Energy drinks and their influence. Energy drinks and their effect on the body: benefits and harms

The composition of energy drinks includes: caffeine, taurine, carnitine, ginseng, guarana, B vitamins, mateine. Due to its composition, drunk gives a person energy and a feeling of cheerfulness. Drinks with great content caffeine helps to cope with drowsiness, and vitamin-carbohydrate energy drinks increase endurance during physical exertion.

The drink has a convenient packaging, so it can be taken in situations where you can not drink tea or coffee.

Thanks to great content vitamins and glucose, the energy drink stimulates the vital important processes in the body, gives energy to the brain, internal organs and muscles. Its effect is enhanced by the presence in the composition carbon dioxide and lasts up to four hours.

Negative effects of energy drinks on the body

Medical studies have shown that energy drinks have bad influence on the human body. If you consume more than two cans per day, this will lead to a significant increase blood pressure, sugar levels in, which can provoke the development of serious diseases - sugar and hypertension.

The vitamins contained do not form a balanced complex. An excess of B vitamins can cause tremors in the limbs, frequent heartbeat,. At regular use caffeine causes exhaustion. Excess of this substance has a diuretic effect, as a result, salts are excreted from the body in large quantities.

Glucuronolactone and taurine combined with caffeine can greatly deplete the nervous system of the body.

The components of these drinks irritate the walls of the stomach and can provoke the development, peptic ulcer stomach and duodenum. Energy drinks can aggravate illness in people with medical conditions nervous system, blood vessels, heart, liver, . They do not give energy, but only open the energy channels of the body. As a result, a person uses his internal resources, which leads to nervous overexcitation and exhaustion.

Regular use of energy drinks ultimately leads to increased fatigue, irritability, insomnia, and nervous breakdowns. Thus, the effect of an energy drink on the body is mostly negative. If it is impossible to refuse them, in no case should they be used daily, otherwise this will lead to exhaustion of the nervous system.

In order to do everything at the modern pace of life, you need to constantly be in good shape. For this, stimulants are often used that have an effect better than a cup. strong coffee. However, the harm of energy drinks on the human body is very significant, although the manufacturers of such products and even some doctors consider them safe.

Energetic: what is it?

An energy drink is a drink that uses a variety of stimulants and other components: dyes, flavors, vitamins, and others. Using them, a person affects his central nervous system, thus suppressing fatigue in order to prolong the time of wakefulness, concentrate, and increase mental activity for a few more hours.

It would seem that these products are bad? After all, they improve performance. But this is only at first glance. The benefits and harms of energy drinks are unequal. Despite outwardly positive characteristics, do not forget that their components have a negative effect on people. Most of them adversely affect the central nervous system.

Compound

Currently, there are a lot of manufacturers and varieties of energy drinks in the world. Their number and range is constantly growing. And there are practically no differences between them. All of them have identical composition, which includes:

caffeine - a substance that stimulates the brain and significantly increases the heart rate;
melatonin is an antioxidant that regulates the human circadian rhythm;
taurine is a powerful antioxidant that speeds up the metabolism in the body;
matein, which allows you to lose weight and dull the feeling of hunger;
ginseng, guarana - natural extracts that cleanse the liver and remove lactic acid from cells;
L-carnitine, oxidizing fatty acid;
glucose, sucrose, fructose - carbohydrates that stimulate the brain, prevent a person from falling asleep;
phenylalanine - to give palatability;
vitamins of group "B" - normalizing the work of the nervous system.

The effect of energy drinks on the body

Positive influence energy drinks on the body occurs only at the beginning of their use, when people feel in themselves the replenishment of energy resources, an increase in physical and mental performance. But following the euphoria, hyperactivity, the ability to work with increased load exhaustion comes. The body after stress, shaking is very worn out, tired.

