Effects Of Energy Drinks On Health
Our always-on society places increasing demands on individuals to get things done faster and for longer hours, even at the expense of their personal health. Whether it's skipping out on sleep and meals or ingesting large amounts of caffeine, the price of extra productivity can be high. The prevalence of so-called 'energy drinks' on the market, for individuals who don't like coffee, only adds to the problem. Iced coffee is another form of energy drink and has similar effects. Energy drinks have numerous negative side effects, and you should avoid them whenever possible. We're here to explain a few of these adverse effects.
Caffeine Withdrawals
Caffeine is the second-highest rate of consumption for psychoactive drugs in the world. Although you may not think of your morning cup of coffee as getting a fix of caffeine, it certainly is. Energy drinks are no different. In fact, some energy drinks can have up to twice the amount of caffeine a standard cup of coffee has: on hundred milligrams of caffeine. Medical professionals recommend no more than two hundred milligrams per day. Four hundred milligrams per day is the safe dose, and serious health problems start to occur above this amount. Over time, your body becomes dependent on having the caffeine to function and experiences caffeine withdrawals. Without it, you feel lethargic and irritable. Other symptoms of caffeine withdrawal include headaches, muscle pain, insomnia, nausea, and heart arrhythmia. It's best to lower caffeine intake gradually to healthy levels to combat this condition.
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Sugar Crashes
Energy drinks contain extremely high concentrations of sugar, often to offset the pungent taste of the other ingredients such as taurine, guarana, or vitamin B12. The average eight-ounce energy drink contains up to two tablespoons, or twenty-nine grams, of sugar. The recommended daily sugar intake for a two-thousand-calorie diet is twenty-five grams. The body uses sugar for energy, but it needs to be introduced gradually through complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread, rice, and pasta. A sudden influx of sugar causes the pancreas to secrete too much insulin to absorb the sugar into the blood. The medical term for sugar crashes is reactive hypoglycemia.
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Energy Slumps
The body gets energy from sugar, caffeine provides alertness (or at least a delayed fatigue response), and B12 also increases energy levels. However, once you consume energy drinks, you're likely to experience energy slumps for several reasons. First, when your body burns through the sugar surplus from the drink, the insulin and sudden lack of sugar cause a sugar crash. Second, caffeine stimulates a mild to moderate production of adrenaline. The adrenaline response creates an even more rapid energy burn, and after it's depleted, you will crash because adrenaline burns through the body's supply of energy more completely than would happen otherwise. The chronic lack of sleep associated with consuming too many energy drinks also adds up and lowers overall energy levels.
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Effects On The Heart
Energy drinks have been shown to have harmful effects on the heart. Although caffeine in excessive doses can cause problems, most energy drinks contain other ingredients that are not FDA-approved and have been shown to induce heart arrhythmia. Taurine and proprietary blends frequently included in these drinks are not necessarily safe for human consumption because they cause such negative effects. Ingredients such as taurine can stimulate the production of adrenaline and in turn an episode of the body going into a fight-or-flight response. This creates an increased strain on the heart because of the increased demand for oxygen in the bloodstream.
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Raises Blood Pressure
Just one energy drink raises blood pressure, particularly systolic blood pressure. Systolic measurement refers to resting pressure, or when blood is not actively flowing. It is possible the adrenaline response provoked by energy drinks narrows blood vessels, which in turn increases blood pressure. Acute high blood pressure does not have immediate damage, but it can cause serious damage over time. Elevated blood pressure can lead to several serious problems later in life, such as weakened vessels in the heart or kidneys, dementia, increased risk of heart attack or stroke, and blindness. Blindness is caused when small blood vessels in the eyes cause the retina to detach from the lens.