Energy drinks: harm or benefit? Let's talk about energy drinks, what harm energy drinks contain.

Energy drinks appeared relatively recently and almost immediately conquered the market. Students and office workers drink them to improve concentration, and athletes and workers use energy drinks to maintain their tone. It would seem that a panacea for fatigue and drowsiness has been found. But everything is not so rosy. The harm of energy drinks to the human body has already been proven. It is better to completely exclude these drinks from the diet or drink them rarely and with extreme caution.

What components are included in energy drinks?

Reading the composition of energy drinks, you can come to the conclusion that they are very useful, because there are no harmful components. Most often energy drinks include:

Caffeine. Required ingredient. The substance has a stimulating effect on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, which increases endurance, improves concentration, and relieves the feeling of fatigue.

Taurine. This is an amino acid that accumulates in muscles. The effect of the substance on the human body has not been fully studied. It is believed that it stimulates the heart muscle, but this has not been proven.

Carnitine. The substance is popular among athletes. It improves the oxidation of fatty acids. This speeds up metabolism and reduces muscle fatigue.

Melatonin. An important substance for the body that regulates human daily biorhythms.

Matein. This is an active substance that tones well and reduces appetite. Contained in South American mate tea.

Phytocomponents: ginseng and guarana. These are natural stimulants of plant origin. They perfectly tone up, relieve fatigue, and help cope with muscle pain during physical activity. Ginseng and guarana are also credited with the ability to cleanse the liver.

B vitamins. They are needed for the normal functioning of the central nervous system. A deficiency of B vitamins negatively affects brain function, well-being, and the condition of hair and nails.

Individually, the ingredients in energy drinks are not harmful, quite the contrary. But their combination and huge concentrations in drinks can cause serious damage to the body.

Why have energy drinks become so popular?

Energy drinks act almost instantly. If you need to quickly cheer up, concentrate, relieve fatigue and drowsiness, a jar of drink is what you need. Moreover, the range of energy drinks is extensive, and each buyer can easily select exactly the composition that is best suited for his purposes.

Drinks with a high concentration of caffeine are chosen by people engaged in mental work. And compositions with vitamins and carbohydrates perfectly support the strength of athletes. Tonics invigorate instantly (this is ensured by the gas), and the duration of action is twice that of other caffeine-containing drinks.

Another plus that is often forgotten is convenient packaging. A can of drink is easy to carry in your purse, hold in your hand, and the opened drink does not spill out. A cup of tea or coffee does not have such benefits. In addition, the harm of energy drinks is often downplayed, and many people think that the drinks are relatively safe.

The harm of energy drinks: why you should give them up

Energy drinks have powerful effects on the human body. Until 2009, several countries (for example, France, Denmark, Norway) prohibited their free sale. It was possible to purchase tonics only at the pharmacy, since they were considered medicines and were used in strictly dosed doses, ideally on the recommendation of a doctor.

Energy drinks affect all organs and systems:

Raises blood pressure. This is unsafe, and is strictly prohibited for hypertensive patients.

Increases blood sugar levels. This leads to dysfunction of the endocrine glands.

Reduce overall tone. Energy drinks provide only a short-term burst of energy, and then a decline occurs. This manifests itself in the form of irritability, weakness, depression, insomnia, and increased fatigue.

They deplete the nervous system. Drinks do not add strength, they simply provoke the body to expend additional energy.

Causes rapid heartbeat and tremors. A deficiency of B vitamins depresses the functions of the nervous system, but an excess is no better. An overdose leads to trembling and uncontrolled motor activity.

Lead to dehydration. Many components of energy drinks have diuretic properties, which negatively affects the condition of the kidneys and the water-salt balance of the body.

Exacerbate symptoms of diabetes. Although energy drinks in moderate quantities do not cause disease, they do contribute to the deterioration of the condition of diabetics.

Doctors believe that systematic consumption of energy drinks in large quantities can provoke cancer, lead to obesity, blood clots and even cause epilepsy. Although there is no 100% scientific evidence, it is worth giving up energy drinks so as not to expose yourself to unnecessary risks.