In addition, such products negatively affect the duration and quality of sleep. It is difficult for a person to fall asleep, he suffers from insomnia, and having dozed off, he sees nightmares, easily wakes up from the slightest noise or irritant. Such rest does not bring joy, does not add strength, does not give a feeling of cheerfulness.

Regular use of such stimulants can cause depression, aggressiveness, suspiciousness, headaches, anger, often leads to loss of strength, depression, loss of orientation, irritability, and even death.

In addition, organic lesions may appear:

An increase in blood sugar levels.
Increased blood pressure.
Prolonged sinus tachycardia (rapid heartbeat).
Interruptions in the work of the heart.
decline defensive forces immune system.

Overdose

pain in the abdomen;
arrhythmia;
rise in temperature;
gastritis;
interruptions in the work of the heart;
exacerbation of the ulcer;
diarrhea
vomiting;
hallucinations, both auditory and visual;
frequent urination;
confusion of consciousness;
fainting.

Harm and danger

A one-time use of energy drinks in a moderate amount by an adult, healthy person is unlikely to cause a negative reaction. However, regularly drinking it in large quantities or abusing it one day may not be safe for health. The action of the components of this product on the human body can cause the most negative reactions and diseases:

Violation of the central nervous system.
Development diabetes.
Various pathologies gastrointestinal tract.
Mental disorders.
Thrombosis.
deterioration of the heart and of cardio-vascular system.
Decreased libido.
Epilepsy, anaphylaxis.
Deterioration of attention, decreased ability to work, loss of interest in others and in life.
Addictive.

And harm to teenagers can be even more serious, up to a lethal outcome.

Consequences

If you regularly use such stimulants in your diet, the consequences of the body's reaction to them can be the most terrible and deplorable:

accidents due to sudden loss of consciousness;
hearing impairment, bleeding, convulsions;
miscarriages (in pregnant women);
suicidal behavior;
disorder of the gastrointestinal tract in the form of vomiting, diarrhea;
prolonged headaches;
arrhythmia;
the appearance of mental abnormalities, disorders;
development of various phobias;
loss of concentration, performance;
death from the constant use of energy drinks.

It is advisable not to use energy drinks by anyone and never. However, they are especially dangerous for the following categories of people:

Children.
Adolescents.
Pregnant and lactating women.
People with chronic diseases.
Elderly age.
With diseases of the heart, kidneys, circulatory system, gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system.
Patients with diabetes mellitus, with glaucoma, with chronic high blood pressure and many others.

These products contain a lot of caffeine, taurine, melatonin, phenylalanine and other harmful substances.

Benefit

It is undeniable that these kinds of stimulants are sometimes beneficial. But this is only in cases where they are used infrequently and in moderate amount. From time to time mental labor needs additional reserves to complete some work. But here you should be careful not to overdrink energy drinks.

Of course, they will charge a person for a while, give him strength, give a feeling of cheerfulness, drive, improve thought processes, and relieve fatigue. Vitamins and herbal ingredients add strength to muscles and internal organs.

This product works much better faster cup coffee, and the effect of its use lasts much longer. But this will pass after some time, even if you “reinforce” them constantly. And in the future, it will only harm the health of energy drinks.

Video: harm to power engineers.

Rules of use

Drink energy drinks in small amounts and infrequently to avoid negative impact per person on their side. Never give to children and teenagers. A growing and developing organism, like no other, is affected by harmful substances.

You can not use energy drinks with alcohol in order to avoid pressure surges and a hypertensive crisis.

They are also contraindicated in the heat, when the cardiovascular and autonomic systems are working at full strength. The drink will only warm the body even more. Even when cold, it is very harmful due to temperature changes.

After sports training, it is also advisable to refrain from this product because it will increase blood pressure and lead to dehydration.

To protect yourself from addiction, it is recommended to drink energy drinks no more than twice a week and no more than two cans a day. At the same time, you should also stop drinking tea, coffee and other products containing caffeine, at least for 5-6 hours, so that there is no overdose.

