Trying out a coffee that claims to have 80 times the regular amount of caffeine just for kicks could leave you six feet under, warn doctors.
A cafe in Adelaide is selling the "Asskicker" coffee that contains five grams of caffeine. That's 80 times the amount in a regular cup, which normally contains about 60mg of caffeine.
The owner of the Viscous Coffee, Steve Bennington, says he came up with the idea to create the brew - designed to be consumed over a period of four hours - after an emergency department nurse asked him for something that would keep her awake during a night shift.
"She consumed her drink over two days and it kept her up for almost three days -- I toned it down a little after that and the Asskicker was born," Bennington told odditycentral.com.
News of the 'asskicker' has created a buzz on social media but the South Australian arm of the Australian Medical Association says caffeine is an addictive drug and is not to be taken lightly.
It can cause sleeplessness and jitters, headaches, dizziness, dehydration, abnormal heart rhythms, and dependence.
"Some of the dangers of caffeinated drinks have come to light in recent years particularly in relation to energy drinks, with people collapsing and even dying," said Dr Janice Fletcher, president of AMA South Australia, told AAP.
A 2015 study included a 28-year-old man who collapsed while playing basketball after drinking three cans of energy drink five hours beforehand. He died three days later after being rushed to hospital suffering ventricular tachycardia.
High concentrations of caffeine can also have health complications when mixed with some medications and herbal supplements.
Any product that comes with a health warning should be enough to deter people.
"If you are just looking for a pick-me-up or a novelty, we would advise to get it from a healthier source," Dr Fletcher advised.
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