Energy Drinks & The Heart
Written by Crystal Ruizmun
Energy drinks have been around for decades, originating in Japan where the first few drinks rose. They consist of cane sugar, caffeine, taurine, guarana, and many other ingredients. Nowadays, with the rise of new drink brands and the creation of new drinks, there have been more additives and an increase of caffeine input in the drinks.
During quarantine in 2020, Monster Energy Drink rose exponentially. Their stock was up 44.6% for the year, a dramatic increase to years prior. As a result, fewer adults and more teenagers began consuming these sugary drinks, some consuming more than one a day, exceeding their daily dosage of caffeine. In 2020, the rate of heart attacks was increased by 4.1% which resulted in a setback representing 5 years of lost progress in reducing heart disease death rates among adults. Now, there isn’t any direct link that Monster Energy Drink caused this, as of course, COVID was prevalent globally, but many reported their caffeine intake to be higher than the daily average.
Energy drinks have many positive and negative factors. Some positive factors include implementing vitamins, increased focus and attention, no artificial flavors or colors, and of course energy. There are many clean energy drink companies like Celsius and XS, with the occasional selection of Reign. Other companies like Ghost Energy, Alani Nu, and Ryse advertise their drinks and protein that consist of no sugar. In over-consumption, these drinks can cause major issues as well, if not consumed in moderation.
Some negative factors that energy drinks cause are increasing the risk of high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, and other heart disease factors. These have been shown to increase health problems, causing some to have increased anxiety and heart palpitations. Depending on the amount of consumption and type of brand, it can also cause blood clotting. Some energy drink brands that do not follow the “clean” or “no sugar” agenda are Monster, Red Bull, and Rockstar with the occasion Bang and Reign, depending on the type that is chosen.
Energy drinks are abundant on the shelves of stores but I encourage you all to be careful in choosing the right drink for you. I suggest opting for the “no sugar” drinks like Ghost or Alani as those are my go-to drinks as they do not cause any negative side effects and provide sustained energy without a crash, and without causing a sugar overload.
References
The History and Rise of Energy Drinks - PRO (prowm.com) Monster Energy Stock Price In 2020 | StatMuse Money Heart disease death rates spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, erasing years of progress | American Heart Association
Costantino, A., Maiese, A., Lazzari, J., Casula, C., Turillazzi, E., Frati, P., & Fineschi, V. (2023). The Dark Side of Energy Drinks: A Comprehensive Review of Their Impact on the Human Body. Nutrients, 15(18), 3922. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15183922
Written by Crystal Ruizmun from MEDILOQUY