Despite the fact that a person received a charge of vivacity and energy, he still needs good rest to recover from an extra load. In no case should this be forgotten.

Invented quite recently. But mankind has been using their ingredients for centuries to cheer up.

Energetic drinks everyone drinks: office workers compelled to complete their work in evening time; students while preparing for the exam; drivers who are already long time on the go, and just those who like the taste of an energy drink. Cheerfulness and a surge of strength - that's what these people want to get, considering the energy drink to be a miraculous drink.

Just a small jar - and the energy overflows again. The producers of this miracle drink claim that the energy drink does not cause any harm, its effect on the body is comparable to that of ordinary tea.

But everything would be fine, if not for one but. They want to limit distribution. Does this mean that energy drinks are not so harmless? Then questions arise: "Is it possible to drink energy drinks? The consequences of drinking energy drinks - what are they?" This will be discussed in the article.

How did energy sources appear?

People constantly stimulated their nervous system. For example, in Asia and China they always drank strong tea, in the Middle East - coffee, in Africa they ate kola nuts.

At the end of the 20th century, an energy drink was invented in Asia. The Austrian Dietrich Matesich, who was then in Hong Kong, independently developed his recipe and began to produce it for sale. New drink quickly gained popularity. Currently, "Red Bull" has captured 70% of the energy market.

Which countries allow the sale of energy drinks?

in Denmark, France and Norway, energy drinks can only be found in pharmacies;
in Russia, the sale of energy drinks at school is prohibited; contraindications and side effects must be written on the label;
It is illegal in the US to sell alcoholic energy drinks.

Many countries have already begun to ban the sale of energy drinks. For example, in Ireland, one athlete died in training because he drank three cans of energy drinks.

In Sweden, too, there were sad incidents. Teens mixed alcoholic drinks and energy, as a result they died.

Composition of energy drinks

Caffeine. Undoubtedly, this is the most popular energy drink. Millions of people drink coffee to get a boost of energy. All energy drinks contain caffeine. This component is an excellent stimulant. 100 mg of caffeine increase mental alertness, and 250 mg improve cardiovascular endurance. To achieve the desired effect, you need to drink three cans of energy drinks, but this exceeds the daily dose.
Taurine. It is an amino acid found in human muscles. Improves heart function Lately Physicians began to refute this hypothesis. Some doctors claim that taurine has no effect on the human body at all. One energy bank contains from 300 to 100 mg of this substance.
Carnitine. Found in human cells. Reduces fatigue and increases endurance. This element is able to burn body fat and can improve metabolic processes in the body.
Ginseng and guarana. These are medicinal plants. They have a tonic effect on the human body. Guarana has found its use in medicine: it relieves muscle pain by removing lactic acid from the tissues. Guarana cleanses the liver and prevents atherosclerosis.
B vitamins. These components are simply necessary for a person. Thanks to them, the human brain and nervous system function properly. A lack of B vitamins can adversely affect human health. Manufacturers of energy drinks claim that if you get vitamins of this group in large quantities, then mental abilities will improve significantly. This is just a marketing ploy. An excess of vitamin B will negatively affect the human body.
Melatonin. This substance is found in the human body. It is responsible for biorhythms.
Matein. The substance helps to dull the feeling of hunger and has a fat burning effect.

Pros and cons of using energy drinks

Scientists have not come to a general conclusion whether energy drinks are harmful or beneficial. Some perceive them as ordinary lemonade, while others believe that if you regularly use energy drinks, you can harm your body.

pros

The choice of energy drinks is huge. Everyone can find an energy drink that will fully meet their tastes and preferences. Some drinks may be fruit flavor and others without additives. There are drinks from high content vitamins, and there is a high content of caffeine.
Energy drinks can lift your spirits in minutes, and they can also quickly improve your mental alertness.
is a real lifesaver for students, workaholics, drivers and athletes.
Glucose and various vitamins are added to many energy drinks. Glucose gives strength and energy, and the benefits of vitamins are known to absolutely everyone.
The energy drink lasts about 4 hours, which is 2 times longer than the effect of a cup of coffee. Moreover, energy drinks start to act much faster than coffee.
Energy drinks are convenient to use: you can always keep them in your bag or car. Energy is always at hand!

