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How Are Energy Drinks Bad For You?

The term energy drink is quite misleading because drinks like red bull, power horse, red devil, hype and other which are sold under this category are mostly “stimulants”, no different from a strong cup of coffee, only worse due to the high amounts of sugar added to these drinks. A glass of fresh orange juice or grape juice is what really makes for an energy drink as they supply you with essential minerals, vitamins and glucose for better functioning of the body, the so-called energy drinks like red bull only serve to give you copious doses of caffeine to make you feel stimulated and hyper. So if you are asking – how are energy drinks bad for you, the answer is because they contain caffeine and sugar to create a sense of artificial stimulation.

The Effect of Energy Drinks of Youngsters

A can of a commercial energy drink, per day, may not do you much harm. But most youngsters end up drinking several cans per day, some even drink them back to back to increase the stimulative effects. The caffeine is the energy drink is not really a healthy chemical, and in high doses it severely disturbs your body’s chemical balance leading to effects like insomnia, anxiety, depression (only the high has worn off), jittery nerves and dehydration.

Most youngsters will not be harmed by a couple of cans of energy drink per day, simply because their body is more robust and can take some abuse without any harm. The problem starts when one get so addicted to the effects of the drink that one starts consuming several cans per day. It’s also not advisable to drink more than one can in a sitting. There have been incidents where youngsters consumed four cans of an energy drink in one go and had to be hospitalized.

There was also a case in France where an 18 year old athlete Ross Cooney died when he played basket ball under the influence of four cans of red bull, which got the drink banned there. Effects of energy drinks on the heart, and blood pressure, is being studied and it has been noted that they do hype up the heart rate, so it’s not advisable to drink them when your heart rate is already high (ex after a work out)

Here are a few guidelines for youngsters who take energy drinks like red bull:

1. Avoid, at all costs, drinking multiple cans in one sitting
2. Don’t gulp down an energy drink, like red bull, after a strenuous work out, like after a physical game or aerobic workouts
3. Avoid drinking more than a couple of cans one a per day basis, caffeine becomes harmful as the dosage increases
4. Never mix energy drinks like red bull with an alcoholic beverage. The stimulant plus depressant effect will cause immense strain on your body and lead to unpleasant reactions.
5. Avoid drinking energy drinks while you are studying. The stimulants will make it difficult for you to stay focused for long, more so if the subject requires mental effort. You will also feel drained once the “high” of the drink subsides
6. Make sure you drink ample water to counter-act the “diuretic” effect of energy drinks which causes water to be drained from your body, leaving you dehydrated.

Remember that most commercial energy drinks are bad for you, they are not by any means healthy or nutritious in any way – most are just sugar packed caffeine drinks with a few supplements added (like ginseng, B-vitamins etc).

Effect of Energy Drinks on Adults

It has been noticed that adults above the age of  40 are more likely to feel the harmful effects of energy drinks than a robust youngster. Energy drinks are known to push up your blood pressure and heart rate, this is not good news if you are already suffering from hypertension or some form of heart disease. Drinking more than one can of energy drink can lead to palpitations, nervousness, restlessness or even dizziness in some cases, if the person is already suffering from high blood pressure.

In Conclusion – How Are Energy Drinks Bad?

It’s best to stick to the nutritious drinks like fruit juices, coconut water, green tea and other natural beverages. Energy drinks like red bull, and power horse, may give you a kick for a while but they will also create a downer when the high subsides, and they don’t contribute to the body’s wellness because of the caffeine and sugar content in them – so energy drinks are just bad for you, and the less consumed the better.