaware of any fatality anywhere that has been caused by its drinks."

The most common Monster Energy drink, like the one teenager Anais Fournier consumed, contains 240 milligrams of caffeine — nearly seven times the amount of caffeine in a can of Coke. There are currently no FDA standards for limiting the amount of caffeine in an energy drink. Those sodas are looking pretty good now, huh?