How energy drinks can harm your health

Moderate consumption of whatever we ingest will spare us the possible adverse effect(s) of the substance.


Many are in the habit of consuming energy drinks on daily basis and even go a step further by taking more than one per day.

If you fall into this category, you might want to reduce your intake of these energy drinks.

The major contents of energy drinks include caffeine, taurine, vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and B3 – which when consumed at high rate, can be harmful to the health.

Caffeine is the major content found in energy drinks and this is because of its stimulating effects of the nervous system which gives the body a sense of alertness.

In a can of energy drink, there’s about 70 to 200 milligrams of caffeine.

Excessive consumption of energy drinks can lead to:

Insomnia

Simply because the body system has become accustomed to being at alert, even when the drink is not taken, the body finds it difficult to adjust to normal activities hence, the inability to sleep.

High blood pressure

The heart rate is faster than normal because the caffeine content has dilated the blood vessels. There is a strong likelihood for such a heart to develop problems of which high blood pressure isn’t excluded. Those with already elevated blood pressure are putting themselves at risk of stroke and other health problems related to hypertension.

Risk of miscarriage

The chemicals in caffeine, once they cross the placenta, can affect developing cells which could lead to miscarriage.

Beyond miscarriages, it is advisable for ladies to steer off caffeinated drinks while on their period as this could obstruct their menstrual flow and cause acute pain.

Anxiety/panic attacks

Caffeine from excessive consumption of energy drinks can lead to anxiety, nervousness and jitters. Larger doses of caffeine can even lead to panic attacks.

Type 2 diabetes

Energy drinks are very high in sugar, and as such can eventually wear out the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, which leads to type 2 diabetes.

How to break free of energy drinks

The intake of energy drinks causes more harm than good; if you really need it to get through your day, then you might need to ask yourself these:

Am I getting enough sleep?

Do I take enough water?

Do I exercise my body regularly, how fit am I?

What does my diet look like?

Once all these are put in check, your body system would supply you the energy you need daily and your craving for energy drinks would drop.