The Health Dangers of Energy Drinks

Energy drinks claim to provide people with increased energy levels that will keep them active & alert. Energy drinks are sold in grocery stores, convenience stores, bars, clubs, and in some areas, even schools. Are energy drinks safe to drink? Most natural health professionals say no.

Most energy drinks contain at least as much caffeine as a standard eight-ounce cup of coffee (~80mg). To put it into perspective, a 12oz. soda contains 18-48mg of caffeine. In addition to large doses of caffeine, energy drinks contain excessive amounts of sugar & legal herbal stimulants.

Many of you might already be aware of the basic contents mentioned above, but still aren’t exactly sure about the specific ingredients in energy drinks, and what effect those ingredients can have on your body. The following list provides some answers.

Common Energy Drink Ingredients:

• Ginseng – A root that is believed to help reduce stress and increase energy levels.
• Carnitine – An amino acid that helps to metabolize fatty acids.
• Gingko Biloba – Created from the seeds of the gingko biloba tree, it has been shown to enhance memory.
• Taurine – A natural amino acid produced by the human body. Taurine helps to regulate normal heart-beats and muscle contractions. Its effects on people when consumed as a drink additive remain unclear.
• Inositol – A member of the B-complex Vitamin that assists in the relaying of messages between cells. Inositol is not a vitamin itself.
• Guarana Seed – A stimulant that grows in Brazil & Venezuela which contains high levels of caffeine.

Given this list of ingredients, it is fairly easy to see that energy drinks are a deceptive combination of soft drink and psuedo-nutritional supplement. The largest problem with them is that people tend to abuse them, drinking more than one at a time, or mixing them with alcohol.

The mass manufacturers of energy drinks are not required by law to list whether or not the herbs they use, have been sprayed with toxic pesticides, irradiated or watered with contaminated water supplies, so there is no telling what other toxins are contained in these drinks and whether or not these herbs will have a negative effect on the body.

The caffeine that is found in energy drinks is dangerous enough on its own. Not only is caffeine addictive, it acts as both a stimulant and a diuretic. As a stimulant, caffeine can make you have anxiety attacks, heart palpitations, and insomnia.

When consumed in large or regular quantities, caffeine can also make you jittery or irritable. As a diuretic, caffeine causes your kidneys to remove extra fluid from your body. If you consume energy drinks while sweating, these effects can be particularly dangerous because you can become severely dehydrated quickly.

The bottom line concerning energy drinks is that medical professionals simply do not know the long-term effects of consuming these beverages. It is known, however, that large amounts of sugar and caffeine are harmful to our bodies. For people to utilize energy drinks during exercise or other strenuous activity compounds the problem of dehydration, and does nothing to provide the body with any necessary nutrients or fluids.