Flipside Of The Buzz - The Dangers Of Energy Drinks

I hear stories of all-nighters the night before exams and deadlines. It's common practice for many students to wait until the last minute before exam and deadline time to study or prepare. Such preparation techniques are quite draining and require a lot of energy. Many are turning to energy drinks such as Red Bull or Monster Energy. But with concerns being raised about the effects of energy drinks on body and mind, we have decided to examine the benefits and dangers of these drinks.

It's bad for your health to have too many energy drinks per day.
(Photo: Tambako the Jaguar)

Benefits:

For many it would seem that the disadvantages overshadow the benefits. However, there are some advantages to using these products.

There is a boost of energy through the stimulation of the central nervous system and can provide you with that boost at the time that you need to complete that project on time or study for that exam. This is a great benefit even on the job as you may be able to use it in the afternoon when you are starting to feel tired to get an extra boost to make it through those last tiresome couple of hours of the work day.

There is the belief that energy drinks increase performance, concentration, reaction speed, vigilance, emotional status, and metabolism.

Disadvantages

The high level of caffeine and sugar in many of these energy drinks causes many health issues to develop or be exacerbated. While most energy drinks have about the same amount of caffeine as one cup of coffee, they are consumed in such large rates that the risks of health issues are amplified.

The sugar in the drinks increases the heart rate and leaves you vulnerable to stroke, diabetes and weight gain.

High consumption of caffeine can lead to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease, and stroke. This is not widespread but these risks are greater when you consume Red Bull and other energy drinks at more than reasonable levels.

When the caffeine is withdrawing from your system, it leaves you vulnerable to breakdown or the “crash”. After the crash, you are often left in a horrible mood and even more drained than before. You are left feeling nervous and anxious.

Persons with heart conditions, kidney disease, who are on anti-depressants and suffer with insomnia should avoid using these drinks as they can cause these illnesses to deteriorate. Also, pregnant women should avoid these drinks as they can cause deformities in their newborns.

Caffeine can also act like a drug so your body becomes accustomed to its effects and you need more and more to get the same boost of energy.

The “Mix”

Recently, it has become popular to mix these drinks with alcohol. The trend is to drink the energy drink before going to the party to keep your energy up before you consume alcohol. Additionally, some adventurous party-goers mix the energy drink with alcohol for consumption.

This mixture of stimulant and depressant opens the door for dehydration and even heart failure. These drinks are both acceptable in small doses, but party-goers usually have mixtures of vodka and Red Bull in excessive amounts.

This not only has negative physical effects but it also changes your behaviour. You lose inhibitions and exhibit aggressive behaviour that may not reflect your normal personality.

The suggestion

Be thoughtful of the health risks and behavioural changes possible with consumption of these drinks. It is fine to consume them but not in large portions and certainly not on a day to day basis. There are sometimes instructions that accompany energy drinks. Ultimately, restrict yourself to two cans within any twenty-four periods.

The energy boost is short-term but the health effects are long term. It is not advisable that you consume it with alcohol as this is playing Russian roulette with your health and mental stability.