The rise of energy drinks over the last few years + health concerns

Communities Food & Drink
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I have noticed only recently that energy drinks have become very widespread, there are hundreds of brands out there and the marketing is getting more and more aggressive. Of course this doesn't seem like a huge problem at first, but I do have a few concerns here:

Energy drinks in general: First of all, I'm not a huge fan of them. Compared to coffee they usually contain more caffeine (one might even argue that the concentration is a bit too high) and tons of sugar. Of course, if you are an adult man/a grown up woman then I have no right to tell you what to do, but I think that there are quite a few problems with that.

Energy drinks replacing soft drinks: It seems that many people think of energy drinks as a simple replacement for their soft drink of choice. The marketing suggests that energy drinks are awesome for people with an active lifestyle, that extreme-sports athletes drink them to perform their best, etc. All of this is complete bollocks, no real athlete would pump themselves full with sugar and caffeine before/while they have to perform. Another point that really becomes important is that energy drinks taste very similar to soft drinks. They're both extremely sweet and frankly, people like that. The problem here is that people are pumped full of caffeine the whole day, and that can't be too healthy in the long run. Energy drinks should be seen as a replacement for coffee when you need to be awake and concentrated, and I don't see too many people drinking coffee 24/7.

Energy drinks and children: I've seen children as young as 12 year olds running around with energy drinks on their way to school. Parents don't have a way to oversee their children all the time, they come across some kind of store on their way to school, they have their own pocket money or maybe even lunch money and they will buy energy drinks. Children and tons of caffeine are simply not a good combination, it is not healthy for the children and I feel very sorry for the teachers who have to deal with them. I personally think that stores should not be allowed to sell them to little children and that parents need to make them clear that this stuff is not healthy for them (again, not only the sugar but the caffeine).

So, am I overreacting? I've just noticed it recently and I'm genuinely worried about this to be honest.

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My 2 cents on this.

I've been drinking energy drinks heavily for 5 years, and as an average teen male (5'9", 150lbs) I've never had any issues.  At one point I was drinking over 8 a day for around a month, far more than the recommended 4 a day.  The amount of sugar in energy drinks isn't too much higher than your average soda, so that's not an issue, plus you get far more sugar from other processed goods in the day, its not the drink you need to be concerned about.  

Caffeine levels in your typical energy drink usually hover around 200-300mg per can.  The recommended daily serving size for a typical/average adult male is 180-300mg.  So the drink is actually within the threshold.  Take into account that most people that drink coffee will typically exceed this, along with a built up resistance over time due to caffeine being in all of our drinks, etc., this isn't usually an issue.  There have been multiple studies over the ill effects of caffeine but when used in moderation there are relatively few issues.  The most common issue is nausea, which I have had after drinking an energy drink on an empty stomach.

While the drink may not be the healthiest choice, it certainly isn't the most dangerous caffeine product out there.  The other day I ordered half a kilogram (thats right, 2500 days worth, or enough to KILL 50 men) of pure caffeine off of amazon, for the price of roughly 12 energy drinks.  However, because I know my limits and I've got the experience to deal with it.  Rather than being concerned with a end result, perhaps look at the root of the issue.

As for your statement about pro athletes and active types of people pumping themselves up before a workout with energy drinks of caffeine, most of the pros typically do.  Caffeine is one of the main ingredients in almost every major line of pre-workout.  Not to mention the fact that this has been going on for years.  I wouldn't worry too much if I were you, simply because most of the "girl dies after drinking monster" news reports are really bad case scenarios (last I saw was 800mg of caffeine in a 90lbs girl).  So dont sweat it too much.

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Caffeine is not good for a person in the long run. It degrades our body's natural energy reserves and forces dependency on it in substitution for those depleted energy reserves. I do not drink coffee or energy drinks and very rarely drink soft drinks, and yet I can wake up in the morning and be fully awake and ready to go in under five minutes.

As for what he was saying about energy drinks being shown with pro athletes and energy drinks, I have seen ads of athletes drinking an energy drink then actually performing in a game, not a workout. I played soccer and was a long jumper in track in high school, and none of my team mates ever pulled out an energy drink at a game or meet, because a sugar crash mid game would ruin you and the drinks dehydrate you so much that if you tried running a track event after drinking one you would cramp up and lose.

Energy drinks in general are driven by the media most of the time and not by actual need for "energy" that they may temporarily provide.

