Are Energy Drinks Bad for You?

Yes, energy drinks can be bad for you. Energy drinks have got huge popularity among youngsters. These energy beverages guarantee to improve the energy levels of the body.

Energy drinks are energy boosters that improve mental alertness, concentration, and focus and also help in improving the performance of a person.

This is the reason why these energy boosters are consumed regularly by youngsters and teenagers. Youngsters like the effects of energy drinks, so consume them before performing heavy and difficult tasks.

Youngsters consider them as power boosters but they are unaware of the disadvantages and damages caused by them. The instant effects of energy drinks make them more desirable but people do not value the long-term damages that they can cause.

The chemicals that are used in the drinks can be very dangerous if these drinks are consumed regularly on the daily basis. Overconsumption can lead to massive health issues for you. Though energy drinks make you active and alert instantly, they will be causing health problems for a long period.

The most popular energy drink brands are:

• Red bull
• Bang Energy
• Rockstar
• Monster

These are the most famous brands of energy drinks and their popularity is increasing day by day. Statistics show that the energy drink category reported a dollar sales growth of 12.6 percent in the U.S in 2021, compared to the previous year.

There can be several reasons why energy drinks are bad for you. Let’s take a look!

Various Physical Ailments

The regular or overconsumption of energy drinks can cause several diseases in your body. People who consume energy drinks on the daily basis encounter many disadvantages and these can also lead to some serious health issues in the body.

The stimulants that an energy drink contains can be hazardous when consumed heavily. An energy drink is packed with numerous unhealthy ingredients like caffeine, ginseng, guarana, multivitamins, amino acids, and sugar. Regular use and overconsumption can be unhealthy and dangerous for your physical health.

It can cause many diseases related to the heart and kidneys of a person. The damaged kidneys and unhealthy heart can cause death in the future. These are the most important parts of a body and if any of these two is damaged, a person will face several other diseases linked to these organs.

There are also other mental and physical damages a person might feel while consuming a high amount of energy drinks.

Let’s have a look at a few of the serious health disorders an energy drink can cause.

1.      Heart Diseases

Energy drinks mostly contain chemicals that cause damage to the heart in the long run. The heart helps to pump enough blood and gives the supply of oxygen and other nutrients to the brain and many other organs. So, this is the most important part of the human body. A heavy dose of energy drinks can cause different heart issues.

The overconsumption of energy drinks can cause several cardiovascular diseases. Increased heart rate, high blood pressure, improper heartbeats, and even heart failure can be caused due to the heavy consumption of these energy beverages.

Heart Palpitation

You may feel like your heart is pounding or beating irregularly. This is a condition where heartbeats become noticeable because of irregular heart rates. It is a sensation of a racing pulse.

The overconsumption of energy drinks can cause heart palpitation. Medical attention is required to control this heart palpitation as this can lead to further health issues in your body. A controlled amount of energy drink must be consumed to avoid such health disorders.

High Blood Pressure

The regular intake of energy drinks can cause high blood pressure. A minor increase in blood pressure can lead to massive health issues. Increased blood pressure can cause damage to the arteries. The arteries can get blocked and stop the blood flow to the heart.

High blood pressure can cause veins in the cerebrum to stop up more effectively. Individuals that are already facing high blood pressure must not consume energy drinks regularly as these drinks will increase blood pressure which is dangerous for them. The consumption of energy drinks must not exceed the limit.

Heart Failure

Yes, you read it right! Energy drinks can cause heart failure as well. When you consume energy drinks in heavy amounts, you also intake all the hazardous ingredients. It eventually ends up causing several cardiovascular diseases. Heart palpitation, affected arteries, heart attack and it can even cause sudden cardiac arrest all can be a result of overconsumption of energy beverages.

High blood pressure can lead to stroke and heart failure in the long run. The rate of heart failure has increased in recent years. Even youngsters are dying because of heart strokes and heart failure.

