"In previous research, we found that energy drink consumption increased blood pressure in healthy young adults," Anna Svatikova, a cardiology fellow at the Mayo Clinic, revealed at the 2015 American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions, according to EurekAlert! Negative Effects of Caffeine in Energy Drinks. For starters, energy drinks are acidic, and frequently consuming them can discolor your teeth and wear out your enamel over time. The sugar content of energy drinks isn't exactly good for your teeth — but the sugar is actually the lesser of two evils. An energy drink addiction can have other negative side effects. Guarana, a type of Brazilian shrub that naturally contains caffeine, is another common ingredient in energy drinks. These drinks make us prone to many diseases in the body. A man in California has reportedly lost part of his skull — thanks to excessive consumption of energy drinks. As of this writing, though, energy drinks continue to be sold without restriction. Energy drinks can also be addictive from a psychological perspective. Quite the catch-22. 10. Caffeine overdose symptoms include: It’s related to the release of dopamine — the feel-good hormone — in the brain. Image Credit: Peter Dazeley/Photographer's Choice/GettyImages. Some energy drinks also contain high levels of B6 or B12. Sugary sodas can cause cravings. Energy Drink Hazards: Overconsumption of caffeine and other energy producing ingredients found in energy drinks such as taurine can lead to health issues. Here are 8 common signs of caffeine withdrawal, as well as ways to minimize…, Red Bull and Monster are two popular energy drink brands. Caleb Bryant, senior beverage analyst at Mintel, said energy drinks are seen as a solution for "increased energy needs among Americans." In fact, larger intakes can trigger a panic attack. Do the math and — yikes. But why all the fuss over these stimulating beverages? Let’s discuss the side effects of drinking too many soft drinks every day. However, the bad most certainly outweighs the good. Katherine Zeratsky, a clinical dietitian at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., told CNN Health, "Healthy adults who choose to drink energy drinks should not exceed one can per day." Drinking more than one energy drink could put consumers thousands of times over their … This is because your heart rate is elevated. All rights reserved. Even if you cut back on your energy drink consumption to just one can a day, it's possible that it's still too much. It's not just energy drink withdrawal that can cause headaches. Purchasing one, two, or more energy drinks daily can cost as much as a cigarette addiction. Other symptoms, including insomnia, heart palpitations, tremors, excessive sweating … This article reviews the similarities and differences between Red Bull and Monster, as well…. Additionally, frequent consumption of energy drinks could lead to metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of "increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels," according to the Mayo Clinic. If you struggle to manage these withdrawal symptoms when trying to quit, you should seek support from your healthcare professional. "We are well aware of the damage that sugar does in the mouth and in the whole body — the role it can play in obesity, diabetes, etc," Poonam Jain, an associate professor at the School of Dental Medicine at Southern Illinois University, told NPR. An additional study revealed that energy drinks typically contain 21 to 34 grams of sugar — be it glucose, high fructose corn syrup, or sucrose — per ounce. Although they may not seem as harmful as drug addictions, food addictions, such as an energy drink addiction, share many behavioral similarities (2). One 16-ounce energy drink could, in fact, be one too many. "This provides a feeling of energy boost and mental clarity, and can reduce appetite," Cohn explained. "There's been several cases described of people that have gone into cardiac arrest after consuming more than one energy beverage, and when they've done sort of further analysis on these individuals, they haven't been able to find anything abnormal other than the very high levels of caffeine and taurine in the toxicology," John Higgins, a sports cardiologist with McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center, told the publication. Based on the results of the study, Svatikova further advised consumers to exercise caution when drinking energy drinks "due to possible health risks." Four times a day for five days, researchers poured the two kinds of beverages on molars in a petri dish, adding in artificial saliva — who knew? "We find that some people who use them come into the hospital with strokes or severe brain hemorrhages." It can lead to cardiovascular symptoms if consumed in large levels. Their varying caffeine content leaves consumers open to dangerous health effects. If, for some reason, you aren't able to get your energy drink "fix," you'll find out just how addicted you really are. What happens when you drink too many drinks in a go? "But the average consumer is not very well aware that acid does