Energy Drinks: Here's Why They're Dangerous To Your Health

Many people depend on energy drinks to give them the boost they need for the day. Many opt for the sweeter tasting alternative to coffee and consume energy drinks without a second thought. Experts, however, are increasingly concerned that the cocktail of ingredients found in energy drinks could have unintended health risks.

Caffeinated energy drinks have been found to raise blood pressure and alter the heart’s electrical activity, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The heart’s electrical charges are responsible for the squeezing and relaxing of the heart’s chambers. While the extent of alteration done by caffeinated energy drinks is considered to be generally mild, people who have a specific type of heart condition or take certain medication could be at risk of fatal arrhythmia, also known as an irregular heartbeat.

While the American Beverage Association stands by the safety of these drinks, stating that most of the ingredients found in energy drinks are usually found in common foods, there are still risks to consider when consuming more than the recommended amount.

Overconsumption Could Lead to Cardiac Arrest

After having an energy drink, you may notice an increase in your heart rate. Your increased heart rate could pose a health risk as energy drinks have been shown to raise stress levels, increase blood pressure, and thickens your blood.

The effect that energy drinks have on your cardiovascular system could be because of how the caffeine in energy drinks interact with other common ingredients such as taurine. Most energy drinks also contain guarana, a plant from the Amazon, that already contains caffeine thus increasing the drink’s total caffeine amount.

There have been several cases of people going into cardiac arrest after consuming more than one energy drink. Further analysis of these individuals revealed that there was nothing abnormal other than the extremely high amounts of caffeine and taurine in their toxicology reports. In one of these cases, a 28-year-old went into cardiac arrest after drinking eight cans of an energy drink. Further analysis of his case revealed that the arteries of his heart were completely locked up.

Restlessness and Disruption of Healthy Sleep Patterns

The U.S. Military has warned against troops having too many energy drinks after a study found that service members who drank three or more cans of an energy drink were more likely to get about four hours of sleep or less on average. Consuming too many energy drinks can cause restlessness and sleep problems. This could prove to be fatal to those under 18 as they are still developing.