14 DAY TRIAL // Folks who gulp down one or more energy drinks on a regular basis have high chances to develop serious heart trouble and even display psychiatric or neurological symptoms, specialists say.
This link between energy drinks and poor health was documented by a team of over a dozen researchers led by Professor Milou-Daniel Drici from France. The study's findings were presented this past August 31 at the ESC Congress 2014.
The scientists say that, as part of their investigation, they looked at cases of adverse events linked to energy drink consumption reported to A.N.S.E.S, the French agency for food safety, between January 1, 2009 and November 30, 2012.
The researchers had sufficient information to thoroughly analyze and assess 212 instances of energy drink-related health trouble. These patients all displayed cardiovascular, psychiatric, or neurological symptoms. In some cases, the symptoms overlapped.
As detailed by EurekAlert, Milou-Daniel Drici and fellow researchers found that cardiovascular symptoms were the ones most likely to occur following energy drink consumption. The specialists also determined that, every once in a while, these symptoms were severe enough to cause death.
“We found that 'caffeine syndrome' was the most common problem, occurring in 60 people. It is characterised by a fast heart rate (called tachycardia), tremor, anxiety and headache,” the Professor explained in a statement.
“Rare but severe adverse events were also associated with these drinks, such as sudden or unexplained death, arrhythmia and heart attack (myocardial infarction). Our literature search confirmed that these conditions can be related to consumption of energy drinks,” he added.
The specialists say that energy drinks are likely to cause such health trouble due to the fact that they pack significant amounts of caffeine, which has been shown to have a negative impact on the human heart. Specifically, it can lead to irregular contractions and poor oxygenation.
As Professor Milou-Daniel Drici put it, “Caffeine is one of the most potent agonists of the ryanodine receptors and leads to a massive release of calcium within cardiac cells. This can cause arrhythmias, but also has effects on the heart's abilities to contract and to use oxygen.”
In light of these findings, the researchers recommend that efforts be made to educate the general public about the threat that energy drinks pose. They go on to argue that people diagnosed with various health trouble and young individuals should first and foremost be made aware of the health risk associated with consuming energy drinks.
“Patients rarely mention consumption of energy drinks to their doctors unless they are asked. Doctors should warn patients with cardiac conditions about the potential dangers of these drinks and ask young people in particular whether they consume such drinks on a regular basis or through binge drinking,” said Professor Milou-Daniel Drici.