2. Kidney Diseases

Just like the heart, kidneys are equally important for your body. The overconsumption of energy drinks can lead to so many kidney diseases as well. The chemicals that are used in energy beverages are very dangerous for the human body if consumption exceeds the limit.

The kidney helps to remove waste, extra fluids, and drugs from the body. It is the need of your body to have clean blood but if the kidneys stop working you will need to go through dialysis immediately.

The excess intake of hazardous ingredients that an energy drink contains will ultimately lead to various kidney problems. When your kidney is affected you start to encounter several other health issues.

• Your skin becomes dry and itchy.
• You will see blood coming in urine.
• You feel more tired and lose concentration.
• You are facing difficulty sleeping.
• You frequently need to urinate.
• Urine becomes foamy.

These are a few health issues that you have to undergo when your kidney does not work properly and has any disease.

Kidney Stones

Yes, it is right. The overconsumption of energy drinks can cause kidney damage and kidney stones in your body. Energy drinks are incomplete without the two main ingredients that are caffeine and sugar.

The beverages that contain sugar and caffeine together like tea, coffee, soda, and energy drink can be unhealthy for your body. Their regular and overconsumption will lead to stone formation in your kidneys.

Kidney stones caused by energy drinks are often seen in the kidneys of children and youngsters as well. Minerals and salt in your urine form solid crystals that are called kidney stones. Kidney stone formation can occur when your urine has increased levels of such minerals and salt.

These stones in the start will be small but will grow and get larger with time. Energy drink consumption is analyzed to be one of the reasons for forming kidney stones.

There are several reasons for stone formation because of the excessive intake of energy drinks.

Dehydration

Water is an essential need of the human body. Caffeine causes the kidneys to make more urine. Frequent urine causes dehydration in your body. If you have plenty of water in your body, kidney stone formation is not possible.

The water does not allow stone-forming crystals to stay together and form stones in the kidneys. Dehydration in the body will lead to kidney stones. Plenty of water must be consumed to avoid kidney stone formation.

Calcium Oxalate

Oxalate is found in drinks and food. It is a chemical compound that exits the body through urine. Energy drinks are highly responsible for excessive oxalates in the body. The excessive intake of calcium oxalates can form kidney stones in the body.

Kidney Failure

The amount of energy drink consumption must not exceed the limit. It should not be more than two cans a day. The regular use of unhealthy ingredients in energy drinks will cause so many cardiovascular diseases and kidney diseases. Stone formation is one of a very common diseases. If you still do not stop consuming these drinks, the results might surprise you with kidney failure.

Hazardous Ingredients of Energy Drinks

Another reason why energy drinks are bad for you is the ingredients that are used in these beverages. The energy drink attracts youngsters with its surety to provide an increase in energy levels.

People consume energy drinks to give a boost to their energy, concentration, alertness, and focus but in actuality, they are unaware of the harm that an energy drink can cause to their health.

Energy drink brands continue to advertise themselves, especially youngsters as the best solution to their tiring routine. Despite this, looking up the ingredients people will get surprised. Caffeine, taurine, sugar, guarana, and ginseng are the main important ingredients of an energy drink.

The continuous consumption of such ingredients can be very dangerous for your health. Overconsumption will lead to many physical and mental disorders for a long time.

Let’s discuss how the ingredients of energy drinks can be unhealthy for you.

1. Caffeine

Caffeine is the main active ingredient of any energy drink brand. An energy drink is incomplete without caffeine. You might not find caffeine in the list of ingredients because most brands hide their use of it in the ingredient list. Caffeine increases brain activity.

Caffeine is a stimulant that helps to improve the brain’s abilities and improves work efficiency. It is the most important stimulant that helps in making you more focused and alert. Working together with sugar, the caffeine within a short time of consumption improves alertness, focus, and concentration quickly.