all kinds of damage, too." Having too many energy drinks may be a real concern for some, as the beverages remain a popular drink choice. For children, even one is too much. Is adding additional caffeine to an already heavily-caffeinated beverage really necessary? The findings were strange for someone who denied ever having a blood transfusion, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, smoking cigarettes, or engaging in high-risk sexual behavior. This article examines whether they're good or bad for health. Back in 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said children "should not consume energy drinks" — and their stance has not changed as of 2019. We have compiled a list of 6 possible side effects of energy drinks you must be aware of. The issue with energy drinks, especially ones high in caffeine and sugar, is that they can cause your brain to release higher amounts of dopamine, the feel-good hormone (17). According to nutritionists, the sugar levels in the drink do a lot more damage than you think, almost as harmful as nicotine addiction. This causes dehydration and acid erosion of teeth and esophagus if frequent. Thankfully, he got better after giving up energy drinks, but his case report is quite the cautionary tale. An energy drink addiction can happen quickly or gradually, depending on various personal factors. Some symptoms can also be life-threatening and make you experience severe symptoms like disturbed breathing, palpitations, convulsions, pain, thirst, dizziness or shock, which least to say, is … If you find quitting difficult, seek support from a healthcare professional. Sodas are made with addictive ingredients like caffeine and sugar, making them uniquely enjoyable and leading to cravings. Although energy drinks will list if the beverage contains "guarana extract," there's no requirement to say that it contains additional caffeine. It may be a case of how the caffeine interacts with the added ingredients like taurine. Consuming 32 ounces of energy drinks (two cans of Monster Energy Drink, made by Monster Beverage Corporation MNST, +0.25%, or … This article explores energy drink addiction, its symptoms and side effects, and how to prevent or stop it. Coffee and Red Bull are some of the most ubiquitous caffeinated beverages, so you may wonder how they compare. What Are the Side Effects of Drinking Red Bull? "Some cans or bottles of energy drinks can have more than 500 [milligrams] of caffeine, which is the equivalent of 14 cans of soda," Marcie Beth Schneider, pediatrician and member of the AAP Committee on Nutrition, explained, as shared by the academy. Jain and her team decided to conduct an experiment to compare sports drinks and energy drinks' effect on the teeth. However, it also causes "adverse energy drink side effects," which can even include mood swings. If these sound like good things, that's because they are. Additionally, the participants who abstained from caffeine were found to be even more fatigued and less alert, had more trouble concentrating, and experienced higher prevalences of mood disturbance and headaches compared to people who didn't regularly consume caffeine. With caffeine in many different drinks, foods, and medications, you may find yourself experiencing the symptoms of caffeine overdose. Last medically reviewed on July 14, 2020. An addiction is a psychological condition that involves an ongoing desire to use a substance or engage in a behavior, despite its negative consequences (1). Hajj-Ali added, "These are typically young, otherwise healthy people in their 30s and 40s." While they can deliver benefits, energy drinks have a number of associated health concerns related to excessive amounts of caffeine and sugar, as well as their artificial sweetener content. Katherine Zeratsky, a clinical dietitian at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., told CNN Health that the added "vitamins, amino acids and herbals" in energy drinks are "often in higher concentrations than naturally in food or plants, and the effects when combined especially with caffeine may be enhanced." The symptoms consist of sweating, tremor, nausea and racing thoughts. "Unwanted physical results are in the ... foreground, noticeable and visible," the researchers explained. As such, researchers report that "high energy drink intake may increase the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes." Another sign is experiencing withdrawal symptoms when abstaining from energy drinks, such as headaches, irritability, fatigue, and a depressed mood . Several factors play a role in determining how an addiction develops, including your personal and family history, as well as your brain chemistry (16). Too many energy drinks may cause vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. After 42 days in the hospital —without energy drinks — his symptoms disappeared. Or, you may have a sensitivity to caffeine, even at low amounts. Some people may feel they cannot perform their day-to-day tasks as well without energy drinks, leading to dependence. In a post (now deleted) shared on the Facebook page for Endres Photography, located in