Family says popular energy drink played role in cheerleader’s fatal heart condition

The family of a 17-year-old Texas cheerleader has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a popular energy drink distributor, saying the teen died of an enlarged heart caused by ingesting large amounts of caffeine.

Larissa Nicole Rodriguez, a high school student attending college in Weslaco, Texas, died in October. The Hidalgo County medical examiner determined the cause of death was “an enlarged heart due to stress and large amounts of caffeine,” his family’s attorney, Benny Agosto Jr., said at a news conference Wednesday. Hidalgo County did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Agosto said the Alani Nu energy drinks that Rodriguez frequently drank “had inadequate warnings about the serious heart risks posed by this product.” The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Hidalgo County District Court, includes the claim and seeks more than $1 million in damages. The family did not respond to a request for comment.

Agosto said Rodriguez did not have any pre-existing heart conditions or heart-related problems. He said the coroner tested for numerous drugs and “everything came back negative, not a single trace of alcohol. The only thing found in his system was caffeine.”

Agosto said Rodriguez was an active teenager who played tennis and was a cheerleader, “full of life, loving, smart, academic and with a bright future.”

“His life was cut short,” he said at the news conference, surrounded by his parents and other relatives.

The family is suing distributor Glazer’s Beer and Beverage and Glazer’s Beer and Beverage of Texas. The company distributes beverages in Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. According to their website.

Glazer’s Beer and Beverage did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.

Celsius Inc., which owns Alani Nu, said in a statement: “We are saddened for this loss and our thoughts are with the family. We take product safety seriously and believe consumers should have clear information about what they are drinking.”

The statement said, “It is stated on the box of Alani Nu energy drinks that there is 200 mg of caffeine, and the label states that the product is not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant women or breastfeeding women.” “Our products comply with applicable federal labeling requirements, and it is our policy not to market or sample to persons under 18 years of age in accordance with these label warnings.”

Celsius completed its acquisition of Alani Nu in April 2025. $1.8 billionHe is not the defendant in the case.

Agosto said the lawsuit was filed against the beverage distributor because “they bought it, they distributed it, they distributed it everywhere, and they also didn’t give any warning.” He said in an interview Thursday that more defendants, including Celsius, will be added as discovery in the case continues.

Alani Nu energy drink is 12 fluid ounces and contains 200 mg of caffeine, which is the same as a 12-ounce can of Celsius. total daily maximum amount of caffeine The Food and Drug Administration’s recommended amount of caffeine for healthy adults is 400 mg, and children and teens ages 12 to 17 should have less than 100 mg of caffeine per day. According to Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Alani Nu’s drinks contain much higher concentrations of caffeine than other popular energy drinks on the market. By comparison, labels indicate that an 8.4-ounce can of Red Bull Energy Drink contains 80 mg of caffeine, and a 17-ounce can of Monster contains 160 mg of caffeine.

Agosto said Rodriguez started drinking Alani Nu because of ads on social media for its wellness and health benefits as well as energy boosts.

“He first got into it because of social media and other social interactions with young people. At some point he fell in love with it,” he said. Eventually, he continued to post about the product, just like influencers do.

He said he started drinking Alani Nu at least once a day, sometimes more, last year.

“It was very common for him to get up in the morning and go to school and have Alani, or participate in sports activities and have Alani,” Agosto said. “We have photos and videos of him working out, of him and his classmates, as well as other friends, drinking Alani or other energy drinks.”

The lawsuit alleges that Alani Nu targeted its marketing via social media to young women and minors and advertised the drink as a healthy living and lifestyle drink, but says the drink lacked appropriate warnings, including consumption limits and potential dangers.

Agosto said the Alani Nu energy drink was such a part of Rodriguez’s life that the school’s homecoming event invitation included a picture of the product and said: “I hope you have the energy to go homecoming with me.”

Agosto said that Rodriguez was “deceived into thinking that this drink was not a wellness drink, that it wasn’t a get-well drink… It causes problems with his heart, and that ultimately took his life.”

In 2023 the Canadian government released: Alani Nu recallciting discrepancies regarding caffeine content and labeling issues.

Agosto said the family’s hope in the case is to prevent the tragedy from affecting other families.

“They lost their only daughter. She was two months away from being 18,” he said. “Ultimately, what they want is for this not to happen to one child. If they can save one life, that’s what they want. If they can change the industry to provide better protection and warnings for children, that’s what they want.”

This article was first published on: NBCNews.com