Minuses

Energy drinks should be consumed strictly in accordance with the prescribed dose: no more than two cans per day. If you drink more, then an increase in blood sugar and pressure is guaranteed.
All the vitamins that are added to energy drinks will not replace vitamins from natural products and from multivitamin complexes.
Those with heart disease and those suffering from high or low blood pressure should not drink energy drinks.
Energetic - not at all miracle drink. It does not give a person energy. This drink just shows the body where to get it from. Energy drinks are just the key that opens the door to cheerfulness. To put it simply, power engineers do not give us strength, they only get our own energy from the reserves. After this drink has taken out the last strength from the reserves, the person becomes irritable and tired.
Caffeine, which is contained in any energy drink, depletes the human nervous system. The energy drink works for 4 hours, but after this time a person just needs to rest. Moreover, caffeine can be addictive.
Huge doses of caffeine and glucose added to an energy drink can harm a person.
Some add an incredible amount of vitamin B, which greatly exceeds the daily dose. Exceeding the norm can cause muscle tremors and rapid heart rate.
Caffeine has diuretic properties. Therefore, after power loads, it is forbidden to drink energy drinks, because the body has already lost a lot of fluid through sweat.
Glucuronolactone and taurine are added to some energy drinks. These substances are contained in the drink in unrealistically large doses. For example, taurine exceeds daily allowance 10 times, and glucuronolactone - as much as 250! Scientists have not yet figured out how safe this dose is for humans. Research is underway on this topic.

Side effects of energy drinks

With regular use of energy drinks, you can notice the following side effects:

tachycardia - increased heart rate, the norm for a person is 60 beats per minute, but with tachycardia, 90 or more heart beats can be observed;
psychomotor agitation - anxiety that can be expressed in various ways: from uncontrolled motor restlessness to shouting out various phrases and sounds for no reason;
increased nervousness - fatigue, lack of sleep at night and drowsiness during the day, irritability and frequent headaches, all these symptoms directly indicate excessive nervousness;
depression - lack of joy, indifference to everything that happens, impaired thinking.

What is the right way to drink energy drinks?

It can be seen that the cons of energy drinks are much more than the pros. But still, everyone may have a situation where one simply cannot do without an energy drink. To do this, you need to study all the postulates of the use of energy drinks in order to protect yourself from negative consequences.

No more than two cans of energy per day! They contain daily dose caffeine, it is strictly forbidden to exceed it.
After drinking an energy drink, you need to rest. It is desirable that this was a full sleep.
It is forbidden to drink energy drinks after a sports load. As mentioned above, the energy drink removes water from the body. Moreover, energetics, like sports training increases pressure;
You can not drink energy drinks in the presence of the following diseases: hypertension, heart disease and glaucoma. It is also forbidden to drink energy drinks if you suffer from insomnia and have caffeine intolerance.
You can not give energy to kids and teenagers. Some people ask "Can children drink energy drinks?". The consequences may not be very pleasant, so it is better for the guys not to offer this drink.
Within 5 hours after drinking the energy drink, it is forbidden to drink tea or coffee.
Energy drinks and alcohol don't mix. The energy drink raises blood pressure, and alcohol at times enhances the effect of this drink. As a result, you can earn a hypertensive crisis.

