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We all indulge in energy drinks every now and then, don’t we? But, did you know about the effects of energy drinks on the body? Apart from the sudden jolt of energy and enthusiasm that you get, were you aware of the downsides to it?
To be honest, majority of us don’t even know about the possible impacts energy drinks have on our body. As much as the positive impacts of the energy drinks are visible, there are some negative impacts that can eventually take a toll on your health.
Here, we have sorted out some of the known effects that energy drinks have on the body that you possibly didn’t know about.
What happens to your body when you drink energy drinks?
There is nothing wrong with drinking energy drinks every once in a while, especially when you are hungover and have a presentation to give in a few hours.
Such situations can stand out as an exemption but the problem does arise when you make a habit of drinking them every now and then, every single day.
To be honest, people have a very big misconception that it is likely the caffeine in these energy drinks that make them unfit for drinking so frequently.
The answer is not just that. It is not just that but the picture is a lot larger than what your imagination is telling you.
Let me walk you through some of the possible impacts that your body experiences when you drink the energy drinks.
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Check Out These Impacts Of Energy Drinks On Your Body.
1. Boosts your brain function
The first and possibly the most important effects of energy drink on the body is that it promotes your brain function.
Apart from getting some fuel to get through the day, there are people who do consume the energy drinks to further improve their mental alertness and brain function.
There have also been a number of conducted studies (R) that have found the impacts of energy drinks in boosting the brain functions and cognition in an individual.
Some of the impactful changes that the researchers found included improvements in the choice reaction time, memory, and even the concentration of the subjects in the study.
Another conducted study (R) found that the consumption of the energy drinks helped improve the secondary memory and the attention factors in the individuals following the consumption.
2. Possible risks of heart complications
If you think that drinking energy drinks in moderation might not have any significant impacts on your heart health, that is likely not the case at all.
For the individuals who already have a weak heart, it is likely that even just a few drinks can prove lethal for your heart.
According to a conducted study (R), it was found that energy drinks have direct impact in enhancing the contraction of the heart, which can later prove bad for the individuals with a bad heart condition.
Not just that, another study (R) found a sudden spike in the QTc levels in the body of the participants who drank energy drinks. QTc is the marker which helps point out the risks of the arrhythmic heart beats.
A very recent study (R) conducted in 2019 also found that the consumption of 32 fluid ounces of energy drinks in 60 minutes can result in changed heart rhythm and even contribute to the risks of hypertension in the said individuals.
3. Energy spikes and energy slumps
Another one of the probable known effects that energy drinks have on the body is to cause a energy spike and energy slump over time.
It has been found that once you drink the energy drink, it takes around 10-15 minutes for the caffeine to enter the bloodstream.
Once it is in the stream, the next thing that happens is the impacts on the heart activity and the blood pressure, which are significantly raised.
Over the next 45 minutes, the caffeine levels in the bloodstream are at its optimum, making you feel more alert and energized in the moment.
Since caffeine has direct impacts on the release of adenosine (R), the same has amazing impacts in making you feel more alert during the situation.
But, as quickly as one experiences the rise in the energy levels and alertness, the same does come crashing down within an hour of the consumption.
Once the energy levels start going down, you are likely going to feel more tired in the situation.
The overall caffeine levels in the body do go down gradually over the hours, especially taking somewhere between 6-12 hours to be completely wiped out of your system.
4. Signs of headaches
Even though this might not seem like one of the most important effects of energy drinks on the body, it is likely that the same can induce risks of headaches and migraine.
If you are drinking energy drinks frequently, you are going to experience the caffeine withdrawal symptoms.
While it is unlikely for you to experience any possible changes to your health right off the bat, you might experience signs of headache and migraines when you change up the caffeine amount in the day.
This is one of the reasons why it is either best that you cut out drinking energy drinks or be moderate with the consumption.
5. Loaded with sugar
If you are diabetic, the last thing you want is to add to it.
There are a number of energy drinks available in the market which is loaded with sugar.
You wouldn’t believe this but every can of Red Bull contains 7 teaspoons of sugar in it. And, that is not the end. There are several brands which have more sugar content in them.
This is what causes the further deterioration with the condition of diabetes.
If you face a hard time keeping the blood glucose levels in check, it is likely that you do need to rethink things.
Not only does it negatively impact your condition of diabetes, it is likely that the same can further contribute to the complications of inflammation and oxidative stress (R) in the body.
