CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Military service members may be facing a new threat overseas and right here at home.
A new study found energy drinks contributed to post-traumatic stress disorder and other ailments in veterans.
Energy drinks provide a boost for soldiers in war zones and have become the beverage of choice for many of them.
Army veteran Stephen Eager, who served for 11 years, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, said it was a hard habit to leave behind. He's now a student and walks the campus with his PTSD support dog.
“They were given out like candy,” Eager said. “It did have a hold on me. It was a physical addiction for several years.”
He worries that military members fighting for this country might be fighting health problems later.
Eager was on duty for 16 hours a day and said he would consume 10 energy drinks. Most commonly, he drank the energy drink ‘Rip It’, which was available for free at almost every forward operating base.
Channel 9 found a YouTube video that shows a soldier drinking seven ‘Rip It’s.'
Reports say the company website once bragged it, "has been tested on the battlefield and is a favorite of our troops."
According to a study in the Military Medicine Journal, high-energy drink consumption, defined as two or more per day, is associated with mental health problems, anger-related issues and fatigue.
The study didn't mention ‘Rip It’ specifically.
Dr. Elliot Rosenbaum, a former military psychologist, said energy drinks pack a powerful punch of sugar and caffeine, more than what’s recommended in a full day.
"My major concern, what happens to these people and their families when they come home, and they have developed these dangerous habits of over using caffeine" Rosenbaum said.
Monster Energy is also popular among soldiers. They have a Facebook page specifically for the military with over 100,000 likes.
Some military leaders have called on their troops to cut down on the consumption of energy drinks. There have not been any calls for an all-out ban.
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