Energy drinks: are they safe?

Energy drinks have become the “rage” in recent years. More than 500 brands are now on the market, and it is now estimated to be a five billion dollar a year industry in the U.S. In addition, many of the beverage’s most ardent fans are teenagers, and much of advertising is directed at them. According to a recent survey, nearly half (43%) of teens have tried the beverages, and many of them use them regularly.

There’s no doubt about it: everyone needs a boost from time to time, and most people turn to coffee. However, more and more people are turning to energy drinks, particularly young people. Students use them to stay awake while preparing for exams, and young athletes use them in hopes of improving their athletic performance. And they are often combined with energy bars (food), for an even bigger boost.

Do they work? There is no doubt that they do it, sometimes too well. As many people have discovered after using them late at night, it is very difficult to fall asleep after going to bed. And if they’re used to poring over a test, lost sleep can be just as critical as studying. Numerous studies have shown that a considerable amount of cognitive power is lost when sleep is lost.

So what are they? To give you a boost, they have to do two things: make more glucose and get it into your cells as quickly as possible, and stimulate your nervous system. And energy drinks do both well. They are mainly made up of sugar and caffeine; sugar supplies glucose and caffeine stimulates the nerves. But they contain many other things besides sugar and caffeine, and some of them are of concern to health experts.

Although energy drinks work well, they come at a cost. They give you a quick energy boost (sugar turns to glucose almost immediately) and make you feel great, but this high is relatively short-lived. As the sugar enters your bloodstream, you get a “burst” of energy, but half an hour later you go into a “crash” (when all the glucose is used up). You start to feel weak and dizzy, and as a result, many of you take another drink. This leads us to the question: are they safe? Most health experts agree that they are relatively safe if used in moderation. After all, you get the same high from coffee, and there’s no evidence that coffee, used in moderation, is unsafe.

As in coffee, the main problem with energy drinks is caffeine. Several studies have shown that for most healthy adults, up to about 400 milligrams (mg) per day is safe. On top of that, however, it can have a number of side effects: it’s a diuretic and can cause fluid loss, and too much can cause nervousness, upset stomach, headaches, and trouble sleeping. So how much caffeine is in these drinks? Let’s start by looking at a regular cup of coffee; it averages around 100 mg (but can range from 72 to 175). And it’s well known that for most people, more than 5 or 6 cups of coffee a day can cause problems. We’ll assume the same applies to energy drinks. So how much caffeine is in energy drinks? In a single serving, it ranges from 72 to 150 mg, which doesn’t sound like much. However, one of the problems is that many energy drink containers contain two or three servings. So some of these “supersize” drinks contain up to 294 mg, which is a lot.

Another problem is that although 400 mg per day is safe for adults, it is not necessarily safe for children and adolescents. Also, coffee is hot and most people drink it slowly; Energy drinks are cold and are usually consumed quite quickly. The biggest problem with caffeine, however, is that it dehydrates your body, and this dehydration can be serious, even killing you. After drinking several energy drinks, people begin to feel thirsty (the first sign of dehydration) and therefore drink more to relieve thirst, which only makes them more dehydrated. Also, caffeine is addictive and as you drink more and more, you need more and more to get you high.

Next we have the sugar problem. Although there are some sugar-free energy drinks on the market, most are packed with sugar, some containing as much as 30 grams per serving. To give you a better idea of ​​30 grams, that’s about 4 full teaspoons, with each teaspoon containing around 15 calories. So the total calories per serving is about 120, which isn’t too bad, but as I mentioned earlier, many energy drink containers now contain 2 and 3 servings, so you could get 700 calories in one container. With the problem of obesity, particularly among children, an extra 700 calories is something they could do without. If added to your regular (balanced) diet, you could add a pound of weight in a week.

Now let’s look at the other things in energy drinks. They vary from drink to drink, but some of the most common are given in the following list:

Guarana: It is a source of caffeine

Taurine (an amino acid): Added to enhance the effect of caffeine.

Glucuronlactone – Effects are generally unknown, but it may help excrete toxins.

Inositol – Effects are generally unknown, but some may be positive.

Vitamin B: No problem.

Carnitine and ginseng: These are generally considered safe.

Ephedrine: When mixed with alcohol it is hard on the heart.

Pyruvate – Added as a “performance” booster, but in large amounts it can make you sick.

Glutamine and argenine: Amino acids, without danger.

The biggest problem with these additional ingredients is that, in some cases, their long-term effect is not known. Most are safe if used in moderation, but others are questionable.

This leads us to the question: Who is most at risk? Due to the danger of dehydration, people with high blood pressure and heart problems are definitely at risk. Also, children and even teenagers should be careful to limit their use. Athletes should also be careful; they should not be used during competition due to the danger of dehydration.

But a lot of people will say, “I thought sports drinks were good for athletes.” And indeed they are, but it’s important to distinguish sports drinks like Gatorade from energy drinks. They are quite different. Sports drinks are designed to overcome dehydration; Energy drinks cause dehydration. In particular, sports drinks replace electrolytes that are lost during perspiration, and these electrolytes, in turn, maintain the balance of salt and potassium in the body.

I have left the main problem for last. Many people mix energy drinks with alcohol, and it is now known that this can spell disaster. Mixing energy drinks with alcohol gives the person the feeling that they are not intoxicated. But actually, it is; cannot perform the usual testing tasks for intoxication any better than a person who only drank alcohol. Also, because he doesn’t feel intoxicated, he thinks he can drink more, and usually does. And you can end up very drunk without realizing it.

So even though energy drinks are generally considered safe if used in moderation, you should be careful.

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