 The average consumption of caffeine is almost 400 grams a day. An energy drink can of almost 500ml contains 70-240mg of caffeine. Caffeine is a natural stimulant that is most regularly found in coffee beans, cocoa plants, and tea. A heavy dosage of caffeine will have many health issues.

The effects of caffeine can last for a long time. It can require as long as 10 hours to clean caffeine off of your bloodstream.

There are different side effects of the overconsumption of caffeine.

• Insomnia
• Dehydration
• Increased heart rate
• Fatigue
• High blood pressure
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Nervousness
• Vomiting
• Anxiety

Addiction to Caffeine

People enjoy the effects of caffeine as it makes them refreshed and alerts when consumed in small doses. But when caffeine is used on the regular basis this will lead to some serious health issues. Tea, coffee, soda, and energy drinks are caffeinated beverages.

There are different food items also that contain caffeine and make you addicted. An example is a bar of chocolate. You without even knowing can take an excessive amount of caffeine in a day.

The regular intake of caffeine will make your body tolerate the caffeine effects. Depending so much on caffeine will make you addicted to it. Addiction to this drug will cause several health issues in the future. When you are addicted to caffeine, it will stop working for you and will have adverse effects on your body.

Caffeine Withdrawal

Caffeine withdrawal happens when a person is addicted to caffeine and tries to stop using it all of a sudden. He does this to avoid several health issues but it is not easy for him to stop it immediately. If he stops it suddenly, he might face a lot of other serious problems.

He has to go through problems like poor concentration, he feels even more tired, depressed mood, lower blood pressure drowsiness. Considering different health issues a few people might stop drinking energy drinks but most of them are unaware of their long-term dangers and continue to drink an excessive amount.

Statistics show that in June 2021, almost 29% of Poles introduced no changes to their energy drinking consumption during the coronavirus pandemic. While 6% of people stated that they entirely stopped consuming energy drinks during the pandemic.

It is important to consume the caffeine in a controlled amount otherwise it will not be easily possible for you to stop using it immediately considering your health.

2. Sugar

The second most important ingredient of an energy drink is the sugar that it contains. Sugar with caffeine helps to maintain and boost your energy levels. An energy drink contains nearly 26 g of sugar. Most energy drink brand contains 14-17 teaspoons of sugar in a can. However, the amount of sugar consumption must not exceed 30 g in a day.

 If you do not find sugar in the ingredient list of your energy drink, look up the different names like fructose, sucrose, corn syrup, and glucose. These all are the different types of sugar an energy drink is made of. Sugar though helps to increase the energy in your body and brain but within a short period, it can also cause a crash in your alertness and performance.

The overconsumption of sugar can lead to several side effects.

• Risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Weight gain.
• Can cause cardiovascular diseases and gout.
• Obesity.
• Overconsumption of sugar might cause inflammation.

Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is considered to be a dangerous disease that can damage the entire body. Energy drinks can cause an increase in sugar levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes affects the body’s capacity to balance blood glucose levels.

Diabetes does not allow your body to produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that permits your body to turn glucose into energy. The consumption of sugar must be controlled to avoid several health hazards. Diabetes if not treated at the start will lead you to massive complications and diseases.

• Foot ulcers
• Kidney damage
• Vision issues
• Nerve damage
• Mental health
• Cardiovascular diseases

These are some side effects that diabetes can further cause on your body. A balanced and controlled intake of sugar is a must to avoid all these problems.

Risk of Obesity

An energy drink contains a high amount of sugar. Sugar is not at all healthy for the human body. Overconsumption of energy drinks will cause excessive sugar in the body. Excessive amounts of sugar will lead to obesity. Weight gain is one of the most common side effects of sugar.

Too much sugar is always fattening and unhealthy for your body. Obesity can further lead you to some serious diseases like coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and gallbladder disease. A controlled and balanced amount of sugar must be consumed to avoid many health issues.