Frequently Asked Questions About Energy Drinks

Can I drink an expired energy drink? It is forbidden. At least it threatens poisoning. It's a product just like any other. Better buy a new jar energy rather than put yourself at risk.
Can teenagers drink energy drinks? If the energy drink does not contain alcohol, this does not mean that it is unsafe. Persons 15-16 years old are not recommended to drink this drink.
Can children under 13 drink energy drinks? If teenagers should not drink energy drinks, then even more so for children. This drink can negatively affect the nervous system of a growing organism.
Can pregnant women drink energy drinks? It is forbidden. Pregnant women are better off eating a nutritious diet and avoiding foods containing caffeine. Substances that make up energy drinks can harm the fetus.
Can I drink an energy drink before an exam? Can. Just follow the instructions for using this product.
Can I drink an energy drink before a workout? In small quantities. It is forbidden to drink an energy drink after a workout.
Can you drink energy drinks under the age of 18? The store can sell energy drinks to people under 18, but this does not mean that they can be consumed. bona fide manufacturers energy drink labels state: "Forbidden for use by persons under 18 years of age."

What brands of energy drinks can be found?

Red Bull.
Burn.
Adrenaline Rush.

These are the most popular non-alcoholic energy drinks.

Also on the shelves of the store you can find alcoholic energy drinks. It is strictly forbidden to drink them! If you see alcohol in the composition of an energy drink, then put it aside, take care of your health.

What is the difference between non-alcoholic energy drinks?

It is worth saying a few words about which of the listed energy drinks harms the body the least.

Red Bull is a drink similar in composition and action to a cup of coffee with a spoonful of sugar.
Burn - added to this drink great amount guarana, theobromine and caffeine.
Adrenaline Rush is the safest of all energy drinks. it has an invigorating effect with the help of ginseng, which is a common medicinal plant.

In conclusion

Whichever drink you prefer, it is worth remembering that these are just carbonated analogues of a cup of coffee. Energy drinks can harm the body.

Vitamins and substances that are part of energy drinks can be found in juices, fruits and chocolate.

Think maybe it's better to drink a cup of strong and fragrant coffee with a piece of dark chocolate, how to poison your body with energy drinks?

Energy drink (the so-called "energy drink") is very popular in all developed countries of the world. The reason for the popularity is simple: the comparative cheapness of the drink and the invigorating (tonic) effect it has.

In fact, an energy drink is a more effective analogue of coffee, which also quenches thirst. The variety of flavors of energy drinks is also one of the reasons for the popularity of this drink.

But how dangerous is it to use energy drinks? In this article, we will try to understand how dangerous and harmful it is to consume energy drinks.

Energy drinks entered wide production in 1984. To put it simply, these are drinks created using a combination of various stimulants and additional components(vitamins, flavors, dyes, and so on).

They are designed to stimulate the central nervous system. Due to this, a significant reduction in fatigue is achieved, and indicators of mental activity increase, but for a limited period (up to 6-8 hours).

Composition of various energy drinks is the same in most cases. It includes the following substances:

Caffeine. The main component of energy drinks, which has a tonic and invigorating effect. It should also be noted that caffeine significantly increases heart rate (up to 120 beats per minute).
Mate. It is an analogue of caffeine, gives the same effect, but to a lesser extent.
Ginseng and guarana. Both are natural (ie not synthesized) CNS stimulants.
Sucrose and glucose - universal energy for the body, simple carbohydrates. Once in the body, these substances quickly have a stimulating effect, first of all getting into the brain, reducing the desire to sleep and stimulating its activity.
Taurine. An amino acid that speeds up metabolism, quickly gives energy to the body, and is another central nervous system stimulant.
Theobromine. IN pure form toxic, but energy drinks contain theobromine that has been chemically processed. It is a tonic.
Phenylalanine. Adds flavor to the drink.
B group vitamins.

The impact of energy on the human body

The use of energy drinks directly affects a person’s sleep. To be more precise, chronic persistent insomnia develops, and the existing sleep becomes pathological. The patient may have nightmares, any external stimuli make him wake up, after sleep there is no feeling of cheerfulness and "new strength". This is the so-called rollback.

