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Is Energy Drinks Abuse Dangerous?

kids drinking energy drinks

Energy drinks seem like such fun drinks that young people can have whenever they feel like it. After all, they can simply purchase them from any supermarket or corner store without any age restrictions. It is certainly true that the average energy drink content has less caffeine than a regular coffee from Starbucks, but there are all sorts of other problems with the drink. First of all, it is full of sugar and it is designed in such a way that it is very easy to drink.

You couldn’t drink a Grande Machiatto in one fail swoop, but you could easily guzzle down a can of Red Bull without stopping.

Of course, all of this is only a problem if there are actually any dangers to drinking these types of drinks. More and more, scientists are discovering that not only energy drinks abuse is dangerous, but in fact simply drinking energy drinks is detrimental to your health, even if it wouldn’t be classed as abuse. These are energy drink facts that we cannot get around. Let’s take a look at the 10 biggest risks associated with consuming energy drinks.

10 Biggest Dangers of Energy Drinks
1. You could go into cardiac arrest. Indeed, the average person would have to drink about 140 cans of Red Bull in one go to go into cardiac arrest, not everybody is a “standard” individual. Some people may be particularly sensitive and go into arrest straight away. Do you dare risk it?
2. Migraines and severe headaches are also very common. The more energy drinks you consume, the worse the headaches will get. This is because you will start to withdraw from a caffeine addiction. Even changing your caffeine intake can cause severe headaches.
3. It can lead to insomnia. This is technically what the drinks are designed for after all. The problem is when we talk of energy drink abuse, people will really start to struggle to get to sleep. Hence, their functioning will be impaired, which can cause problems with concentration, work and driving.
4. It can lead to type 2 diabetes, due to the extremely high sugar content.
5. It can interact poorly with other prescription medication, in particular those taken for depression.
6. It can lead to full blown addiction of either caffeine or energy drinks in particular. Addictions are incredibly hard to break and carry various risks with them, including loss of work and breakdown of familiar relationships.
7. Risky behavior can occur, particularly in teens, who have been demonstrated to be more likely to be promiscuous or aggressive, leading to various potential problems.
8. Many people feel nervous and jittery when they consume too much caffeine. Anxiety feelings rise, and people can start to suffer from generalized anxiety.
9. If too much caffeine is consumed, people may start vomiting. In extreme cases, this can lead to acid erosion of the teeth or the esophagus and it can lead to serious dehydration.
10. Allergic reactions can occur as well, which can be anything from some itching to a full anaphylactic shock and even death.

Moderate
Reading the above may just be sufficient to get you to picket your local grocery store to get them to remove all energy drinks from their shelves. However, this isn’t necessary either. Just as with food, you cannot ban chocolate cakes in order to lose weight. You simply have to make sure you don’t survive on a diet of chocolate cake. Similarly, the occasional energy drink is not pad for you. In fact, it can be beneficial if you are in a situation where additional alertness is required. However, the best idea is always to replace energy drinks as much as possible with natural substances like fruit juices or healthy snacks.

The only exception where moderation is not suitable either is for people with heart problems. There are no energy drinks for people with heart problems, because they have to stay away from caffeine completely. Instead, they could opt for a homemade energy drink, enjoying non-caffeinated energy products wherever possible. Alternatively, they could simply get more sleep in order to feel more energized.

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