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My friend almost died from a caffeine overdose, he drank close to 20 smaller energy drinks. Granted, that's more than most people would want to consume.  The recommended amount is going to be a lot lower than a lethal dose. I'm certain most people could drink more than 5 in a day and be absolutely fine. Though, I do think people should be a little more cautious.

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Personally I view this as an issue that only exists when people are uneducated about the effects of caffeine and/or don't consume responsibly, and not an issue with products themselves. Most mainstream energy drinks contain a very reasonable amount of caffeine if you're consuming one in a day or maybe two for pretty much any average person.

As to the sugar argument, I don't think it's a valid criticism when comparing to other caffeinated beverages. Just like soda, you can find energy drinks with varying amounts of sugar and even those with out any sugar that are actually quite tasty (in fact the only energy drinks I consume these days are the Monster Ultra series and NOS Zero, because they are just plain better than the sugar-filled alternatives). You also mention coffee, but from personal experience there seems to be a very small percentage of people who don't add a fairly large concentration of sugar into their coffee drinks. Again this is why we have nutritional labels that say how much sugar is in things.

Children probably shouldn't be consuming energy drinks, but at the same time I don't like the idea of putting age restrictions on them because I don't like setting that precedent. Parents should educate children about the effects of caffeine and why they should not be consuming large quantities of it.

Afterthought: As to the whole coffee thing. I would actually be very interested in seeing the results of a study that compared the percentage of regular coffee drinkers that know how much caffeine they consume from their favorite coffee to equivalent metric for regular energy drink consumer and maybe even soda consumer. (My uneducated guess would be that all the percentages would be horrifyingly small, but that the average Monster drinker is slightly more knowledgeable than the average Starbucks regular.)

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I think its silly to suggest that "something needs to be done" about this. People do in fact KNOW they shouldn't drink 18 energy drinks a day, just like people KNOW they shouldn't drink an entire bottle of Jack Daniels in one night... or smoke a pack of cigarettes every day. People are going to do stupid things, and I have done all of these stupid things SEVERAL TIMES over the past few years. We all have the right to do stupid things, its part of life.

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Eight... eight? Eight? A day?!

Holy shit!

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I drink them but don't like overly sweet ones. As for seeing kids drinking them, well. They aren't your kids, and they aren't your problem. I used to have coffee in the morning then one or two or three energy drinks later in the day. You are right about the dehydration part. I usually drink equal amounts of water with it. As for losing natural energy I think that is a bunch of baloney. If I get enough sleep and food it doesn't affect me too  much. Except for the headache that comes from having no caffiene for a while. 

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I don't see any issue with that, considering that most people consume alcohol and tobacco. Like, if you are concerned about energy drinks, you really have bigger fish to fry.

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I hear how bad energy drinks are for me from people sipping down jumbo mugs of coffee with untold amounts of sweetener so I tend to get a little miffed whenever it is brought up but like anything it is all about self control.

Monster Energy(my poison): avg. 184mg / 16oz consumer reports, 54g of sugar / 16oz or 3.375g/oz

Coke (sugary drink standard): 39g of sugar / 12 oz or 3.25g/oz

Coffee: from the Mayo Clinic 95mg-200mg / 8oz

The variance in coffee is kinda crazy because it all depends on the particular bean, how it was roasted, brewed and what not.

 

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I like energy drinks a lot. - There is even a bad wiring in my brain, that I want to have one every time I want to code.

There was a time where I reacted very heavily to this stuff - My body was just hectic and I had rushing thoughts (the one where you can't focus). So I reduced my consumption to a minimum (~1/month) and drink nice tea instead.

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As a person who enjoys his caffeine I say it is perfectly fine. I get at least 200mg of the stuff daily and have been that way for about 5 years, I have yet to see anything negative come from it, as long as you don't OD on it, it shouldn't be a problem

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All the energy drinks i tasted were ghastly, the bitter taste of caffeine goes well with coffee, but not with sweet sugary things IMHO.

I think that people drink those because of the stimulus (increasing alertness) & dopamine boost (mood elevation). Not the taste.

At the level of consumption some people are reporting here I wonder if this isn't more like self medication of a light dopamine deficiency, light anxiety or depression .

In case of anxiety & depression self-medication with caffeine creates a viscous cycle, because caffeine stimulates adrenal glands -> adrenaline -> retention of cortisol -> stress & anxiety. caffeine both treats & causes the problem.

