A rising Texas magnificence queen’s dying is being blamed on the “unreasonably harmful” quantity of caffeine within the vitality drinks the teenager had consumed within the days and hours earlier than she died all of the sudden.
The household of Larissa Rodriguez is accusing Alani Nu Power Drinks and the Texas retailer that offered her the drinks of not correctly warning the 17-year-old of the risks of consuming the drink, based on a wrongful dying lawsuit seen by The Publish.
Rodriguez, a highschool senior and co-captain of the varsity cheerleading squad, had suffered a “deadly cardiac occasion” on Oct. 20, 2025, after she consumed no less than one 12-ounce can of Alani Nu.
Officers dominated she had died from cardiomyopathy — a critical illness of the center muscle groups — attributable to extreme caffeine consumption.
“The Alani Nu Power Drink was designed and formulated such that it might trigger cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, and dying in shoppers, particularly youngsters, adolescents, and caffeine-sensitive people,” the household argued.
The lawsuit, filed in Hidalgo County District Courtroom by Rodriguez’s dad and mom – Jennifer and Roberto — famous that a number of well being organizations unequivocally state that vitality drinks don’t have any place within the diets of kids and adolescents, with the utmost every day consumption for minors being not more than 100 milligrams.
Her dad and mom declare the 200 milligrams inside a 12-ounce can of Alani is considerably greater than most delicate drinks and different vitality drinks on a per-ounce foundation, whereas the can has a number of design flaws.
“Critically, it doesn’t warn in opposition to extreme caffeine consumption,” the lawsuit states.
A can of Alani Nu has a short warning on the label saying the beverage is “Not beneficial for Kids, Folks Delicate to Caffeine, Pregnant Ladies or Ladies who’re Nursing.”
“The one cautionary language on the can is printed in small, inconspicuous textual content that’s simply ignored and wholly insufficient to warn shoppers of the intense dangers of cardiac damage and dying,” the lawsuit continues.
“It was faulty in its design, unreasonably harmful, and unsafe for its supposed objective as a result of it didn’t present ample safety and/or warning in opposition to the foreseeable threat of cardiac-related accidents and dying.
Rodriguez’s household additionally accused Alani Nu of getting an undisclosed amount of taurine, an amino acid, recognized to amplify the stimulatory results of caffeine and linked to a number of well being results, together with altered neural functioning, lowered serotonin and dopamine ranges, and cardiovascular results.
The consequences of the extra mixed stimulants and the well being dangers shoppers face, together with cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, or dying, usually are not famous on the can.
The a number of components are allegedly “hidden inside a vaguely described ‘Power Mix’ that doesn’t specify particular person quantities, stopping shoppers from making knowledgeable choices about their consumption,” the swimsuit claimed.
Alani Nu, based by health influencer Katy Hearn, is marketed as a “better-for-you” wellness and way of life beverage, the swimsuit claims, with younger ladies and minors as its target market by commercials on social media.
“Alani Nu’s advertising and marketing is especially misleading as a result of it positions the product as a part of a wholesome, lively way of life whereas concealing the substantial cardiac and neurological dangers related to its concentrated caffeine and stimulant components,” the swimsuit states.
The lawsuit in contrast Rodriguez’s dying to lawsuits in opposition to Panera Bread after its “Charged Lemonade” was blamed for no less than two deaths.
“These lawsuits alleged that the drinks weren’t adequately labeled as vitality drinks, had been positioned alongside non-caffeinated drinks with out ample warnings, and precipitated deadly cardiac occasions in shoppers with and with out pre-existing situations,” Rodriguez household lawyer, Benny Agosto Jr., argued.
Rodriguez was described as an lively, high-achieving teenager — a cheerleader, tennis participant and honor scholar who had been accepted to just about 20 schools, based on the San Antonio Categorical-Information. She deliberate to review legislation on the College of Texas at Austin, based on her obituary.
She had no earlier recognized well being points and didn’t use medicine or alcohol.
In 2022, the teenager was topped the inaugural Junior Miss Weslaco, and gained the Miss Texas Onion Fest 2024.
Rodriguez’s household is looking for restoration of damages from their daughter’s dying.
“On account of the wrongful conduct, Larissa Rodriguez suffered bodily ache and psychological anguish, ache, and torment previous to her dying,” the lawsuit states.
