Listen to “Why Energy Drinks are Bad for You”.
The global energy drink market is predicted to reach a value of $72 billion by 2024. While their consumption is popular among kids, the age group that reports, the highest daily consumption are those aged 30 – 39.
The amount of caffeine in energy drinks varies greatly, ranging from minuscule to near toxic levels. They are an addictive part of Western culture that has now reached epidemic levels.
Energy drinks are being heavily marketed towards children, and the companies behind them have incredibly powerful propaganda and lobbying arms.
Energy drinks contain not only large amounts of caffeine and sugar but also various additives and supplements, none of which have been shown to have any beneficial health effects in humans.
The reality is that energy drinks are more likely to cause you to crash harder than any cup of coffee ever could, disrupt your concentration, and potentially ruin your health, from your teeth to your heart.
The high amounts of caffeine in the drinks can cause an increased heart rate and spikes in blood pressure, while other ingredients in the drinks may be responsible for abnormal heartbeats, aneurysms, and in rare cases, unexpected heart attacks.
The large amounts of sugar and caffeine together have a diuretic effect (i.e. they make you pee a lot). This is important to know for anyone consuming them while exercising outdoors, much like marketing and advertising suggests people do. The diuretic effect increases fluid loss and the chances of becoming dehydrated.
Here are the main reasons why you should stop drinking energy drinks
- Headaches and Migraines: Drinking too many energy drinks can lead to severe headaches due to caffeine withdrawal symptoms. Changing the amount of caffeine you ingest daily can cause more frequent headaches.
- Increased Anxiety: Those with two different genetic variations in their adenosine receptors are prone to feeling increased anxiety when consuming caffeinated beverages such as energy drinks. Larger doses of caffeine can even lead to full-blown panic attacks.
- Insomnia: Energy drinks are good at keeping people awake, but they can cause some people to miss sleep altogether. This lack of sleep impairs the brain’s functions, making it dangerous to drive or perform other tasks which require concentration.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Because many energy drinks are also very high in sugar, they can eventually wear out the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, leading to type 2 diabetes.
- Drug Interaction: Some of the ingredients in energy drinks can interact with prescription medications, especially medications taken for depression.
- Addiction: People can become addicted to caffeine and energy drinks. Without them, you may suffer withdrawal symptoms and be less able to function normally.
By not consuming energy drinks yourself, you will help protect your children in the future. Energy drinks are unhealthy for people at any age, but for children, the stimulants and high amounts of sugar put their developing bodies at an even greater risk. Modelling healthy behaviour for your children now may prevent them from reaching for an energy drink in the future.