Energy drink (the so-called “energy drink”) is very popular in all developed countries of the world. The reason for its popularity is simple: the comparative cheapness of the drink and the invigorating (tonic) effect it provides.

In fact, an energy drink is a more effective analogue of coffee, which also quenches your thirst. The variety of flavors of energy drinks is also one of the reasons for the popularity of this drink.

But how dangerous is it to drink energy drinks? In this article we will try to understand how dangerous and harmful it is to drink energy drinks.

Energy drinks entered widespread production in 1984. To put it very simply, these are drinks created using a combination of various stimulating substances and additional components (vitamins, flavors, dyes, and so on).

They are created to stimulate the central nervous system. Due to this, a significant reduction in fatigue is achieved, and mental performance increases, but for a limited period (up to 6-8 hours).

Composition of various energy drinks in the vast majority of cases the same. It includes the following substances:

Caffeine. The main component of energy drinks, which has a tonic and invigorating effect. It should also be noted that caffeine significantly increases heart rate (up to 120 beats per minute).
Mate. It is an analogue of caffeine and gives the same effect, but to a lesser extent.
Ginseng and guarana. Both are natural (i.e. not synthesized) CNS stimulants.
Sucrose and glucose are universal energy for the body, simple carbohydrates. Once in the body, these substances quickly have a stimulating effect, primarily entering the brain, reducing the desire to sleep and stimulating its activity.
Taurine. An amino acid that accelerates metabolism, quickly provides energy to the body, and is another central nervous system stimulant.
Theobromine. In its pure form it is toxic, but energy drinks contain theobromine that has undergone chemical treatment. Is a tonic.
Phenylalanine. Adds flavor to the drink.
B vitamins.

The impact of energy drinks on the human body

The use of energy drinks directly affects a person's sleep. To be more precise, chronic persistent insomnia develops, and existing sleep becomes pathological. The patient may have nightmares, any external stimuli cause him to wake up, and after sleep there is no feeling of vigor and “new strength”. This is the so-called rollback.

Over time, mood lability (its instability), suspiciousness, irritability, excessive anger and aggressiveness develops. The world in the patient’s mind loses color, which usually indicates the onset of depression.

Organic lesions include the development of prolonged sinus tachycardia, extrasystoles (a feeling of heart failure), and high blood pressure. Often persistent constipation or, on the contrary, diarrhea occurs.

What are the harms of energy drinks?

Negative consequences of taking Energy drinks have not raised questions among doctors for a long time. It is a well-known fact that they are very harmful to health, namely (we are talking about long-term regular use):

Increase the likelihood of developing diabetes.
Disturbs the functioning of the central nervous system.
They create problems with the performance of the heart and the cardiovascular system as a whole.
Cause pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
They lead to mental disorders and reduce libido.
Can cause serious diseases (thrombosis, epilepsy, anaphylaxis).
They reduce ability to work, attention, and interest in the world around them.

Harm from energy drinks (video)

Is it addictive?

Unfortunately, all current research on energy drinks suggests that they are persistent and highly addictive. Moreover, in some people this addiction is as strong as in patients with alcoholism.

Apparently, a solution to this problem will not be found in the near future. In many countries, the use of energy drinks is not regulated in any way, and propaganda against their use is kept to a minimum.

Who is dangerous/contraindicated to drink energy drinks?

Abuse of energy drinks harms absolutely all people. However, there are categories of people for whom energy drinks are particularly harmful.

These people include:

people with chronic diseases of the circulatory system (especially patients with thrombophilia);
patients with diabetes mellitus;
patients with heart disease;
patients with kidney and gastrointestinal diseases;
people with chronic high blood pressure;
people suffering from insomnia;
teenagers;
people over fifty years of age;
pregnant women;
patients with glaucoma;
patients with a history of cerebral circulatory disorders;
patients with diseases of the central nervous system.

Is it possible to overdose?

Unfortunately, in addition to the benefits, energy drinks also pose a real danger to the human body. An overdose of such drinks causes serious poisoning, leading to overload of the central nervous system and increased stress on the arteries and heart.

