Unsurprisingly, another recent study shows that energy drinks are bad for your health. But how bad could they possibly be?
As an adolescent, caffeine was my fuel—the only way I would get through the day. Coffee made my teenage tongue sad, and tea wasn’t strong enough. Energy drinks absorbed my spare cash, and I always joked that it “they” were going to kill me, at least I’d be awake and alert before they did.
Researchers have always suggested that energy drinks are dangerous, but Dr. Anna Svatikova from the Mayo Clinic has decided even a single drink can cause a seriously increased risk of cardiac issues later in life. Twenty-five healthy adults were chosen to drink one Rockstar Energy drink and one placebo in the course of five minutes, on two separate days no more than two weeks apart.
After being instructed to not eat food or consume alcohol or caffeine for 24 hours prior, norepinephrine, blood pressure, glucose, and blood caffeine levels were evaluated before and 30 minutes after consumption. The results of all were greatly increased after the consumption of the energy drink, though no apparent increase in heart rate was present.
The researchers have gone on record stating the small scale study indicates the “acute…changes may predispose to increased cardiovascular risk. Further research in larger studies is needed….” Despite the limited scope of the test, the results support the notion that energy drinks cause damage to humans. ER visits involving energy drinks doubled from 2007-2011, and the 40 and older demographic increased visits by 279%. The dangers of excessive consumption can range from anxiety to cardiac arrest.
Caffeine is consumed by about 80% of the adult population in the United States. While coffee generally has twice the caffeine as an energy drink, the health risks are associated with the additives. Even if we disregard the potpourri of vitamins and compounds, coffee drinkers who add sugar are consuming anywhere from 4-10 times the sugar per energy drink than they would add to coffee.
The danger also comes in the decision making of children and adolescents. Not only are they attracted to the fruity flavors energy drinks often come in, but their decision-making abilities may prevent them from establishing a limit on how much to drink in a given time frame.
Stick with coffee; the potential health benefits only enhance the deliciousness.