Are energy drinks bad for you? – Understanding pros and cons

“Energy drinks” are marketed as a means of enhancing mental and physical performance by increasing alertness and focusing abilities. Furthermore, certain beverage brands—such as Celsius, Monster, and Red Bull—keep exploding off the shelves. Sales of Red Bull alone were over 7.34 billion USD in 2023.

That being said, not everything that glitters is gold. Despite their enormous popularity, the health claims made for these highly caffeinated and sugar-filled drinks might not be worth the boost. If you’re not careful, they can potentially pose some very significant health hazards.

There are several drinks available now that may provide you with a rapid caffeine hit. Naturally, coffee is the most popular pick-me-up in the United States, with an estimated 154 million adults—or 75% of the population—grabbing a cup every day.

Coffee is generally regarded as safe. That is, if you don’t buy Venti coffees from Starbucks, which are the largest size, or don’t refill your coffee cup during the day.

There is 410 milligrams (mg) of caffeine in one of those big guys. This is 10 mg higher than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends for a healthy adult in a single day.

Putting size aside, what if you want a quicker, stronger boost than what a typical cup of coffee can provide? Fans of energy drinks will contend that consuming one can or an energy shot—a stronger version of an energy drink—doesn’t constitute a poorer option than a cup of coffee.

For example, an 8-ounce can of Red Bull has 80 milligrams of caffeine. Additionally, an 8-ounce cup of coffee has 95 mg in it.

Energy drink pros and cons:

It’s undeniable that consuming a caffeinated beverage can increase your energy and sharpen your attention. So, going for an energy drink could seem like the natural decision whether you’re studying for an exam, working through the night at business, or trying to improve your athletic performance.

However, are you truly aware of what you’re consuming?

Energy drinks may potentially be a stroke risk. A stroke is a brain-based version of a heart attack. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is the diagnosis that might result after consuming an energy drink. Your brain may suffer a bleed or have its blood supply restricted as a result of this abrupt spasm of its blood vessels.

Don’t mix energy drink with alcohol:

The practice of combining energy drinks and alcohol is very common among young people and college students.

But this raises serious issues for public health.

Alcohol’s depressing effects can be outweighed by the invigorating effects of caffeine, which is found in energy drinks. As a result, you could feel less drunk yet still have alcohol-related problems.

This combo can cause a lot of anxiety. Individuals who use alcohol-infused energy beverages typically report consuming more alcohol overall. Additionally, they have a higher risk of drinking and driving and getting hurt due to alcohol.

Keep it away from kids:

About one-third of kids between the ages of 12 and 17 are known to routinely take energy drinks.

Energy drinks, however, are not recommended for children or teens to consume, as stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2011.

Their argument is that the caffeine in energy drinks puts kids and teens at danger of acquiring a drug addiction and may harm their growing hearts and brains.

Also, experts recommend that adolescents and teens drink less than 1.14 mg of caffeine per pound (2.5 mg/kg) of their own body weight every day, and that adults use no more than 100 mg of caffeine monthly.