Serious Side Effects and RisksEnergy DrinksFor Body Health
Energy drinks have harmful effects on human health, but many people are unaware of these risks.Sodais unfortunately very popular and contains various ingredients like carbohydrates (sugars), vitamins, minerals, and stimulants likeCaffeine, taurine, and glucuronolactone, which can be extremely dangerous for regular consumers. In this section of health and wellnessSelMagzwe intend to introduce the risks associated with energy drinks so that you may reconsider their consumption or reduce their intake.
Common Ingredients in Energy Drinks
- Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and can cause an increase inblood pressureandheart palpitationsand leads to dehydration in the body.
- Taurine is an amino acid produced by the body and causes the contraction of heart muscles.
- Guarana, derived from a plant in South America, has effects similar to caffeine.
- High sugar content can lead to false energy boosts, obesity, high blood pressure, andType 2 Diabetes.
- Ginseng is a medicinal plant that increases energy levels and has anti-fatigue properties; however, excessive consumption can lead todiarrheaandheadaches.
- B vitamins have many benefits, but high intake can lead to niacin overdose.
- Artificial sweeteners are highly sugary and can create addiction in individuals, causing issues such as obesity,diabetesand high blood pressure.
Risks and Side Effects of Energy Drinks
1. Anxiety andStress
When you consume an energy drink, even if it’s your first time, you may experience stress. Energy drinks, especially those containing caffeine, affect the adenosine system and trigger anxiety andstressin the mind, leading to a higher risk of panic attacks for those who use them.
2. Interference with Medications
If you are on medication, avoid these drinks as they interfered with many medications, especially if they contain caffeine, significantly increasing the side effects of your medications.
3. Insomnia
There’s no doubt that consuming these drinks disrupts your sleep. Many people consume them to stay awake, but over time, they disrupt your nighttime sleep and cause you to wake up in the middle of the night wanting to do other tasks, while your overall productivity does not match normal moments, and your concentration is lacking.
4. Type 2 Diabetes
Consumption of energy drinks increases the risk of various problems, including Type 2 diabetes. All energy drinks contain a lot of sugar, and excessive consumption can lead to diabetes.
5. Addictive Effects
One of the severely harmful effects of using energy drinks is that you may become addicted to them, similar to cigarettes orcoffee.
These drinks have substances that heighten your addiction, and over time, you may find it hard to stop using them, while their harmful effects worsen.
6. Risky Behavior
Excessive consumption of energy drinks can increase the likelihood of engaging in risky behavior. In reality, you may act without thinking ahead, leading to many risks threatening you.7.
AngerOne of the risks associated with consuming energy drinks is the increased sense of anger. As mentioned earlier, these drinks alter your body’s adenosine system, causing anxiety and anger, creating permanent changes in your mood and emotions, and increasing your heart rate because the caffeine in themspeeds up your heart rate.
8.Nausea
If you consume too much of energy drinks, there’s a likelihood of experiencing nausea and vomiting. Energy drinks contain significant amounts of caffeine, which can increase urination and lead to dehydration, thus raising the risk of nausea and vomiting as a result of dryness affecting your mouth, stomach, and intestines.
9. Headaches andMigraines
As noted before, consuming these drinks can trigger allergic reactions and sometimes more severe conditions like headaches and migraines. Migraines are not just headaches; they can disrupt your entire body. If you are addicted to this drink, you should consider stopping as soon as possible.10. Allergic ReactionsExcessive consumption of these drinks can lead to allergic reactions such as skin redness, itching,
difficulties in breathing
, chest tightness, and vomiting. They can also causedizziness, headaches, heart palpitations and restlessness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,nasal congestion, and sleep problems.11.High Blood Pressure
One of the harmful effects of energy drinks is the increase in blood pressure. The caffeine in these drinks raises your blood pressure. The sugars found in these drinks are especially harmful to blood pressure.12. Release of
Stress Hormones
Caffeine is a trigger for anxiety and worry. Additionally, they significantly raise levels of stress hormones in your body, increasing feelings ofdepression
and panic. Studies have also established a link between energy drinks and the release of stress hormones.13. Niacin OverdoseAnother effect of energy drinks is the presence of niacin or vitamin B3, which carries a risk of overdose. Therefore, this can lead to harmful effects on you; if you are taking a supplement containing niacin while also consuming energy drinks, there is a risk of overdose. Symptoms may resemble other overdoses, including dizziness, nausea,
gout
, vomiting, itching, heart palpitations, and diarrhea.14. Cardiac ArrestBeyond blood pressure, another severely harmful effect of energy drinks with excessive consumption is cardiac arrest. This risk is significantly high for individuals with underlying medical conditions and heart diseases, therefore, it’s better for them never to consume these drinks under any circumstances.
15. Mood Changes
Energy drinks can lead to an increased risk of stress, depression, anger, and worry. They can also be a factor in mood changes that affect your overall health. Individuals who regularly consume these drinks tend to have lower serotonin levels in their brains. Serotonin is a very beneficial neurotransmitter, and a decrease in its levels can lead to depression, stress, and mood issues.
16. Decreased Creativity
There is a notable correlation between energy drinks and decreased creativity for completing tasks during the day. These drinks keep you awake, resulting in not feeling sleepy at night, but they create a type of false insomnia, reducing your productivity and creativity, leaving you lacking energy the next day due to not resting the night before.
17. Fatigue
Energy drink consumption can lead to fatigue. Adrenal glands are crucial for the overall health of the body as they produce necessary hormones. This occurs more during stressful periods. Due to high activity of these hormones, feelings of fatigue will arise, especially when an individual also lacks sufficient sleep despite feeling fatigued.18. Damage to Internal OrgansEnergy drinks can cause harm to your internal organs, as they send significant signals to your brain, kidneys, liver, digestive system, and heart, triggering a defensive reaction. High caffeine and sugar intake in these drinks can send destructive signals to internal organs, causing damage.19. ObesityEnergy drinks can increase blood pressure and cardiac arrest risk and may also contribute to obesity. They contain high amounts of sugar and artificial sweeteners, heightening the risk of weight gain, and may create an addiction. For this reason, they are harmful to your overall health.
20. Fatality
This is considered one of the worst side effects of energy drinks. Studies show that high consumption of these drinks can be a factor in death. The World Health Organization has established a link between these drinks and the main cause of some people’s deaths, so it is best to avoid their consumption as much as possible.
Ways to Reduce Risks Associated with Energy Drinks
Always pay attention to the amount of sugar used in these drinks. Some of them have very high sugar content. If so, never consume them.
Before buying, see how much caffeine you consume. If your caffeine intake is high, it’s better to avoid these drinks. For example, if you habitually drink a cup of coffee every day, don’t turn to these drinks.
Before consuming these drinks, check the nutrients inside them. If you see that there’s no credible label from a health organization on it, do not use it.
Always remember that consuming these drinks is harmful to health. So maintain balance and avoid excess.
Energy Drink
Risks of Energy Drinks
Anxiety
Side Effects of Energy Drinks
Insomnia
Insomnia as a Side Effect of Energy Drinks
