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Energy Drink Side Effects (Find Out)

Energy drinks are sold all over the world. Many people get through the day through a boost of energy. Side effects from energy drinks are possible.

Many sporting events and tournaments feature advertisements for energy drinks. Athletes, fitness enthusiasts take them regularly as an extra source of energy.

But sometimes, taking too many energy drinks might have some adverse side effects. This article is all about what impact energy drinks can have on you and how to avoid them.

Let’s get rolling.

What Are The Negative Side Effects Of Energy Drinks?

The following is a list of potential energy drink adverse effects if consumed in excess:

  • Insomnia
  • Weight Gain
  • Lack of focus
  • Feeling nauseous
  • Feeling nervous
  • Increased heart palpitations
  • Anxiety
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Uneasiness in chest
  • Obesity
  • Sudden headache
  • Vomiting

Alarming Side Effects Of Energy Drinks

Although rare, these are possible:

  • Caffeine Addiction
  • Caffeine Overdose
  • Energy drink addiction
  • Tooth decay
  • Kidney problems
  • Liver problems
  • Miscarriages (If energy drinks are taken during pregnancy regularly)
  • Heart failure
  • Hyperactivity
  • Allergy
  • Vitamin Overdose
  • Pre-diabetes or diabetes

Which Ingredients In Energy Drinks Can Affect You?

If you consume energy drinks in moderation, you’ll not face any major side effects.

Nevertheless, if you’re someone who consumes energy drinks daily or has been drinking them on a long-term basis, you should know which probable ingredient in your drink might cause health problems.

Even if you aren’t a frequent user of energy drinks, it’s still crucial to know which ingredients might affect you if consumed too much.

Caffeine

Caffeine is the key ingredient of energy drinks. It’s also the prime ingredient that keeps you awake.

Before going to the harmful effects of caffeine, here’s how caffeine can help you:

  • It enables you to stay awake
  • Keeps you focused
  • May prevent diabetes
  • May prevent heart diseases
  • Helps with skin
  • Improves your mood

However, there’s a daily caffeine limit. If you surpass that, you’ll face side effects like:

  • Dehydration
  • Lack of sleep
  • Dizziness, etc.

The FDA recommends a maximum intake of 400mg of caffeine per day for healthy adults. And not to consume more than 200mg of caffeine in one serving.

But the sad truth is, many energy drinks have too much caffeine, for reference, Bang energy drink.

Bang is a popular energy drink, you probably saw it in the hands of your favorite celebrity or YouTuber, but the caffeine content in Bang is excruciating.

A picture of Bang energy drink in water.
Bang has 300mg of caffeine in a single 16 fl. oz can.

With 300mg of caffeine, the drink will keep you awake. However, the caffeine content already exceeds the amount advised in a single serving.

You can always avoid the side effects if you consume in moderation.

Bang has a lot of benefits too. It provides a significant boost of energy and has a sweet blend of many vitamins. But if you’re curious about how bad Bang energy drink might be, check out my article about the topic.

Sugar

Sugar is the second ingredient to caffeine that plays another role in causing side effects.

Just like caffeine, there’s a sugar limit too. According to AHA, you can consume up to 36g (for men) and 25g (for women) of added sugar daily.

Added sugar means the additional sugar you add to a particular food that already has sugar in it, for example, sugary drinks, sodas, chocolates, baked sweets, etc.

Overconsumption of sugar can cause the following health problems:

  • Hypoglycemia
  • Diabetes
  • Weight gain
  • Headaches
  • Obesity
A photo of exhausted woman.
Consumption of too much sugar can cause fatigue.

Artificial Sweeteners

Many energy drinks use artificial sweeteners to avoid the side effects of added sugar. The most popular sweeteners are sucralose and acesulfame-K.

The good news is, both of these sweeteners are zero-calorie and don’t cause any significant side effects. And they’re approved by the FDA for food uses.

But if you’re curious to dig deep and see if they can be bad for you or not, check this video out.

Here’s a detailed video on “Are artificial sweeteners bad for you?”

Taurine

Taurine is an ingredient found in many energy drinks that help with boosting our performance.

There are not many side effects of taurine. There are also no side effects found on long-term usage of taurine either.

However, France banned Red Bull because the drink contained taurine, and the ban lasted for 12 years. The main reason behind the ban was that taurine could lead to intoxication if mixed with alcohol.

For this reason, the French government banned the energy drink, and now it’s removed.

In Japan, they used taurine to treat congestive heart failure. Japanese people even consume taurine-rich food as it enhances our energy.

Guarana

Guarana is a plant native to Brazil. The Amazon tribes used for therapeutic effectiveness.

Guarana is also a supplement used in many energy drinks that are primarily high-caffeinated. Guarana can help us perform better, have more energy, and have better attention.

I took a deeper dive about Guarana and observed there might be some side effects to this supplement:

  • There’s no specified maximum safe intake for Guarana.
  • Lack of sleep, stomach aches, anxiety can happen. (But in scarce scenarios.)
  • Consumption of  Guarana in high amounts is unsafe
  • Guarana overdose can cause seizures

Nevertheless, the supplement is very effective and can do wonders if taken safely and correctly.

B-Vitamins

The more vitamins you have, the more nutritious the energy drink.

