Energy Drinks—A Look Beyond The Can
You’ve all had those groggy days during which you needed an energy boost or a quick pick-me-up. Some of you may turn to a cup (or cups) of coffee or tea. Some of you may also turn to energy drinks. These may be the more convenient option — just run down to the supermarket, buy a can, pop it open, and feel their effects after a few sips.
You may have come across flashy advertisements of energy drinks on TV or social media. They entice you to run to the supermarket and get a can for yourself. But energy drinks have also gained a negative reputation for being unhealthy energy boosters.
So are energy drinks actually bad for your health? Dr. YOU demystifies the science behind this.
Breaking down the contents of energy drinks
So what’s going inside your body when you have an energy drink? It’s a cocktail of a variety of ingredients, some of which you may never even heard of. The familiar ones are water (of course), certain vitamins (like B vitamins), sugar, and caffeine.
One can of energy drink (about 250 mL) can have 25–30 grams of sugar. That’s about 5–6 teaspoons of sugar. Depending on the brand and volume of the can, the caffeine content can be about 45–80 milligrams. For reference, one cup of black brewed coffee has about 80 milligrams of caffeine.
Energy drinks may contain several other ingredients, some of which are:
- Guarana — This is a plant extract from South America that is high in caffeine. One gram of this plant extract has about 40 milligrams of caffeine.
- Ginseng — This is a herbal supplement commonly used in East Asia. It has been reported to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Taurine — This is an amino acid that is naturally present in meat, fish, and dairy products. It has also been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects.
- L-carnitine — This is another naturally occurring amino acid made by your liver and kidneys. It is involved in metabolism and using fat as energy.
Research says a lot!
There’s a lot of scientific research about the impacts of energy drinks on health:
It could be a risky choice
A study from Harvard University reviewed the evidence out there on energy drinks and health consequences. They found that many studies showed associations of energy drinks with risk-seeking behaviours (among adolescents); poor mental health; negative cardiovascular impacts; and adverse effects on metabolism, the kidneys, and oral health. But they noted that most of these studies only investigated the effects of sugar and caffeine, and not those of the other ingredients in energy drinks. Moreover, we cannot draw concrete conclusions because of the way the studies were designed.
Caffeine overdose is a real thing
Given the high caffeine content in energy drinks, drinking too many cans can cause caffeine-related issues. It is recommended that your daily caffeine intake should not exceed 400 milligrams. The effects of caffeine can range from mild ones like insomnia, headaches, and an upset stomach to more harmful ones like tachycardia (rapid heartbeats), seizures, and serious liver and kidney problems.
Don’t try this at home, kids
Excess intake of energy drinks can be especially dangerous in adolescents. For example, in 2011, around 1,500 American adolescents were admitted to the emergency department due to emergencies related to consuming energy drinks.
Anxiety could be a side-effect
One review summarized the research that studied the link between energy drinks and mental health. It found that many studies showed links between frequently consuming energy drinks and negative mental health outcomes. For example, one study from Australia found that young men who consumed more than 100 mL or 250 mL of energy drinks per day had higher anxiety levels than those who did not consume.
Your blood pressure could rise
In one study from Poland, 68 young volunteers consumed three energy drinks every hour. The researchers found that the diastolic blood pressure of the volunteers increased by 8%, but the systolic blood pressure did not change significantly. The blood sugar levels of these volunteers also rose by an average of 21%.
So what’s the final verdict on energy drinks?
There’s still a lot to be explored regarding the health consequences of energy drinks. There is a lack of research about how moderate consumption of energy drinks affects health. Moreover, we still don’t know about the health impacts of the other ingredients in energy drinks. Although many of these ingredients occur naturally, the way they interact with each other in the body is not well-understood. Everyone’s reaction to energy drinks may not be the same.
But if you decide to grab a can of energy drink, keep the following points in mind:
- Watch out for the caffeine content in energy drinks, it can be a lot! Your daily caffeine intake should not exceed 400 milligrams. That’s about 4 cups of brewed black coffee or 8 cups of black or green tea. For adolescents aged 12–18 years, the CDC recommends a daily caffeine intake of maximum 100 milligrams (1 cup of brewed black coffee).
- Energy drinks can be extremely high in sugar. Your daily sugar intake should not be more than 6 teaspoons, and an average can of energy drink already has 5–6 teaspoons of sugar. The negative effects of high sugar intake are well-documented. It can raise your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
- Avoid mixing energy drinks and alcohol at all costs. Energy drinks mask the effects of alcohol, so you cannot actually determine how intoxicated you are. This makes you drink more, making you vulnerable to severe dehydration and alcohol poisoning.
- If you are on certain medication or have certain chronic diseases, having energy drinks is highly discouraged. You should consult your doctor about whether energy drinks are suitable and safe for you.
Yes, there are times when you need that caffeine fix to get you going. But always be mindful about what’s going inside your body — you might experience unintended harmful effects. Remember, the only person who can keep YOU the healthiest is YOU!
DISCLAIMER: Dr. YOU aims to bring you the latest evidence-based science, and our content is for informational purposes only. The content is not medical advice or guarantee of an outcome. You should always consult a doctor or qualified healthcare professional if you need further clarification and before making any changes to your treatment plans and lifestyle, or that of others.
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