An overdose of energy drinks usually occurs against the background of their frequent use for carrying out some kind of intellectual work. Statistically, energy drink poisoning most often occurs in students before an exam and in knowledge workers (programmers, writers, professional gamers, etc.).

The reason for overdosing on energy drinks is that they increase the body's performance by increasing the load on all its systems. The cardiovascular and central nervous systems suffer the most, which, with large consumption of energy drinks, work for wear and tear.

Simply put, energy drinks turn on the body's backup systems for a long period of time, whereas they are designed to work for a short period of time ( no more than 30 minutes and only in critical situations).

Symptoms of an energy drink overdose

Symptoms of poisoning(overdoses) of energy drinks are as follows:

a significant increase in heart rate (up to 160 beats per minute);
persistent and prolonged insomnia;
irritability, aggressiveness;
facial redness and feeling of heat;
increased blood pressure;
diarrhea;
tremor of the limbs;
impaired coordination of movements;
frequent urination (less often, inability to control it);
cold sweat;
increased body temperature;
repeated vomiting, sometimes without relief;
anxiety, panic, suspiciousness;
confusion;
visual and auditory hallucinations;
loss of consciousness (syncope).

Possible consequences

Consequences of frequent use energy drinks, as well as an overdose of them, are quite serious.

Let's try to list all of them (according to PubMed):

Decreased libido, impotence.
Gastrointestinal diseases (gastritis and heartburn develop especially often).
Cognitive impairment, including problems with academic performance in adolescents.
Development of mental illness.
Depression, apathy, indifference, aggressiveness.
Cardiac dysfunction, thrombosis.
Persistent chronic insomnia.
Overexcitement, nervous tics.
Seizures, epilepsy.
Decreased interest and motivation.
Fatal outcome (relatively rare).

First aid and further treatment

If you suspect an overdose of energy drinks, the patient should immediately call an ambulance. Before her arrival, you should give him 2-3 liters of warm water and induce vomiting. This is quite simple to do: after the patient drinks warm water, you need to press your finger on the root of his tongue.

After vomiting, the patient should be given 10-12 tablets of activated carbon. To neutralize caffeine, if possible, the patient should be given green tea or milk. Dishes with magnesium (cabbage, avocado) may be beneficial.

In the hospital, the patient's stomach will be rinsed again and an IV will be placed. Treatment will be carried out with an emphasis on detoxifying the body and “unloading” the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Unlike alcoholic drinks, energy drinks are advertised on TV quite freely. But many people say that you shouldn't drink them. Although such drinks have many supporters. But why are energy drinks harmful to the body? After all, many people drink them, and nothing bad happens. There are 2 sides to this situation. Both the harm and benefits of such drinks are noticeable.

Why are energy drinks harmful?

The harm of such products is that they affect the human nervous system. This effect causes short-term increased performance. After this, there is a large decline in brain activity. Such a “shake-up” can threaten:

Insomnia;
Rapid heartbeat;
Muscle pain;
Irritability;
Depression and so on.

And if you drink several cans of energy drink at once (without food), you can even die from the heavy strain on the heart. Contrary to myths, there are no toxic substances in such drinks. But they contain stimulating substances that are found in any food. Only here this norm is exceeded tens of times.

What makes energy drinks harmful?

All energy drinks are rich in the following substances:

Caffeine;
Theobromine (psychic stimulant);
L-carnitine;
Preservatives;
Dyes;
Acidity regulators.

Some of these substances are not harmful. But they are combined with other substances. Their norm is significantly exceeded. This allows the drink to act instantly. As a result, you get a negative effect on the nervous system. And dyes and regulators do the same thing to the stomach as Coca-Cola or other lemonade.

When are energy drinks useful?

The benefits of such drinks are evident in emergency situations. For example, you need to drive all night or study for an exam. In such a situation, you can drink some energy drink. And you will be able to complete the task.

But you shouldn’t resort to such drinks every day. They are addictive and addictive. You will feel like you are sleepy and need to wake up. This will force you to open more and more jars.

Remember that drinks are especially bad for children, pregnant women and the elderly. They are contraindicated for these categories of citizens. A healthy person can easily drink 1 jar from time to time.