Over time, mood lability (its instability), suspiciousness, irritability, excessive anger and aggressiveness are formed. The world in the mind of the patient loses its colors, which usually indicates the onset of depression.

Organic lesions include the development of prolonged sinus tachycardia, extrasystoles (feeling of interruption of the heart), high blood pressure. Often there are persistent constipation or, conversely, diarrhea.

What's wrong with energy drinks?

Negative consequences of taking power engineers have not raised questions from doctors for a long time. It is a well-known fact that they are very harmful to health, namely ( we are talking about long-term regular use):

Increase the likelihood of developing diabetes.
They disrupt the work of the central nervous system.
They create problems with the performance of the heart and the cardiovascular system as a whole.
Cause pathology of the gastrointestinal tract.
Lead to mental disorders, reduce libido.
Able to cause formidable diseases (thrombosis, epilepsy, anaphylaxis).
Reduce the ability to work, attention, interest in the world around.

Harm of power engineers (video)

Does it get addictive?

Unfortunately, all modern research on energy drinks suggests that they are persistent and highly addictive. Moreover, in some individuals this addiction is as strong as in patients with alcoholism.

Apparently, in the near future a solution to this problem will not be found. In many countries, the use of energy drinks is not regulated in any way, and propaganda against their use is kept to a minimum.

Who is dangerous / contraindicated to drink energy drinks?

Abuse of energy harms absolutely all people. However, there are categories of people for whom energy drinks are especially harmful.

Such people include:

people with chronic diseases of the circulatory system (especially patients with thrombophilia);
patients with diabetes;
patients with heart disease;
patients with diseases of the kidneys and gastrointestinal system;
people with chronic high blood pressure;
people suffering from insomnia;
teenagers;
people over fifty;
pregnant women;
patients with glaucoma;
patients with a history of cerebral circulatory disorders;
patients with diseases of the central nervous system.

Is an overdose possible?

Unfortunately, in addition to the benefits of energy, they also pose a real danger to the human body. An overdose of such drinks causes serious poisoning, leading to an overload of the central nervous system and an increase in the load on the arteries and heart.

An overdose of energy drinks usually occurs against the background of their frequent use for the implementation of any intellectual work. Statistically, energy poisoning most often occurs in students before an exam and in knowledge workers (programmers, writers, professional gamers, and so on).

The reason for an overdose of energy drinks is that they increase the body's performance by increasing the load on all its systems. The cardiovascular and central nervous systems suffer most of all, which, when great use power engineers are working hard.

Simply put, energy drinks turn on the body's reserve systems for long term, while they are designed for short-term work ( no more than 30 minutes and only in critical situations).

Symptoms of an energy drink overdose

Symptoms of poisoning(overdose) energy drinks are as follows:

a significant increase in heart rate (up to 160 beats per minute);
persistent and prolonged insomnia;
irritability, aggressiveness;
redness of the face and a feeling of heat;
increased blood pressure;
diarrhea;
tremor of the limbs;
violations of coordination of movements;
frequent urination (less often - the inability to control it);
cold sweat;
increase in body temperature;
repeated vomiting, sometimes without relief;
anxiety, panic, suspiciousness;
confusion;
visual and auditory hallucinations;
loss of consciousness (syncope).

Possible consequences

Consequences frequent use energy drinks, as well as an overdose of them, are quite serious.

Let's try to list all available of them (according to "PubMed"):

Decreased libido, impotence.
Gastrointestinal diseases (especially often develops gastritis and heartburn).
Cognitive impairment, including problems with academic performance in adolescents.
The development of mental illness.
Depression, apathy, indifference, aggressiveness.
Heart failure, thrombosis.
Persistent chronic insomnia.
Overexcitation, nervous tics.
Convulsions, epilepsy.
Decreased interest and motivation.
Fatal outcome (relatively rare).

First aid and further treatment

If you suspect an overdose of energy drinks, the patient should immediately call ambulance. Before her arrival, you should give him 2-3 liters of warm water and provoke vomiting. It is quite simple to do this: after the patient drinks warm water, you need to press his finger on the root of the tongue.

