Energy Drinks

Caffeine, taurine, glucoronolactone, thiamine, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, biotin, cyanocobalamin, guarana, ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, I-Carnitine, and sugars: a long and intimidating list of common ingredients. Common ingredients for what? Energy drinks.

Image from:  Caffeineformer.com

 Energy drinks first came on the market in 1997 in the United States. Since their introduction, they have gained mass popularity throughout the country, resulting in an average of 290 million gallons of energy drinks consumed in 2007. Energy drinks can be spotted everywhere, in the hand’s of students, soldiers, healthcare professionals, or anyone who ever really finds themselves in need of a boost. While the average US citizen may resort to a cup of coffee, an energy drink contains a close amount of caffeine, hovering around 90mg. Energy drinks contain many more chemicals and sugar than coffee though, including the list of aforementioned names. So what do all of the ingredients in energy drinks do to the body, and could they be potentially harmful over time?

               Caffeine, the most commonly known ingredient in energy drinks, is a psychoactive drug that is available to anyone across the world that seeks it. The drug is an adenosine and benzodiazepine receptor antagonist and a nervous system stimulant. Ingesting caffeine, something most children and adults do on a regular basis, can cause a wide range of physiological effects. Caffeine can cause the stimulation of smooth muscle, cardiac stimulation and antagonism, cerebral vasoconstriction, reduces insulin sensitivity, and causes increased urine flow. While caffeine is known to increase focus, cognitive ability, and exercise endurance, the amount of caffeine consumed can greatly influence the side effects on the body. Adults and children who consume too much caffeine can experience more extreme symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, insomnia, vomiting, abdominal pain, hallucinations, cerebral edema, arrhythmias, stroke, and in severe cases of caffeine intoxication, death. Guarana, a second form of caffeine found in energy drinks, adds to the overall “energizing” effects on the body found in caffeine drinks. A study in Australia found that the added caffeine contained in guarana may not be added into the official label, meaning a drink could potentially contain more caffeine than advertised. Throughout the years, caffeine intoxication has been widely reported as a result of energy drink consumption and has lead to death in several cases.

Another common ingredient found in energy drinks is taurine. Taurine is an amino acid that naturally occurs in the body that is a normal ingredient of the human body. The amino acid helps aid in skeletal muscle contraction and plays different roles in both the cardiac and nervous system. The amount of taurine in a single energy drink is low, and no official studies in humans have shown adverse reactions. In Norway, France, and Denmark, Red Bull was banned after a study performed on rats showed that the rats were prone to anxiety and self-mutilation after exposure to taurine.

               Energy drinks also contain a wide array of Vitamin B subclasses that can help convert the sugar available in energy drinks to energy. On average, an energy drink contains around 54 mg of sugar. Ingesting 54 mg of sugar is equivalent to eating ¼ cup of sugar, for each energy drink consumed. High levels of sugar in the diet can lead to extreme health problems such as heart disease that can cause fatal side effects or even death.

               Another factor to consider when examining the potential effects of energy drinks is to review the potentially hazardous effects when energy drinks are mixed with other substances such as alcohol. Many common drinks and shots now contain alcohol mixed with energy drinks that can have negative side effects. Energy drinks can decrease the overall feeling of intoxication, leading a person to believe there are less drunk than they are.

               Many people use energy drinks commonly, and the side effects and long-term problems should be seriously examined since they play such a large role in the American beverage industry. Children and adolescents should be made aware of the potentially negative effects of the ingredients listed on the back of an energy drink that the average consumer may not understand.  

Sources:

Higgins, John P., et al. “Energy Beverages: Content and Safety.” NCBI, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 11 Nov. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2966367/.

Seifert, Sara, et al. “Health Effects of Energy Drinks on Children, Adolescents and Young Adults.” Pediatrics, pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2011/02/14/peds.2009-3592.full.pdf.

Strain, Eric C, and Roland R. Griffiths. “Caffeinated Energy Drinks-A Growing Problem.”Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Elsevier, 21 Sept. 2008, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871608002858.

Article by: Olivia Murphy, Master of Science in Medical Sciences, University of Kentucky