To drink or not to drink?

Many “health fans” shout that energy drinks are evil. But that's not true. They don't have any real benefits. But there is no harm from them either. Harm can only occur with their constant use or when consumed in large doses.

Do not purchase little-known products or goods from dubious retail outlets. This product is often counterfeited. And unlicensed jars are really harmful.

Remember that this product increases your heart rate. Do not use it when you are excited or after training or hard work. Also, do not drink these drinks if you have problems with the heart and blood vessels.

Don’t guess why energy drinks are harmful, but control your life yourself. Maintain a normal sleep schedule, increase your productivity, and be confident. And you don't need to drink something every day to gain joy in life.

Man has always wanted to invent a perpetual motion machine, and now, it seems, a solution has already been found; if you are tired, have no strength or have no desire to do anything - you need to drink an energy drink, it will invigorate you, give you strength, and increase your working potential.

Manufacturers of “energy drinks” claim that their products bring only benefits - just one jar of the miracle drink, and a person is fresh, cheerful and efficient again. However, many doctors and scientists oppose such drinks, arguing that they are harmful to the body. Let's figure out how energy drinks work on the body. What is more in them, benefit or harm?

Composition of energy drinks:

Currently, dozens of different brands are produced, but their principles of action and composition are approximately the same.

First of all, energy drinks contain caffeine, which stimulates brain activity.

Another essential component is that it oxidizes fatty acids.
Matein - this substance is obtained from the South American "mate", it dulls the feeling of hunger and promotes weight loss.
Natural tonics ginseng and guarana tone, activate the body's defenses, remove lactic acid from cells and help cleanse the liver.
Glucose and a complex of essential vitamins, including those that normalize the functioning of the nervous system and brain.
Energy drinks also contain melatonin, which is responsible for the human daily rhythm, and taurine, a powerful antioxidant.

In addition, energy drinks contain carbohydrates: glucose, sucrose, fructose, as well as flavors, dyes, flavorings and food additives. These additional inclusions are often harmful in themselves, and when they are part of a drink, they can naturally harm the body.

When do you drink energy drinks and how do energy drinks affect the body:

Energy drinks are consumed when necessary to cheer up, concentrate, and stimulate brain function.

The invigorating effect after taking the traditional one lasts a couple of hours, and after the energy drink 4-5, but then a sharp deterioration in well-being occurs (insomnia, headache, depression).
All energy drinks are carbonated, which allows them to act almost instantly, but on the other hand, carbonation causes tooth decay, increases sugar levels and reduces the body's defenses.

Energy: what is it?

An energy drink is a drink that is created using a variety of stimulants and other components: dyes, flavors, vitamins and others. By consuming them, a person influences his central nervous system, thus suppressing fatigue in order to prolong wakefulness, concentrate, and increase mental activity for several more hours.

It would seem that what is bad about these products? After all, they improve performance. But this is only at first glance. The benefits and harms of energy drinks are not equal. Despite the outwardly positive characteristics, we should not forget that their components have a negative effect on people. Most of them adversely affect the central nervous system.

Compound

Currently, there are a huge number of manufacturers and varieties of energy drinks in the world. Their number and range is constantly growing. And there are practically no differences between them. They all have identical composition, which includes:

caffeine is a substance that stimulates the brain and significantly increases the heart rate;
melatonin is an antioxidant that regulates the human daily rhythm;
taurine is a powerful antioxidant that speeds up metabolism in the body;
matein, which allows you to lose weight and dull the feeling of hunger;
ginseng, guarana - natural extracts that cleanse the liver and remove lactic acid from cells;
L-carnitine, which oxidizes fatty acids;
glucose, sucrose, fructose - carbohydrates that stimulate brain function and prevent a person from falling asleep;
phenylanine – to impart taste;
B vitamins – normalizing the functioning of the nervous system.

The effect of energy drinks on the body

The positive effect of energy drinks on the body occurs only at the beginning of their use, when people feel a replenishment of energy resources and an increase in physical and mental performance. But after euphoria, hyperactivity, and the ability to work under increased load comes exhaustion. After stress or shock, the body turns out to be very worn out and tired.

