喵咪社区

Are energy drinks bad for you? A 喵咪社区 dietitian advises.

Is America facing an energy crisis? Judging by the energy drink shelves at the typical supermarket, it sure shouldn鈥檛 be. Never before have we had more options on hand: more flavors, more energizing ingredients, more promises that this drink will deliver the vitality we need.

But given a spate of linking energy drinks to adverse cardiovascular events ranging from heart palpitations to cardiac arrest, it鈥檚 worth asking: Can we feel safe fueling on energy drinks to our heart鈥檚 content?

Jong Kwan (Kevin) Park, RDN, a clinical dietitian with 喵咪社区 who also practices at , brings us up to speed on the concerns.

Energy drinks and caffeine

The energy drink market is huge 鈥� and growing 鈥� and it wouldn鈥檛 have reached such scale if its products were all dangerous. Besides, what modern human couldn鈥檛 use a 鈥渂attery recharge鈥� every so often?

鈥淭he main thing consumers want from these drinks is that quick boost in energy,鈥� Park observes. And while energy drinks can boast vitamins, taurine and other buzzy ingredients, 鈥淭he key ingredient that supplies that boost,鈥� Park continues, 鈥渋s caffeine.鈥�

Why? Because it works. As Park explains, 鈥淚t blocks a receptor in our brain, and by doing that it gives us that feeling of increased energy. It just basically makes us less tired.鈥�

Caffeine also offers what Park describes as a 鈥渢emporary boost in mental focus or alertness鈥� that can come in handy for e-gamers, athletes and individuals whose jobs demand sharpness and skill.

How many energy drinks is too many?

Unfortunately, the same caffeine responsible for an energy drink鈥檚 perks is also to blame for most of the cardiac concerns associated with the products. As Park points out, the danger is in the dose.

FDA has established as the maximum dose daily where most adults won鈥檛 experience negative effects. 鈥淎nd for reference,鈥� Park says, 鈥渁 typical eight-ounce coffee contains around 90 milligrams.鈥�

But this max applies mainly to healthy adults 鈥� not to young children, pregnant/lactating women, the elderly or those managing heart health conditions. For heart patients in particular, Park says, 鈥渕ost can consume small amounts of caffeine, but in general it should be avoided.鈥� And he recommends consulting a health care professional beforehand.

Considering that caffeine levels in some energy drinks creep above 300 milligrams per serving, he counsels caution.

What are the health risks of drinking too much caffeine?

But what happens when even healthy adults drink copious caffeine?

In the short term, Park explains, 鈥淐affeine will increase heart rate and blood pressure in a way that you might expect with that heightened feeling of energy.鈥�

In the longer term, excess caffeine can perturb heart rhythm, too. Park likens it to what happens when you drive your car erratically: 鈥淚f you floor the accelerator and then brake really hard just once, you won鈥檛 completely destroy your car that first time. But if you continuously do that 鈥� creating that disruptive rhythm 鈥� it鈥檚 going to damage the brakes, the oil, the engine. And that鈥檚 like what chronic use of high-caffeine energy drinks can do in your body.鈥�

Energy drink best practices

All of which suggests that energy drinks might not be worth the costs. And for sensitive folks or those already experiencing heart health issues, maybe they鈥檙e not. But the rest of us can reap their energy-boosting benefits if we choose wisely. Here are Park鈥檚 tips for doing so:

• Buyer beware: FDA regulates energy drinks no differently than it does other foods, beverages and dietary supplements. As a result, Park says, oversight of the category can be 鈥渒ind of spotty.鈥� However, FDA does monitor adverse events related to energy beverages, and it requires that brands declare a product鈥檚 caffeine content on labels if it exceeds 200 milligrams.
• 鈥淣atural鈥� isn鈥檛 necessarily better: Some brands hype their 鈥渘atural鈥� sources of caffeine, like guarana, green coffee bean extract and yerba mate. Yet while these sources may seem healthier, they鈥檙e still caffeine. 鈥淭hat means they can still increase heart rate, increase blood pressure and create the same side effects as caffeine,鈥� Park cautions. 鈥淪o that鈥檚 something else to look out for, especially for consumers who rely on energy drinks throughout the day.鈥�
• Mind the sugars: A can of Monster can pack 230 calories, Park says, and they come mainly from sugar. Liquid calories are easier to overdo than those you have to chew, and if your energy drink habit leads to weight gain, that can lead to a whole new set of heart-related health challenges, including insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity and even heart failure. 鈥淭hey all connect eventually,鈥� Park says. 鈥淪o, moderation is key.鈥�
• Put it to the test: If you really want to know what鈥檚 in your energy beverage, Park advises picking a product that鈥檚 undergone third-party testing. Absent such testing, he says, 鈥淭here鈥檚 no regulatory body approving the accuracy of the label or the safety of its contents.鈥� Not many brands take this extra step, but those that do will proudly promote it on labels with a stamp of approval, such as seal.

Park follows these tips himself. 鈥淧erhaps not surprisingly,鈥� he admits, 鈥淚 do have an energy drink occasionally. But because I鈥檓 aware of the issues, I look at the caffeine dose of each drink and try to buy ones within that 200-milligram range. And I鈥檒l usually stop myself halfway through the drink. Once I feel like I鈥檓 not about to slump over my desk anymore, that鈥檚 where I鈥檒l draw the line of, 鈥業鈥檓 good now.鈥欌��

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Kimberly J. Decker

Kimberly J. Decker is a freelance writer for 喵咪社区.

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