Most people rely on them to get through the day, rarely know what is in them

Oct 24, 2012 09:13 GMT  ·  By
The risks associated with energy drinks more than outweigh the benefits, specialists say
   The risks associated with energy drinks more than outweigh the benefits, specialists say

In this day and age, there are few left who can wake up, go about their business and then turn in for sleep without ever feeling a need to gulp down at least some caffeine.

Whereas coffee used to be at the top of the list whenever people wanted to get that (debatably) healthy rush of caffeine, these past few years human society has witnessed a worrying increase in the number of individuals who turn towards energy drinks instead.

Although researchers warned about the dangers of energy drinks many times in the past, it was the sudden death of 14-year-old Anais Fournier which caused a sudden interest in this matter.

Without further ado, here is what specialists have to say about energy drinks.

Energy drinks contain more than just caffeine, carbonated water and sugar. They also pack significant amounts of vitamins, herbs and amino acids.

Interestingly enough, all these chemical compounds come in really small packages. As most people have probably noticed, more often than not energy drink cans are roughly two thirds of the size of regular soda cans.

To cut a long story short, one doesn't just provide the body with supposedly stamina-building chemicals, one bombards it with them.

In fact, it was earlier this year when a study carried out by the Bangor University warned that this high concentration of substances, ingested all at the same time, could lead to irregular heartbeat, elevated blood pressure, sleeping trouble, weight gain, muscle twitching, nausea and vomiting.

Apparently, this is because roughly 450 ml of your run-off-the-mill energy drink contains the caffeine equivalent of four cups of regular instant coffee, together with a healthy dose of about 13 teaspoons of sugar.

Although adults who find themselves in good health can cope with these chemical compounds that make their way into their blood stream quite nicely, teenagers and people with preexisting heart conditions face tremendous risks, specialists warn.