If you find yourself addicted to coffee/energy-drinks in such a way that your withdrawal symptoms are causing not just a light headache but also leaves you feeling unbalanced irritable & unmotivated, i would seek out medical help. Because modern pharmacology has far better options for treating chemical imbalances in the nervous system then caffeine.

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15

all i can say is i love redbull.

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It's easier and tastes better than coffee and is cheaper than coffee you can buy from a shop. I drink the sugar free variants of Monster, which is no better than the sugary version, because I don't have the time (not a morning person) to make coffee, eat breakfast, and leave for work.

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http://www.caffeineinformer.com/top-10-energy-drink-dangers >> a worthwhile read

Everything in moderation & pay attention to the body. If you do drink a lot of these drinks per day, just be sure to drink plenty of water as well. An apple is a way better form of energy btw and if you need a stimulant - coffee w/no sugar or tea.

I personally think the high levels of HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) should be the biggest concern.

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"Energy drinks and children: I've seen children as young as 12 year olds running around with energy drinks on their way to school."

This is called bad parenting. I have asked kids I see with this crap who gave it to them.... surprise it was Mom/Dad. 

As far as someone needing to do something about this, forget it. You cannot tell people how to live their lives even if it leads to their destruction.

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Please slow down dude. 4 per day is crazy.

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tastes better than coffee

NO

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The vast majority of people I've heard talk about energy drinks are extremely uneducated about energy drinks, and haven't done any actual research at all. But at the same time act like they know everything and trot around and spout the same bullshit you hear everywhere and think they're super heroes. When they're really just lazy, conforming idiots.

Energy drinks are no different than any other food or drink, there are plenty of bad ones, yes, like most of the standard ones you see are pretty bad (regular green monster, regular rockstar etc), with their ridiculous amount of sugar and calories and etc. Unfortunately those are usually the most popular. But there are plenty of good ones as well if you took a minute to look.

My personal favorite is Monster Rehab tea+lemonade+energy. It has about 160mg of caffeine per can, 6g's of sugar and carbs, and about 20 calories per can. It even, obviously, has some tea ingredients and 5% juice. There's no way you can tell me this is unhealthy. Also it tastes great, basically just like lemonade, no tea flavor at all. Oh, AND it's non-carbonated, which is a huge plus for me because I find carbonation to irritating.

Another mainstay of mine is Rockstar Xdurance same calorie, sugar, carbs, and and it even doesn't even have much sodium at all, 10mg per serving as opposed to 100+mg in most drinks. This drink has 240mg of caffeine per can, so this is good if you're more tolerant of caffeine or need an extra boost. Oh and it has branched chain amino acids and electrolytes as well.

Another good one is Monster Zero Ultra, which is basically what it sounds like. 0 calories, 0 g's of sugar, also no additional artificial crap or anything. This has about 140mg of caffeine per can, little less than usual but does the trick. Also it tastes amazing, kind of a lemon-lime soda taste.

Now, I will admit, one thing that is basically unavoidable in pretty much all drinks is a couple of artificial sweeteners, sucralose and Ace-K (acesulfame potassium). But, I've done quite a bit of research and can't find any evidence that these are unhealthy or harmful in any way.

But, some things that are avoidable are aspartame, another artificial sweetener, that may or may not be harmful, all I know is that it's not in most drinks and is completely unnecessary so what's the point. Also high fructose corn syrup, which is quite controversial and everyone has they're own opinion about, but, point is it's not necessary and is avoidable, so what's the point. Also artificial coloring, that tends to give me headaches, is avoidable as well, Xdurance for example is colored with vegetable juice, fruit juice, and red cabbage extract.

Wither you think caffeine is a completely different argument, but, I personally have been consuming 1 drink a day around afternoon to keep me from taking naps, which for me are nothing but multi-hour wastes of time, I don't wake up refreshed, or even less tired or anything. I've been doing this for more than a year and have none of the signs of addiction, and can even go several days without any caffeine at all with no side affects whatsoever. Also these drinks I've mentioned, and drinks that have little to no sugar in general, have no crash at all due to that.

So, I think what you, and people in general should be worried about is not the consumption of energy drinks in general, but the consumption of the bad energy drinks like standard rockstar that has more than 60 grams of sugar per 16oz can.

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