3. Taurine

Taurine is another important ingredient in an energy drink. Taurine is a chemical called an amino acid. This naturally occurs in the human body. A large amount of taurine is developed in the heart, retina, brain, and platelets. It improves the body’s efficiency to fight diseases. Taurine has many health benefits for your body. It is found in eggs, fish, meats, and many other food items.

Taurine is a power-boosting chemical that the body produces on its own. People like to take it as a supplement to improve their performance.

The taurine dosage can be 500-2000mg per day. Individuals who are suffering from some diseases will be given taurine as a supplement whose bodies do not produce enough taurine.

Though it has many health benefits when it is consumed in an excessive amount, taurine will also have some side effects.

The youngsters without knowing the effects consume so many energy drinks. Chemicals like caffeine sugar and taurine are easily accessible to teenagers. These chemicals in high doses affect the heart and the kidneys.

Though taurine helps to fight many diseases and is beneficial for you regular overconsumption can lead to several kidney diseases.

• Acute kidney injury
• Chronic renal failure
• Diabetic nephropathy
• Glomerulonephritis

Opposite Effects of Energy Drink

One more reason energy drinks are bad for you is the opposite effect that they can have on you. People consume energy drinks to increase their energy levels. Most athletes drink energy drinks before performing to increase their focus and improve their performance.

Energy drink brands promise to give a quick boost to the energy levels of a person. People before driving on long routes consume energy drinks to stay more alert and many youngsters drink energy booster beverages before doing a workout or exercise.

Individuals who love to have energy drinks are unaware that these energy drinks can have the total opposite and negative effects on them. Except for improving alertness, performance, and concentration the energy drink will even slow down their performance.

This is due to the regular consumption of caffeine, sugar, and taurine. All these stimulants work negatively because of excessive intake.   

Caffeine and sugar take no more than 10 minutes to enter your body. Caffeine helps to make your mind alert while sugar makes you physically active.

Expecting such a quick boost to energy level, a person consumes an energy drink and except for becoming active, he starts to feel more tired. This is called the opposite effect of energy drinks.

There are multiple reasons of energy drinks have opposite effects on your body

Opposite Chemical Response

The chemicals like caffeine and taurine utilized in energy beverages help to support your energy levels. These are the chemicals that are naturally occurring in your body yet individuals like to have them as an enhancement to give a fast lift to their energy levels.

But people are unaware that taking a lot of caffeine can have contrary impacts on your body. Consuming it on the regular basis will make you addicted to it. It will stop working for you and you will end up having opposite results.

Dehydration

An energy drink contains a combination of multiple stimulants like caffeine, sugar, taurine, ginseng, guarana, multivitamins, carbohydrates, and amino acids. The excessive amount of all these chemicals will cause several health issues in your body.

Caffeine is a diuretic. Hence your body makes more urine. Continuing urination will certainly cause dehydration in your body. Plenty of water is required to fight several health hazards.

Dehydration can lead to multiple health disorders like insomnia, severe headache, low blood pressure, and dizziness. These health disorders make you even more tired and ultimately energy drink has the opposite effect on you. If you drink energy drinks on the regular basis you need to drink plenty of water with them.

Sugar Addiction

After caffeine sugar is the second most important ingredient in an energy drink. With the regular intake of excessive sugar, one can become addicted to it.

Sugar directly affects your brain capacities and you can’t perform well and stay focused. The increased blood glucose leads to massive health issues like diabetes, vision problems, and increased heart rate.

When sugar works with caffeine in an energy drink, it gives you a power boost but for a shorter time. Excessive sugar in the body is very dangerous and it can cause so many health problems. The addition of sugar will have the opposite effect over time.

Impacts on the Mental Health

Energy drinks are widely consumed by individuals of all age groups. Their excessive use can be seen mostly in youngsters. Energy drinks are aimed to increase your energy levels, focus, and alertness. Simple and controlled consumption will not damage your brain.

However, some experts and health professionals do not suggest taking them regularly because of the harmful effects these energy boosters can have on your health. We know that it can cause many physical ailments but we need to know more about the consequences that your brain can suffer due to its unrestricted use.

