Nutrition

The True Cost of Energy Drinks

When your energy is dipping but you still have so much more to complete in your day, it can be tempting to reach for the energy drinks in an attempt to boost your motivation and dismiss feelings of fatigue. Before you pick up a can of taurine-rich liquid, however, there are a few things you should know.

They Are VERY Bad for Your Heart

The high caffeine content combined with a variety of other energy stimulants is thought to cause your heart to beat more aggressively than usual. For those who already have an underlying heart condition, this could potentially lead to cardiac arrest. Even those who have otherwise healthy hearts will suffer from a tightening of the arteries and increased blood pressure. When drank often and in excess, the effects could be damaging.

Caffeine Withdrawal

If you look at any study of caffeine in various different beverages you will see that energy drinks seem to compare favourably with coffee and have only slightly more caffeine than a regular soda. However, the caffeine withdrawal is intense. If you tend to drink a lot of energy drinks and then stop for a period of time, you might find yourself suffering with headaches and migraines.

Mental Issues

Ever noticed you seem to suffer with increased palpitations after drinking a lot of energy drinks? Could these be to blame for your intense periods of anxiety or even a terrifying panic attack? Maybe they are caused by the energy-drink-induced insomnia? Or perhaps they are a direct side-effect of the energy drinks themselves. You decide!

Addiction

Energy drinks are great at giving you that short-term boost that you might need to power on through your day when fatigue hits. But what happens when the caffeine, taurine and sugar all start to wear off? You’ll feel even more deflated than you did before, of course. So maybe you reach for another one to keep you going. Or maybe you are now in a position to have a nap, so you don’t need another one, but an hour after waking you do. You will soon find yourself in a cycle of buying one or more energy drinks a day, as your body starts to think that it cannot function without them. These drinks have been proven to be addictive.

Diabetes

Drinks that are high in sugar have a very negative effect on the pancreas, eventually destroying the cells that produce insulin for the body. Insulin works to maintain blood sugar levels at a healthy amount. Without it, sugar levels remain high and can have a very negative effect on the body over time. Short-term symptoms include fatigue, frequent urination and excessive hunger, but left untreated, the problems of diabetes are far more severe.

 

These are only a few of the side-effects that come with regularly drinking energy drinks. For most people, having one every now and then won’t hurt, although the added pressure on hydration levels will mean you’ll need to drink extra water to counteract the energy drink. If you find yourself depending on them on a regular basis, it is time to think about cutting back.

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