Energy drinks are fascinating, aren’t they? A single can of energy drinks can make you all energetic within a few minutes; almost magical. However, the effects are not permanent, which is quite disappointing.
No matter, how big energy drink brands promise to give you wings or to make you feel like a hulk, they are almost unable to fulfill their promises.
They sure do give some notable amount of energy spike to your body, however, most people feel so many side effects of energy drinks which make these drinks quite harmful.
Are you here because you felt one of these side effects of energy beverages? Perhaps you felt nauseous or maybe you felt lightheaded and dizzy? Then you are at the right place.
Energy drinks can make you feel dizzy and nauseous followed by a headache.
The reason is the ingredients found in these energy drinks such as caffeine, sugar, and many other herbs, and it is to note that these herbs are not always free of side effects for human health.
Let’s continue reading that whether these ingredients actually make you feel dizzy or not and if so, so what is the reason behind it!
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Common Reasons for Feeling Dizzy
Dizziness is a symptom of a wide range of medical conditions and can be a very unpleasant feeling. It can range from a mild feeling of being slightly lightheaded to being so severe that you feel like you are spinning, or even passing out.
It can be a symptom of many different conditions, including both common and rare disorders, and it can occur alone or in combination with other symptoms, such as:
- It can occur with a headache.
- You might feel fatigued and also feel dizzy
- When you get dizzy, you might experience a vision change.
Some of the most common causes of dizziness are blood pressure disorders, such as high blood pressure, and cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease or a stroke.
The cause of this feeling is usually a problem with the way the body regulates its blood flow, which is caused by a problem in the nervous system, such as a brain injury, a head injury, disease, or the side effects of medication.
It affects your ability to function and can cause you to feel uncomfortable and even panic. However, it is usually not a sign of a serious health problem, and can often be treated with simple changes to your lifestyle or medicine.
Common Ingredients in Energy Drinks that can Cause Dizziness
Have you ever felt dizzy after consuming certain energy drinks? Well, then your energy drink must have contained one of the ingredients below or probably all of them!
Following are the ingredients in energy drinks, which can make you feel dizzy and lightheaded:
Caffeine
Caffeine, the celebrity ingredient of energy drinks, is linked with several benefits. This is the reason that it is the most commonly used ingredient in energy drinks.
It is linked with the following benefits:
- Caffeine can make your memory sharp and better.
- It can make your performance better.
- Caffeine can effectively make your fatigue go away.
- For some people, caffeine might help with headaches.
- Caffeine can make you think better.
Considering the above benefits, people love to consume caffeine, however, to attain most of the benefits, some people tend to overdrink it; it is to remember strictly that 400 mg should be the limit of caffeine consumption.
In case you drink caffeine over the limit, then you might experience the following side effects:
- Restlessness and shakiness.
- Insomnia.
- Headaches.
- Dizziness.
- Fast heart rate.
- Dehydration.
- Anxiety.
- Dependency.
Yes, you read it right. Caffeine can also make you feel dizzy; there can be several reasons why caffeine makes you dizzy.
The most common reason can be that caffeine causes the heart to race quicker. This can make some people dizzy.
In other cases, some people do not metabolize caffeine the same way an average person does. In this case, a person is said to be caffeine sensitive and he/she might experience various unpleasant symptoms one of these symptoms can be dizziness.
Sugar
Sucrose, or table sugar, is a common ingredient that people consume daily unless they are health-conscious.
It is one of the most popular and common sweeteners, which is added to almost every sweet dish. Today, in the market, there are many alternative and healthy replacements for sugar, but still, some people do not like to replace their sugar consumption with any other sweetener.
You must have noticed that when you consume sugar, you often feel happy and your mood lightens up as a bright light. The reason is that your brain produces a wave of dopamine as soon as you consume Sugar. Perhaps, this is what makes this sweetener so addictive as it works in the same way as drugs do.
However, the energy rush provided by sugar is not long-lasting and it ends up in a fatiguing episode.
For instance, have you ever been in a situation where you have to meet a deadline to complete a task, but all of a sudden your energy is zapped, your focus is lost, you almost feel dizzy, and you feel like you’ve been hit by a Mack truck? And suddenly you realize that you had a sugary meal or drink the same day?
Well, this is what a sugar crash is! When you consume sugar, your blood sugar level rises quite quickly, but when the insulin is released, it lowers your blood sugar level, and you are hit with a sugar crash and you end up feeling dizzy.
So yes, the sugar present in energy drinks can actually make you feel dizzy and lightheaded.
Ginseng
Ginseng is a plant with a long history of use as a medicine, and a recent surge in interest in its potential as a medicine for energy and performance has brought it back into the spotlight.
The Chinese have used the root extract for thousands of years as a medicine, and Western medicine has only recently started to take notice. Today, ginseng extract is sold as a dietary supplement, often touted as a way to increase energy and improve well-being.
While ginseng has been shown to have some effects on the body, the science is far from conclusive.
Ginseng is added to many energy drinks, they are effective and good, however, the long-term usage of Ginseng has shown to cause effects of uncomfortable sensation of being off-balance or unsteady.
In short, the herb, Ginseng can cause dizziness, headaches, and an upset stomach.
Before trying an energy drink, you must make sure that Ginseng suits your body.
Do Energy Drinks Cause Dizziness?
Energy Drinks can cause a person to feel dizzy for various reasons. The ingredients energy drinks contain are not always suitable for humans.
For instance, sugar is not considered a completely harmless ingredient, some people suffer from unwanted side effects from the consumption of sugar. The most common side effect of highly sugary energy beverages is that they can cause a sugar crash.
When you experience a sugar crash, you are likely to feel dizzy because of the low blood sugar levels, and right after it, you might crave something sweet once again.
Another reason, that caffeine might make you dizzy is the high quantity of caffeine present in it. Caffeine is a stimulant, which means that it can affect your brain in certain ways.
Where caffeine can make you active and alert, it can also make you dizzy and lethargic. It is because caffeine has the power to affect your brain. After all, it is a psychoactive drug.
Does Monster Energy Drink Cause Dizziness?
Monster energy drink is a famous energy drink, which has a big name in the market of energy drinks. It is surely a famous drink, however, it has several side effects.
Monster energy beverage can make you dizzy because it contains a high amount of sugar, which is over the limit of sugar you should be consuming per day.
The limit of sugar per day is 36 grams, and Monster drink contains 54 grams of sugar in a can. A person is most likely to experience a sugar crash after the consumption of a Monster energy drink.
Caffeine and Sugar Content of the Energy Drinks
Following are the sugar and caffeine content of a few energy drinks; as the content of sugar and caffeine goes up, you are more likely to suffer from dizziness.
| Energy Drinks | Caffeine Content | Sugar Content |
| Red Bull 16 fl oz | 147.6 mg | 51 grams |
| Monster Energy Drink | 163.3 mg | 54 grams |
| G Fuel | 300 mg | 0 grams |
| Rockstar Energy Drink | 160 mg | 63 mg |
If you wanna go for a sugar-free drink then you can choose one from the 10 Best Sugar-Free Energy Drinks (Detailed List)
Final Verdict
- Energy drinks are a great source of quick but temporary energy.
- But the side effects of these energy drinks are that they can make you feel dizzy and nauseous followed by a headache.
- To avoid dizziness, it is best to choose energy drinks with low sugar and caffeine content.