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Why You Should Avoid Energy Drinks? Energy drinks are just canned or bottled soft drinks advertised as boosting energy. They are usually sold in convenience stores, grocery stores, and bars and nightclubs, and marketed as a stimulant that could increase alertness and performance. Popular brands of energy drinks include Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle, Rock Star and Spark. Most energy drinks are carbonated drinks containing large amount of caffeine and sugar together with vitamins and some herbal supplements that manufacturers have combined. So different persons would have been affected differently. A person whose blood sugar level is below par might feel tired or sluggish. So the sugar and caffeine in a can of energy drink might give this person a boost. On the other hand, a can of energy drink might cause a person with hypertension (or more commonly known as high blood pressure) to sweat excessively and feel dizzy. Perhaps, a can or bottle a day might not cause any harm, I suppose. But how about consuming few cans or bottles in a row just to keep alert? Is there any risk of doing this? Not many consumers would seriously ask. Researchers from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston warned in November 2010’s Mayo Clinic Proceedings that the caffeine contained in energy drinks could exceed significantly than that in a cup of coffee. They further pointed out that the caffeine and other ingredients in energy drinks when used with alcohol could pose some health risks.
Contents of caffeine in energy drinks range from 70 to 200 mg per 16-oz serving, while that in an 8-oz cup of coffee range from 40 to 150 mg depending on how it is brewed. Meanwhile, the ingredients like herbal stimulant guarana, the amino acid taurine, and other herbs, minerals and vitamins, which might interact with caffeine, are mostly not mentioned on the labels. What concern the researchers is how such interaction might affect heart rate, blood pressure and even mental states when consumed in large amount with alcohol or by athletes. After reviewing medical literature on energy drinks and their ingredients between 1976 and 2010, the researchers found that there has been little research into their impact. Though some small studies that were mostly conducted on physically active young adults did show escalated blood pressure and heart rates, evidence of more serious effects like heart attack, seizures and death are not conclusive. In an animal study, rats fed with taurine exhibited bizarre behavior, including anxiety and self-mutilation. Such findings had showed consumption of energy drinks is positively linked to high-risk behavior and prompted Norway, Denmark and France to ban Red Bull. The high sugar content in energy drinks could raise a person’s blood sugar beyond the body’s target zone. This means the drinker is at a higher risk of getting weight increase. Caffeine, just like nicotine and alcohol, has been shown to be additive despite of its ability of acting as a stimulant. Based on the way caffeine and some other ingredients affect the body, the researchers are certain that there is a risk that energy drinks can seriously dehydrate users, especially athletes. Non-athletes should drink no more than a can or bottle a day and should never mix energy drink with alcohol. More importantly, they should also drink a lot of water after exercising. People with hypertension (high blood pressure) should never consume energy drink and people with health conditions like heart disease should consult their doctors before consuming such drinks. Because of the possible dehydration and increased blood pressure, researchers believed water or lower-octane sports drinks, which contain electrolytes, some minerals and carbohydrates, are better choice.
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