The main ingredient that makes an energy drink a power booster beverage is caffeine. Caffeine with all other ingredients like sugar, ginseng, guarana, taurine, and multivitamins works differently for the long period. They can cause multiple physical and mental health issues for you.

Excessive consumption of energy drinks can badly affect your brain capacities. Depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders are common health issues caused by energy drinks.

Studies show that the use of energy drinks is reported by one in 6 U.S. soldiers. It shows how energy drink is significantly related to mental health problems. The one who regularly consumes energy drinks has aggressive behavior and sleep disorders as compared to other individuals who do not drink energy beverages.

Let’s have a look at the multiple mental health issues that excessive amounts of energy drinks can cause.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mental health issue that deals with the individual’s state of mind, mood, energy, and capacity to work. People who suffer from bipolar disorder experience extraordinary emotional states. Extreme mood swings can be widely seen in them.

They are either strangely happy or irritated. Depression and sadness are commonly found in them. The overconsumption of energy drinks can cause bipolar disorder because of the hazardous ingredients that are used in energy drinks. Bipolar disorder is also called manic depression.

Insomnia

The consumption rate of energy drinks is increasing on the daily basis. The overconsumption of energy drinks can lead to multiple mental health issues and sleep dissatisfaction is one of them. An excessive amount of caffeine intake is hazardous for you.

Energy drinks contain three times more caffeine than soda tea and coffee. The extra dosage of caffeine will disturb your sleep routine. You will find yourself unable to sleep. Insomnia can cause fatigue and affect your performance.

Hallucination

Hallucinations or pipedreams are sensory encounters that look real but are imaginary. These are created by your mind and you find them real. They are the result of excessive intake of drugs like caffeine.

It affects all your senses. Let’s suppose you hear a voice that no one else can hear or you see something that others can’t. It is a mental illness that can be caused by the overdosage of multiple drugs and the excessive intake of caffeine that will lead to such a serious problem.

The consumption of energy drinks must not exceed the limit to avoid these mental issues.

Jitteriness & Anxiety

Caffeine which is the main ingredient of an energy drink can cause nervousness and anxiety. This happens when a person regularly consumes 2 or more cans of energy drink on the daily basis.

Though the caffeine is consumed to increase performance and alertness when the caffeine dosage reached 1000mg or more than this, it can cause anxiety and jitteriness.

A person can estimate the caffeine dosage that he can tolerate and consume to avoid such mental issues. he knows exactly what amount of caffeine is safe for him

Suicidal Thoughts

Energy drinks can cause anxiety and depression in a person. It further leads to provoking suicidal thoughts in the individuals. The extra dosage of hazardous ingredients has adverse effects in the long run.

The individuals who are facing opposite effects will end up planning suicide. The increase in suicide attempts is noticeable among youngsters in recent years.

It is another adverse effect of excessive intake of several stimulants. The overconsumption of different chemicals in energy drinks will cause serious damage to the brain’s abilities.

Final Words

Energy drinks are non-alcoholic beverages. These beverages are widely used by individuals of all ages. Their popularity among youngsters is increasing on the daily basis.

The reason for their popularity is the energy drink brands that guarantee to boost the energy levels, focus, alertness, and enhance the performance of the individuals. People consume energy drinks to improve their work efficiency. Individuals consider them the best power-enhancing beverages.

If you want to enjoy the impacts of energy drinks on your body, it is significant for you to drink them in a limited amount.

Energy drinks are only bad for you if a proper amount is not consumed because these drinks are packed with a heavy amount of caffeine, sugar, and other stimulants.

People are unaware that these fake stimulants can cause several physical and mental health issues in the long run. If you take two or more cans of energy drinks a day the results will be the opposite and you will end up having an unhealthy life.

A balanced and controlled amount of energy drinks need to be consumed to avoid many health hazards.