After vomiting, the patient should be given 10-12 tablets activated carbon. To neutralize caffeine, if possible, the patient should be given green tea or milk. Foods with magnesium (cabbage, avocado) may be useful.

In the hospital, the patient will again wash the stomach and put a dropper. The treatment will be carried out with an emphasis on detoxification of the body and on the "unloading" of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Energy drinks are very popular among different segments of the population. Gamers, students, athletes, drivers who are driving all night. This is a profitable business for manufacturers, the turnover of which is estimated at tens of billions of dollars. The popularity of these drinks is growing every year. A large number of people use energy drinks all the time, can they be harmful? In short - Yes.

They destroy health, cause heart problems, high pressure, obesity, diabetes and anxiety, insomnia and a whole bunch of dangerous disorders. In rare cases there were even deaths.

We have tried our best to deal with this issue on the pages of our website.

A Growing Public Health Problem

In 2011, a 16-year-old girl named Sarah went to a party where she consumed several alcoholic energy drinks. started severe vomiting. The comrades thought that she drank too much alcohol and therefore she became ill. At 11 pm the next day, her parents came into the room to wake her up. The girl was dead. An autopsy showed that there was only 0.4 ppm of alcohol in the blood. Not enough to die from alcohol poisoning. The girl's father, a chemist by training, believes energy drinks are the culprit.

In 2011 a few days before Christmas 14 summer boy died from heart attack. 48 hours before his death, the guy drank 4 cans of energy drinks. In total, he consumed about 500 milligrams of caffeine, one-tenth the lethal but nearly five times the recommended dose. Doctors suggested that energy drinks had an effect on a latent congenital heart defect.

They are not the only victims. In 2015, a 28-year-old young man almost died of a heart attack after drinking 8 cans of the drink. They managed to save him. He loved them very much and constantly used them in large quantities.

Even popular athletes suffer from the harm caused by energy drinks.

In 2003, the popular US wrestler Steve Austin, nicknamed "Stone Cold" was hospitalized with a severe heartbeat. He suggests that this is all due to the fact that he used, according to him, 2-5 cans of energy drinks a day, which harmed his health.
“I felt like I was dying,” Austin recalls the events of that evening. My heart was beating so hard, I thought it would jump out of my chest. It beat at a speed of 180 beats per minute. My legs were shaking and I couldn't help it.

From 2004 to 2014, energy drinks were a confirmed cause of at least 34 deaths in the US alone. Unfortunately, the real picture shows that there can be many more of them. Deaths from caffeine can be confused with other causes, so the statistics are most likely very underestimated. Many physicians around the world believe that the situation much more critical. Thousands of people have been hospitalized with symptoms that energy drinks cause, including insomnia, anxiety, seizures, high blood pressure, heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications.

How does your body react to energy drinks?

When we need a recharge, there are many options. Energy drinks are a chemical cocktail of caffeine, sugar, and a host of other ingredients, some of which, like vitamins and herbs, may look good for your health.

What makes them so dangerous?

One study looked at the effect one can had on your health. Conclusions?
Blood pressure jumped almost 10 points within 30 minutes of taking it. The content of the stress hormone, norepinephrine, increased by 75 percent. This hormone increases the production of cortisone, causing the risk of increased excess weight.

Energy drink manufacturers claim that their products are safe when consumed in the recommended amounts. Do you know what the maximum recommended dose is? For most brands, that's two or three cans a day. For some, only one.

These warnings are easy to miss. Manufacturers usually hide them in small print on the back so that few people bother to read. These companies benefit from you consuming as many of their products as possible.

There are two main dangers - neurological and cardiological. In other words, your nervous system and heart. These problems are caused by the same ingredients that keep you awake - staggeringly high levels of caffeine and sugar.

