Are Energy Drinks Really That Bad for You?

Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent or part of the workforce, the busyness of life seems to be ever-present. It can be challenging to muster up the energy you need to tackle the morning, let alone the entire day. That’s why nearly 90% of Americans consume caffeine daily. One of the quickest and often most tasty options for caffeine consumption to fit your busy schedule is energy drinks. But in recent years, the question of whether energy drinks are bad for your health has surfaced.

Keep reading to learn how energy drinks affect your health, if they’re really that bad for you and safer alternatives to fit your busy schedule.

Caffeine in Energy Drinks

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the recommended daily caffeine intake is 400 milligrams (mg), which equates to around four cups of brewed coffee. But when it comes to energy drinks, the range of included caffeine is much larger. While some popular energy drink brands contain 80mg of caffeine, others can have up to 300mg. Because the range is so large, you could reach the daily caffeine limit after just one and a half energy drinks, compared to several cups of coffee. It’s important that you always check the amount of caffeine in energy drinks before consuming them.

Doses of 500mg or more of caffeine can cause caffeine intoxication, which carries several side effects, including:

• Anxiety
• Bowel irritability
• Elevated blood pressure
• Increased gastric acid
• Insomnia
• Panic attacks

But the good news is that caffeine toxicity has no long-lasting consequences because the symptoms wear off as soon as the caffeine leaves your system.

How Energy Drinks Affect Heart Health

Did you know that moderate caffeine consumption can have positive health effects like protection against heart attacks and stroke? Although true, these benefits are dependent on every individual’s health history and caffeine tolerance. Energy drinks are often filled with many unhealthy additives and added sugars, which can negatively affect your heart health over time, so moderation is key. Regularly consuming energy drinks can affect your heart in two ways: increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. Let’s take a close look at each.

The Effects of Energy Drinks on Heart Rate

Caffeine from energy drinks travels from your mouth, through your body and into your bloodstream. Once it enters your bloodstream, it begins to stimulate your central nervous system, triggering receptors in the cells of your heart and resulting in an elevated heart rate. While this tasty beverage may give you that quick boost of energy you’re looking for, it can also cause premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), commonly in the form of heart palpitations.

Energy drinks can also cause your heart to pound with more force. While this is OK for most healthy adults, certain individuals with a lower caffeine tolerance or pre-existing heart conditions could develop blood clots or a sudden heart attack resulting from a more forceful heartbeat.

The Effects of Energy Drinks on Blood Pressure

Although the reason remains unknown, caffeine consumption can elevate blood pressure, with research indicating that this increase can be as high as 10 mmHg. Elevated blood pressure levels can increase your chances of the following:

• Atherosclerosis
• Heart attack
• Heart disease
• Heart failure
• Kidney disease
• Stroke
• Vision loss

Talk to your primary care physician about your risk of hypertension and to come up with a personalized plan around caffeine consumption.

Energy Drinks and Pre-Existing Heart Conditions

For those with pre-existing heart conditions, consuming energy drinks can worsen underlying symptoms. If you experience severe heart palpitations or an increase in your blood pressure after consuming energy drinks, stop drinking and talk with your doctor about your best next steps. For those who are aware of their pre-existing heart conditions, it’s best to avoid consuming energy drinks since they can worsen your symptoms.

Safer Alternatives to Energy Drinks

The good news is that there are safer alternatives to boost your energy besides consuming energy drinks. For a more natural energy boost, we recommend:

• Eating a balanced diet
• Prioritizing your sleep
• Regularly exercising
• Staying properly hydrated
• Taking short naps
• Taking vitamins, such as B12, B6, vitamin D, vitamin C, iron and magnesium

All of these are natural ways to give yourself more energy. But if these don’t seem to work or you still need an extra boost, consider drinking a cup of coffee or tea. However, the key to not consuming too much caffeine is drinking in moderation. If you’re drinking multiple caffeinated beverages throughout the day, consider switching to tea, as it offers numerous health benefits and lower caffeine levels.

What About More Natural Energy Drinks?

There are many energy drinks on the market today that claim to have healthier ingredients and a more natural way to boost your energy. Certain mainstream energy drink brands do contain healthier ingredients, like B12 vitamins, amino acids, electrolytes and antioxidants. However, there are energy drinks out there that claim to be more natural, but in reality, are packed with sugar and other harmful ingredients.

It’s important to know that the FDA doesn’t regulate energy drinks as strictly and usually labels them as dietary supplements. Because of this, it can be easy to think you’re consuming a healthier alternative when in reality, you’re worsening your health. That’s why it’s so important to review the ingredient list on the back of each drink before consuming it.

Keeping You Energized the Right Way

It can be challenging to find the energy to get through a busy day, but you have what it takes. We’re here to help you make healthier food and beverage choices to maintain greater heart health for yourself and your loved ones. And rest assured, Florida’s leading heart care team is close by and ready to provide the expert cardiac care you deserve should you need us. Learn more or take your free health risk assessment at UnbeatableHeartCare.com.