In addition, such products negatively affect the duration and quality of sleep. It is difficult for a person to fall asleep, he suffers from insomnia, and having dozed off, he sees nightmares and easily wakes up from the slightest noise or irritant. Such rest does not bring joy, does not add strength, does not give a feeling of vigor.

Regular use of such stimulants can cause depression, aggressiveness, suspiciousness, headaches, anger, and often leads to loss of strength, depression, loss of orientation, irritability and even death.

In addition, organic lesions may appear:

Increased blood sugar levels.
High blood pressure.
Prolonged sinus tachycardia (rapid heartbeat).
Interruptions in the functioning of the heart.
Decreased immune system defenses.

Overdose

abdominal pain;
arrhythmia;
increased temperature;
gastritis;
interruptions in heart function;
exacerbation of ulcers;
diarrhea;
vomiting;
hallucinations, both auditory and visual;
frequent urination;
confusion;
fainting.

Harm and danger

A single use of an energy drink in moderate quantities by an adult, healthy person is unlikely to cause a negative reaction. However, regularly drinking it in large quantities or abusing it one day may prove unsafe for health. The effect of the components of this product on the human body can cause the most negative reactions and diseases:

Disruption of the central nervous system.
Development of diabetes mellitus.
Various pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
Mental disorders.
Thrombosis.
Deterioration of the heart and cardiovascular system.
Decreased libido.
Epilepsy, anaphylaxis.
Deterioration of attention, decreased ability to work, loss of interest in others and in life.
Addiction.

And the harm for teenagers can be even more serious, even fatal.

Consequences

If you regularly use such stimulants in your diet, the consequences of the body’s reaction to them can be the most terrible and disastrous:

accidents due to sudden loss of consciousness;
hearing loss, bleeding, convulsions;
miscarriages (in pregnant women);
suicidal behavior;
gastrointestinal disorder in the form of vomiting, diarrhea;
prolonged headaches;
arrhythmia;
the appearance of mental abnormalities and disorders;
development of various phobias;
loss of concentration and performance;
death from constant use of energy drinks.

It is advisable not to use energy products for anyone, ever. However, they are especially dangerous for the following categories of people:

Children.
Teenagers.
Pregnant and lactating women.
People with chronic diseases.
Old age.
With diseases of the heart, kidneys, circulatory system, gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system.
Patients with diabetes, glaucoma, chronic high blood pressure and much more.

These products contain a lot of caffeine, taurine, melatonin, phenylanine and other substances harmful to health.

Benefit

It cannot be denied that these types of stimulants are sometimes beneficial. But this is only in cases where they are used infrequently and in moderation. From time to time, mental labor needs additional reserves to complete some work. But here you should be careful and not drink too many energy drinks.

Of course, they will energize a person for a while, give him strength, give him a feeling of vivacity, drive, improve thought processes, and relieve fatigue. Vitamins and herbal components add strength to muscles and internal organs.

This product works much better, faster than a cup of coffee, and the effect of its use lasts much longer. But this will pass after some time, even if you are constantly “reinforced” by them. And in the future it will only be harmful to the health of energy drinks.

Video: the harm of energy drinks.

Rules of use

Energy drinks should be drunk in small quantities and infrequently to avoid their negative impact on a person. Do not give to children and adolescents under any circumstances. A growing and developing organism, like no other, is exposed to harmful substances.

You should not drink energy drinks with alcohol to avoid pressure surges and hypertensive crisis.

They are also contraindicated in the heat, when the cardiovascular and autonomic systems are working at full strength. The drink will only warm up the body even more. Even when cold, it is very harmful due to temperature changes.

After sports training, it is also advisable to refrain from this product, because it will increase blood pressure and lead to dehydration.

To protect yourself from addiction, it is recommended to drink energy drinks no more than twice a week and no more than two cans a day. At the same time, you should also stop drinking tea, coffee and other products containing caffeine for at least 5-6 hours to avoid an overdose.

Despite the fact that a person has received a boost of vivacity and energy, he still needs proper rest in order to recover from the additional load. This should never be forgotten.