Energy drinks high in sugar

Energy drinks can contain up to 78 grams of sugar per small can. That's 20 teaspoons of sugar each time. Is not healthly food. Every time you drink one can, you get about 300 junk calories. That's 35 minutes of non-stop push-ups.

Even if you exercise enough to burn those extra calories and you were not threatened by diabetes, and weight gain, sugar can still damage your health. Excess sugar is one of the leading causes in heart disease. One study found that people who consumed 25% or more of their daily calories in the form of sugar - doubled their chance of dying from heart problems.

Many companies have sugar-free products, but what do they use to replace it? such as aspartame may even be more harmful to your health than regular sugar. They can disrupt your metabolism, promote obesity, and promote diabetes and cancer.

Energy drinks as a source of caffeine

Exact amounts vary, but on average, energy drinks contain about 70-100 mg of caffeine—about the same amount as a cup of coffee. This is not very dangerous for a healthy adult. Caffeine is toxic but generally safe in small amounts. The problem lies in the mixing of caffeine and other energy stimulants such as taurine. This chemical cocktail can cause health problems, including genetic disorders which you may not even be aware of.

This is probably what happened with that 16 year old girl at the party. She was diagnosed with a heart condition called mitral valve prolapse, a common condition that affects 1 in 20 people on average. She only drank two energy drinks in 24 hours. It doesn't seem big amount, but combined with her illness, it was enough to lead to tragic consequences.

Energy drinks and kids

This accident is unlikely to be the last. The use of energy drinks by young people is on the rise around the world. Culture and the media influence our diet in many ways, both directly and indirectly. Because of this, young people are more likely to see energy drinks as a regular soda. A 2014 study estimated that 68% of teenagers and 18% of children under the age of 10 drink energy drinks.

While caffeine is safe in small amounts for healthy people, it is a proven health risk for children. Nearly 50% of people who died from the effects of caffeine were under 19 years of age. Teenagers should be limited to no more than 100mg of caffeine per day. Children aged 4-6 years should consume no more than 45 mg per day. For younger children, this number should be zero.

Unlike cigarettes and alcohol, throughout the time there were no restrictions when buying energy drinks in Russia. It was only very recently that a bill was passed regulating the sale to minors. The essence of the law is simple - a complete ban on sales to minors.

Energy drinks and alcohol

Some studies have found a slight, short-lived rise, while others have found no significant difference. The truth is that there is no magic potion that will lead you to victory.

Our bodies quickly develop immunity to stimulants like caffeine and sugar, and long-term abuse leads to unwanted side effects. side effects. Often the reaction to caffeine is unstable bowel movements, shortness of breath and restlessness. Together with sugar, the risk of excess weight and diabetes increases. They can cause insomnia and other sleep disorders. Studies have shown that energy drinks significantly increased anxiety levels in athletes.

Aluminum: Hidden harm to the body

There is another potential source of intoxication in energy drinks that you probably didn't think of. Aluminum cans have been the standard beverage container for decades, but aluminum is toxic to human body metal. Fortunately, no one eats a can after drinking a drink, but acidic environment caused by the energy drink causes the material to disintegrate and contaminate the drink.

The average Russian consumes about 7-9 mg of aluminum per day from food and drink. If it enters the body a small amount of aluminum through food and water, natural processes your body's detox filters out these toxins with no problem. Consumption excessive amount canned drinks over a long period is a completely different story.

When you consume toxic substances faster than your body can eliminate them, they accumulate in your body. Those who already have kidney and liver problems are at particular risk due to their reduced ability to filter out toxins.

Elevated aluminum levels can cause brain, bone, and nervous system disorders, including confusion, muscle weakness, bone fragility, and seizures. In children, aluminum poisoning can affect mental and physical development. Mixing your own fresh drinks at home is the best thing you can do to quench your thirst and restore balance, but I understand that this is not always practical. If you need to buy store-bought water, then buy what is packaged in glass containers.