But if the B vitamin dosage is more than their recommended amount. You might face problems like:

A picture of multi-vitamins.
Vitamins, if taken in the proper dosages, can help in building a robust immunity system.

Other Ingredients That May Affect You

The ingredients mentioned above are often the prime ingredients used in many energy drinks. But here are some other ingredients that may affect you too.

Ginseng

Ginseng is a herb.

The most common side effects of ginseng are insomnia, low blood pressure, and lack of appetite.

L-Carnitine

L-carnitine is an essential amino acid that our body can produce.

L-carnitine is mostly safe, but the possible side effects are:

  • Stomachaches
  • Vomiting
  • Chest pain
  • Diarrhea

Preservatives

A lot of energy drinks contain preservatives so that the drinks’ expiry dates are longer. The most common preservatives used in energy drinks are; citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, etc.

Preservatives don’t cause any significant side effects as their presence in energy drinks are primarily in small amounts. But the possible side effects of preservatives are:

  • Hyperactivity
  • Allergic reactions
  • Triggering asthma
  • Cancer

How Can You Avoid Energy Drink Side Effects?

There are many ways to avoid the side effects of energy drinks. You can start by not drinking too many energy drinks regularly or even cutting energy drinks off.

But here are also some easy and natural ways to avoid the side effects of energy drinks.

Stay Active

Staying active and exercise can make a huge difference in your life. It’s essential for the body’s overall health, not just for weight loss.

There are many articles, studies, and videos, on how good exercise can be for your overall health.

A photo of a guy doing exercise.
Exercising can help you with an improved mood.

Regularly exercise has the following advantages:

  • Improved mental health
  • Improved physical health
  • Strong immune system
  • Better focus
  • Enhanced stamina
  • Controlled weight
  • Fewer risks of diseases

Stay Hydrated

Whether you drink energy drinks or not, keeping yourself hydrated is important.

Our bodies have 60% of water. If we don’t hydrate ourselves, dehydration will occur, and thus we’ll face health problems.

According to this study, we should drink 3.7 (men) and 2.7 liters (women) of water a day to keep us hydrated and healthy.

A picture of a glass of water in a person's hand.
If you think you drank too much water in a day, don’t worry. It flushes out of our system through urination.

Eat A Healthy Diet

Eating a balanced and healthy diet is as important as working out. You cannot stay fit if you work out regularly but eat junk food.

If you’re constantly feeling drained, try creating a healthy diet with naturally processed foods. To avoid junk, try homecooked meals.

If you’re worried about how many calories you should eat in a day, here’s a table to help you.

Recommended Daily Calorie Intake For Men Recommended Daily Calorie Intake For Women
2,500 calories2,000 calories
The daily recommended calories intakes for men and women. The numbers may vary depending on a person’s age, physical activity, metabolism, etc.

It’s not easy to stay on a balanced diet. I suggest slowly cutting down junk foods, eating more vegetables, fruits, and natural juices.

Get Enough Rest

Being stressed causes people to have less time to give their bodies a break. That’s also when they take energy drinks or a cup of coffee to get through the day.

An energy drink and coffee can assist you in meeting deadlines or pulling an all-nighter the night before finals. When I have a load on my plate, I’ll even consume a can of energy drink to boost energy.

It would be ideal if you slept at least eight hours a day for your body and mind will be at their best.

A picture of a girl sleeping in a bed.
Getting enough sleep will assist you in thinking more clearly and improve your overall cognitive performance.

Some people have problems falling asleep or suffer from insomnia. To help with that, you can try meditation or cutting down caffeine, as too much caffeine consumption can cause insomnia.

Or you can try a relaxing night routine, use dim lights, relax your body, some people even use scented candles before going to bed.

How do you know if energy drinks are affecting you?

Recognizing the effects of energy drinks on your body requires paying attention to various signs and symptoms. These may include increased alertness, improved mood, and a boost in physical and mental energy. You might notice a temporary increase in heart rate feelings of restlessness due to the caffeine content.

However, it’s important to be aware of potential negative effects as well. Excessive consumption of energy drinks may lead to jitters, nervousness, or even anxiety. You might also experience trouble sleeping, increased heart palpitations, or digestive issues. Being mindful of how your body to energy drinks are helpful.

How do you know if you’ve had too many energy drinks?

Consuming too many energy drinks can have adverse effects on your health. If you’ve had too many, you might experience symptoms such as restlessness, increased heart rate, and even palpitations. You could also notice feelings of anxiety, nervousness, or irritability due to the high caffeine content present in many energy drinks.

Other signs of excessive consumption include difficulty sleeping, headaches, and digestive problems. Additionally, being reliant on energy drinks for energy may lead to crashes in energy levels and increased fatigue once the initial effects wear off.

Final Roundup

The basic conclusion is that energy drinks do what they claim to: they give us energy, improve our performance, and stay awake.

Too much consumption of energy drinks has side effects because of the ingredients in them.

If you’re a habitual drinker, cut back if you’re experiencing adverse effects. Or the best way is, completely cut down energy drinks for a while.

Exercise regularly, eat healthy meals, have a decent sleep schedule, and hydrate yourself are all-natural ways to avoid adverse effects.

All of these depend on you. If you’re experiencing side effects, think about how you treat your body.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading. I hope this article was helpful.

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