Sacramento, California, a woman who chooses to be known only as Brianna explained how excessive energy drink consumption led to her husband’s nearly fatal brain hemorrhage. According to Mintel data, these beverages brought in $13.4 billion in sales in 2017 alone. It’s not necessarily how many energy drinks is too many, but how much caffeine is too much. Consuming too many energy drinks and thus too much of this stimulant can lead to a caffeine overdose. The negative effects are: Raising Blood Pressure. Symptoms of this include restlessness, incoherence, and stomach problems, and long term effects include anxiety, insomnia, and rapid heartbeat. An addiction to energy drinks can involve addictive symptoms that are related to brain and nervous system function, such as the following: Another sign is experiencing withdrawal symptoms when abstaining from energy drinks, such as headaches, irritability, fatigue, and a depressed mood (6). However, they have many possible side effects to be aware of, including heart complications, anxiousness and insomnia. An energy drink addiction can have a serious effect on your health. An energy addiction involves drinking excessive amounts of these beverages without being able to moderate your intake. Physical labor can work up a thirst, but for one construction worker, his choice of beverage led to severe liver problems. A child should not drink a soft drink at all. Vomiting. For example, there have been a low number of fatalities related to caffeine overdose, some in … This amino acid can have an effect on the water and mineral levels in the blood. This is disconcerting, especially because beverage companies are not required to declare the amount of citric acid on their product labels. This article reviews soda…. What’s more, there’s a large mental component to quitting energy drinks. "They're sort of a black box," the cardiologist shared. The beginning symptoms should be recognized and further caffeine intake should be stopped to avoid the more serious and even life-threatening symptoms found at the end of the list. The following year, a 16-year-old high school student, Davis Cripe, died from a cardiac event after drinking a Mountain Dew, coffee, and energy drink within the span of 40 minutes. If you’re struggling to quit, it can be worthwhile to seek professional help. The Latest News and Updates in symptoms of too many energy drinks brought to you by the team at FOX 2: All You Need to Know, How to Stop Drinking Soda: A Complete Guide, the inability to control your energy drink intake, green tea, including bottled sparkling versions. Caffeine overdose symptoms vary from person to person and range from moderate (flushed face) to extreme (death), depending on the individual and the level of caffeine consumption. Doctors in that case also suspected niacin as the culprit. It is best to lower the number of energy drinks you are consuming. Drinking excessive amounts may lead to tooth decay, weight gain, and chronic diseases, such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes. Sometimes, the easiest way to fight an energy drink addiction is to replace it with something similar. "It was found that he had auditory and visual hallucinations and grandiose, persecution, and mystic delusions during observations in the ward," the researchers revealed. What can make energy drinks addictive to some people is they contain several potentially habit-forming substances, such as caffeine, as well as sugar or artificial sweeteners (3, 4, 5). So if you want to stay healthy, you shouldn't drink too many energy drinks. This is mainly because it has more caffeine than even a cup of coffee. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. According to Healthline, severe cases can be life-threatening and cause you to experience trouble breathing, confusion, chest pain, and even convulsions. A liver biopsy further revealed "severe acute hepatitis with bridging necrosis and marked cholestasis." It may be characterized by addictive symptoms similar to those of a drug addiction, and it’s linked to various health issues. However, for the purpose of this article, it will be defined as drinking excessive amounts of energy drinks without being able to control your intake. It was bad. If you enjoy even the occasional can of Monster, you need to be aware of the dangers of too many energy drinks. Before long, though, you may find yourself needing two or three — or more — just to get the same effect. Bryant also noted that much of the success of energy drink sales can be attributed to a "large base of high frequency drinkers" in the United States. Caffeine is "the major constituent" in the majority of energy drinks — and it's also a huge part of the problem. Although the amount of caffeine is stated on the can as required, Schneider said it can be "hard to tell how much caffeine is in a product by looking at the label.". A study conducted in 2013 found that an "energy shot can significantly improve important aspects of cognitive function for up to [six hours] compared to placebo in partially sleep-deprived healthy volunteers." 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