Hey there, viewers.
Have you been feeling a lack of energy in the morning?
Have you been so fatigued that you crack a red bull right before work?
For some people coffee, just isn’t enough.
Energy drinks are the go-to for a wide range of people.
From adults in the office, to teens preparing for an exam.
But too many energy drinks aren’t good for you.
This is all too real for some.
Let’s discuss what having energy drinks everyday does to your body.
Do they cause diabetes?
What is their effect on the lungs?
Wait, can you actually overdose?
We’re talking all that AND more...
Caffeine Overdose
Simply put, if you drink too much caffeine, your body can’t handle it.
Daily energy drinks can put you at risk of a caffeine overdose.
While it is rare, children and teenagers with low tolerance for caffeine, are more likely
to experience a caffeine overdose.
Caffeine is normally used to keep you alert.
But it is technically a drug.
Between the years of 2007 to 2011, the number of energy drink-related emergency visits doubled.
In 2011, 1 in 10 visits required actual hospitalization.
Another study from 2018 identified 92 deaths related caffeine overdose.
The safe amount of caffeine for healthy adults seems to be around 400 mg a day.
A single 8-ounce can of red bull contains around 80 mg of caffeine.
Doesn’t seem too bad right?
Well the problem is that regular consumers of energy drinks have multiple cans throughout
the day.
If you are drinking two or three cans within a small amount of time, you’re going to
be pretty hopped up.
This is why adolescents are suggested no more than 100 mg of caffeine each day.
The scary part is that an estimated 30% of kids between ages 12 to 17 consume energy
drinks on the regular.
Depending on how much you’ve had, caffeine can stay in your blood anywhere from 1.5 to
9.5 hours.
And listen to this, caffeine will begin to affect the body after just 15 mg have been
ingested.
If you drink between 80 and 100 mg in one litre, it could be fatal.
Caffeine overdose can cause an irregular heartbeat and even seizures.
Daily energy drinks with high caffeine can even lead to hormonal changes.
Some early signs that you’ve had too much caffeine include headaches, dizziness, diarrhea,
insomnia and fever.
If you have been experiencing chest pains, or even hallucinating, seek medical attention
ASAP.
What’s the most caffeine you think you’ve had in a day?
Do you have any crazy stories about being hopped up on caffeine?
Sound off in the comment section, and start a conversation with our Bestie community!
Type 2 Diabetes
Energy drinks are high in both caffeine and carbs.
This not only causes a spike in blood sugar, but also a resistance to insulin.
5 Hour Energy drinks carry about 215 mg of caffeine per 2 oz shot.
These tiny drinks have about as much caffeine as a premium cup of coffee.
People with diabetes are already warned not to take these energy drinks, as they can spike
their blood sugar.
A 2017 study showed that patients with diabetes who consumed caffeine have much higher and
longer blood sugar spikes.
Even when your energy drink is sugar-free, the caffeine content can still cause your
insulin levels to shoot up.
There are also issues with artificial sweeteners that you need to take into account.
Research shows that sweeteners will also add to problems with your blood sugar.
If your blood glucose levels are already sensitive, it’s not wise to have energy drinks.
If you are having them everyday, they are certainly contributing to both your blood
sugar and insulin levels.
Heart Problems
Regular energy drink consumption has been linked with cardiovascular issues.
If you pound red bulls everyday, don’t be surprised if your chest feels like a circus.
45% of men have at least one energy drink per day.
14% of men will have more than three.
This means that men are especially at risk.
During their younger years, men are shown to be more vulnerable to cardiovascular problems
than women.
The average man is 65 by the time they have their first heart attack, while the average
woman is 72.
Here’s how it works.
Experts have found that energy drinks will raise your blood pressure.
This will increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Have you ever tried chugging an energy drink?
How fast did your heart start to race?
While caffeine certainly seems like one of the factors, more research needs to be done
on exactly what causes these issues.
Daily energy drinks can also cause your blood to become thicker.
This poses a major threat to your arteries.
One study focused on people between the ages of 18 to 40.
Their goal was to study the direct effects of energy drinks on their heart and blood
pressure.
They were instructed to drink 32 ounces of energy drinks over the course of 3 days.
The drinks contained up to 320 mg of caffeine per 32 ounces.
By the end of the experiment, their blood pressure levels had all risen significantly.
This means that daily use of energy drinks is a terrible idea.
If you are suffering from a cardiovascular disease, you should avoid energy drinks altogether.
There are plenty of other things that will give your heart a boost.
For instance, drink water, meditate, or better yet…
Get some sleep!
Bad Teeth
Daily energy drinks can pose a major threat to your dental hygiene.
Get this, a group of researchers once observed the dental health of both energy and sports
drink users.
The acidity was double for energy drinks than it was for sports.
Acidic drinks like red bull and coca-cola will lower your saliva production.
This leaves your tooth enamel unprotected.
Tooth enamel is the hard, outer layer of your teeth.
It is meant to protect your pearly whites from tooth decay.
The less saliva you have, the more freedom the acids have to burn away your enamel.
A standard pH level for saliva is between 6.8 and 7.
The human body needs around 30 minutes for your pH level to get back to normal.
But because you’re consuming energy drinks, your saliva isn’t getting enough of a break
to return to its regular state.
During this time, the acid eats away at the protective barrier.
If this is a normal occurrence, you can be sure your dentists will have a thing or two
to say during your next visit.
Before we continue, do you have a pet you're trying to keep safe?
Believe it or not, your plants can cause them harm.
Check out our video on 11 Plants To Avoid If You Have Pets.
Now back to our discussion on Energy Drinks.
Weight Gain
If you are constantly downing energy drinks and engaging in little physical activity,
you’re going to gain weight.
Energy drinks are said to play a major role in the obesity epidemic.
Not only are they easy to drink, they are easily accessible for almost everyone.
All you need to do is hit up a gas station.
Take a regular sized can of red bull.
You are getting just 112 calories out of that single can.
But in those calories, you are getting almost zero nutrients and a whole lot of carbs!
One can contains 10% of your daily recommended carbohydrates.
Healthy adults are suggested no more than 36 grams of added sugar per day.
A red bull has around 25 grams of sugar in it.
The fake sugar in energy drinks will also make you hungrier.
This is because artificial sweeteners have no calories.
A couple of energy drinks throughout the day will only boost your appetite.
You will definitely see an increase on the scale if you are consuming energy drinks daily.
You Will Use Other Substances
Constant use of energy drinks may lead to other substances in the future.
Keep in mind, this has not been 100% confirmed.
But research shows that college students who crush energy drinks on the regular will likely
abuse alcohol and harder drugs later on.
One piece of research has experts following a group of 21 year olds.
Each person had a history of using energy drinks.
Over the span of the next 3 years, these researchers observed their energy drink habits.
Some decreased their use, some increased it, and others stopped drinking them altogether.
By the end of the study, each person was reviewed to see if they had turned to substance abuse.
As it turns out, those who increased their energy drink consumption had a higher rate
of drug use.
They also drank a large amount of booze and overused prescription meds.
So why does this happen?
Well animal studies have suggested that high caffeine use on an underdeveloped brain can
set people up for future drug abuse.
This makes children and teenagers particularly vulnerable.
Do you drink energy drinks every day?
Would you consider dropping them after watching this video?
Let us know in the comments below.
We would love to hear from you!