Are Energy Drinks Dangerous?

Energy drinks are a hot trend among the younger set who use these caffeine laden, carbonated beverages to stay alert while studying and to give them extra focus and energy when they’ve stayed up all night. Despite the fact these drinks can temporarily increase energy levels thanks to the high caffeine content, the dangers of energy drinks should be concerning to both parents and the medical community.

Only recently it was reported that a college student dropped dead on a nightclub dance floor after chugging down four cans of the popular energy drink Red Bull. Although this teen was on a prescription medication for epilepsy, no other drugs were found in her system. It was later discovered that this victim had a rare heart condition that the caffeine in the energy drinks may have aggravated. This isn’t the only death related to the use of energy drinks. In 2001, another eighteen year old student died of suddenly while at a basketball match in England after sharing three cans of Red Bull with a friend.

The newest trend among college students is to drink energy drinks with alcohol which reportedly helps to reduce the sensation of being intoxicated, further adding to the dangers of energy drinks by adding alcohol to the mix. These drinks are also popular among college athletes who believe they help to increase speed and endurance during competitive events.  

One of the dangers of energy drinks stems from the fact that these drinks contain high levels of caffeine. The caffeine content isn’t required to be stated on the label, so the actual amounts in most energy drinks are unknown. Studies have shown that some common energy drinks contain anywhere from two to six times as much caffeine as that found in a can of cola. Caffeine isn’t the only ingredient contributing to the dangers of energy drinks. Many of these popular drinks also contain bitter orange and synephrine, ingredients thought to have negative health effects of their own. Synephrine is similar to ephedra which was banned in 2004 after it was blamed for several deaths in young athletes.

Because the caffeine content isn’t listed on the nutritional label, you have no idea how much you’re taking in when you down a can of Red Bull or any of the thousands of energy drinks on the market. Taking in the high caffeine content that many of these drinks expose you to can cause a cycle of caffeine addiction and withdrawal. The result can be difficulty sleeping, personality changes, and alternating symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Despite the apparent dangers of energy drinks, it doesn’t appear they’ll be going away any time soon, particularly among college students. Energy drinks appear to have become the new, non-alcoholic social drink of choice with little concern about the dangers.