Even if you are not diabetic, it is necessary for you to stay cautious about the amount of energy or sugar filled drinks you are drinking. This is mainly because of the fact that the same ends up causing the risks associated with type-2 diabetes (R).
If you have to rely on energy drinks, try and look out for the sugar free options instead.
6. Risks of insomnia
If you already have a hard time falling asleep, it is likely that the effects of energy drinks on the body aren’t going to help with the condition.
It is true that energy drinks can come in handy when you are in the middle of something important and you want to keep yourself awake. Occasional drinking is not bad for your health.
But, if you make a habit out of it, it is likely that the excess caffeine and the sugar from these drinks can end up making it hard for you to get some sleep altogether.
The lack of consistent sleep is likely going to take a toll on your health in the long stretch of time.
This is the reason why it is important that you do pay close attention to the amount and the frequency of drinking that.
7. Risks of alcohol mixed energy drinks
All of us know about the combination of red bull and vodka, don’t we?
As much as you love the taste and love drinking it, it is likely that mixing the both together is not going to do any favours to your body.
The stimulating factors of the energy drink often tend to override the suppressing impacts of the alcohol.
What this means is that you are likely going to drink more than you normally would because of the energetic feeling coursing through your body.
Even studies (R) have found that the individuals who mix the energy drinks with alcohol have reported risks of heavier alcohol consumption through their life.
In short, energy drinks when mixed with alcohol is likely going to make you feel less intoxicated, which means that you are likely going to end up drinking more than you should.
8. Can interact with prescription drugs
If you are on certain prescription drugs for your health, it is likely that the consumption of energy drinks might hinder with the drug.
There are some components in the energy drinks which could interact with the prescription drugs and make their impacts on the body bad.
If you are taking medication for depression, it is best suggested that you do skip out on the excess consumption of energy drinks for better health.
9. Jitters
The consumption of energy drinks have been associated with jitters, nervousness and anxiety, even a study (R) has found that.
Even though there are not much evidence as to what could be causing or propagating the same, it is believed that the stimulants in the drinks could be a contributing factor.
The constant shaking, jitters and anxiousness can also because of the high sugar content in these drinks.
Often, these kinds of behaviour can end up affecting your ability to get things done, especially the ones including emotional issues.
10. Inducing Stress
When it comes to answering what happens to your body when you drink energy drinks, a study found that it propagated the release of the stress hormones in the body.
In the study (R), the participants were given 240 mg of the Rockstar Energy Drink and the researchers found that the same ended up instigating the release of stress hormones in the body.
They found that the levels of the norepinephrine spiked by 74% in the test group while the placebo group only experienced a 31% rise.
11. Niacin overdose
Niacin or Vitamin b3 is yet another common compound that you will find in majority of the energy drinks.
If you tend to drink the energy drinks very frequently and in extreme amounts, it is likely that the same will end up affecting your health for the worse, especially by enhancing the risks of niacin overdose.
The problem tends to get even worse when you are taking niacin supplements externally as well.
Adding to the already high niacin levels with the supplements will likely end up making this worse for you.
Some common signs of niacin overdose include skin flushing, dizziness, vomiting, itching, increased heart rate etc.
Even a case study (R) of an affected individual from B3 toxicity induces nonviral hepatitis found in the reports that he drank a lot of energy drinks during a short time span.
How much of energy drinks is permissible for kids?
Not just adults, even kids need to keep an eye out on the amount of energy drinks they are consuming.
Even according to a report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, it was clearly mentioned that teens and kids shouldn’t be allowed to drink energy drinks at all.
The primary reason why kids and even teens shouldn’t be allowed the same is because they tend to have a higher risk of getting caffeine addiction.
Aside from that, the high levels of sugar and stimulants make it easy for them to get tired easily.
What are the Alternatives to Energy Drinks?
Now that you know of the effects of energy drinks on the body, it is important that you do find better alternatives to the harmful energy drinks.
Some of the best alternatives for these include:
- Green tea
- Ginger tea
- Coffee
- Freshly pressed juice
If you have been relying on the energy drinks without knowing the effects of energy drinks on the body, it is time that you find better alternatives before it does worse to your body. It is always best suggested that you either reduce the intake to every once in a while or get rid of it for good. The last thing that you want is to end up experiencing any of the side effects that we have mentioned above.
