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 The
dark side of energy drinks - trading
tomorrow's health for today's
temporary stimulation
by Tony Isaacs
(The
Best Years in Life) Energy
drinks were first introduced over 20
years ago. Though their use grew
slowly for the first several years,
today they have become a modern day
phenomenon with tens of millions now
being consumed daily. Energy drinks
are the number one growth market for
beverages and annual sales are
forecast to top $9 billion for 2011.
Around one-third of teenagers and
young adults report drinking one or
more energy drink daily, and in many
instances consumers drink several
energy drinks each day.
What’s not to like about having more
energy and alertness - particularly
if it comes from beverages which
often tout herbal and other
“natural” ingredients as the secret
to their success? As it turns out,
there is a very great deal not to
like – and many of the millions of
energy drink consumers may one day
find that the temporary boost they
are getting today comes at the
expense of health problems tomorrow.
Some of the more common unwelcome
side effects reported for energy
drinks include elevated heart rates,
hypertension, anxiety, headaches and
interrupted sleep patterns. Due to a
combination of ingredients commonly
found in energy drinks which cause
elevated heart rate and blood
pressure, energy drinks may end up
putting added stress on the heart.
Such stress may lead to hypertension
and ultimately heart and other
cardiovascular problems.
It is also believed that the
combination of ingredients in energy
drinks, including sodium benzoate,
may lead to extra risk of various
forms of cancer. Some energy drinks
may also contain ingredients which
stress the pancreas and could lead
to diabetes. The effects and side
effects of energy drinks are
elevated when combined with coffee
and other caffeinated drinks and the
combination of alcohol and energy
drinks, a growing practice among
younger drinkers, may be
particularly dangerous.
Until recently, energy drinks and
their side effects have been lightly
studied, as a report earlier this
year in the medical journal
Pediatrics noted when it described
energy drinks as overused and
understudied. After examining data
from the government and interest
groups, scientific literature, case
reports and articles in popular and
trade media, the reports authors
warned against energy drinks and
cited potential harms which included
heart palpitations, seizures,
strokes and even sudden death.
Dr. Marcie Schneider, an adolescent
medicine specialist in Greenwich,
Connecticut, and member of the
American Academy of Pediatrics
nutrition committee, praised the
recent report and stated that "These
drinks have no benefit, no place in
the diet of kids."
Late last year, poison control
centers started tracking energy
drink overdoses and side effects
nationwide. 677 cases occurred from
October through December. The
chart's list of reported energy
drink-related symptoms included
seizures, hallucinations, rapid
heart rate, chest pain, high blood
pressure and irritability.
Two of the most common ingredients
found in energy drinks are sugar and
caffeine, both of which provide
temporary stimulation (as opposed to
actual energy) and both of which may
have serious side effects when
regularly consumed in large amounts.
Notably, both sugar and caffeine, as
well as other ingredients in energy
drinks, stress the adrenal glands.
Adrenal fatigue is considered to be
the number one cause of lack of
energy. Thus energy drinks
create their own catch-22 for many
consumers by causing long term
tiredness and lack of energy at the
same time they give their temporary
boosts.
Just one of a huge number of health
risks caused by processed sugar is
the risk of diabetes – which has
reached epidemic proportions in the
U.S. Very large amounts of sugar can
ultimately overwhelm the pancreas,
the organ which generates insulin to
offset sugar intake. If your
pancreas is "worn out" by being
overworked from too much sugar,
diabetes can begin.
Some energy drinks contain up to 7
times the amount of caffeine as a
cup of coffee. While small amounts
of caffeine are not generally
considered dangerous, too much
caffeine can over stimulate the
central nervous system and can
dangerously elevate blood pressure
and heart rate. Caffeine is also
addictive and withdrawal symptoms
include headaches and irritability.
Caffeine also causes a loss in
valuable B vitamins which are needed
for "normal" energy creation.
When sugar is not used, dangerous
artificial sweeteners are employed.
Perhaps the most dangerous is
aspartame, though increasingly, the
sugar substitute of choice has
become sucralose. Sucralose is a
chlorinated organic compound, a
chemical group which includes
several compounds known to be
harmful to animals and plants and
which has been linked to birth
defects and other prenatal
conditions. The body does not
recognize artificial sweeteners like
sucralose as food, but instead
essentially processes them as
toxins.
Other potentially dangerous
ingredients commonly found in energy
drinks include:
*Sodium benzoate. Sodium benzoate is
widely used as a preservative in
energy drinks as well as other
beverages and foods. Last year a
study conducted by an expert in
molecular biology and biotechnology
linked sodium benzoate to cell
damage and an increase in the
production of free radicals.
Even more concerning is the fact
that sodium benzoate in combination
with vitamin C can result in the
formation of the potent carcinogen
benzene. Many energy drinks contain
vitamin C, especially the fruity
energy drinks.
As noted health authority Chris
Gupta reports, “This is not a small
thing, although the so-called
experts will try to tell you that
there's no harm at these benzene
levels. But there is no safe level
of benzene. And no one is talking
about how it reacts with other
carcinogens in your body, which
could be a serious problem. We
already know it reacts with healthy
substances like vitamin C.”
“There is a solution”, Gupta added.
“Eliminate all processed foods and
unnatural drinks. All processed
foods have chemicals in them for
preservation. And many of these
preservatives can damage your
health."
*Phenylalanine. Though an essential
amino acid, phenylalanine is also a
neurotoxin and is one of the three
main ingredients which make up
aspartame. Too much can excite the
neurons in the brain to the point of
cellular death.
*Guarana. Guarana (or guaranine)
comes from the seeds of the guarana
plant, which contain up to 3 to 4
times the caffeine as coffee beans.
Thus the amount of actual caffeine
for many energy drinks which also
contain guarana may be even more
than is reported.
*Ephedra. Ephedra has been described
as a drug that increases heart rate
and blood pressure at low doses and
strokes, seizures, and possibly even
death at high doses.
Despite their potential dangers,
energy drinks have become a very
large part of today’s beverage
industry. As we have seen time and
again, once any product or group of
products and the ingredients they
contain become hugely profitable and
popular, it may take many years – if
ever – before they are curtailed
despite evidence of danger.
Aspartame is a prime example and
such may well end up being the case
with the multi-billion dollar energy
drink market.
However, the good news is that there
are far safer natural options for
achieving greater energy than energy
drinks - such as super foods
powders, juiced vegetables and
whole-foods derived multi-vitamin
products for example. The very best
long term option for achieving
greater energy is an active
lifestyle combined with adequate
sleep, avoidance of energy robbing
toxins and stress and a healthy
nutrient-dense diet.
Sources included:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/24642-main-ingredients-energy-drinks/
http://www.jonbarron.org/diabetes/nl100726/natural-health-newsletter-adrenal-fatigue
http://www.livestrong.com/article/92043-hour-energy-drink-ingredients/
http://www.sweetpoison.com/phenylalanine.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/354447/what_are_the_dangerous_ingredients?cat=5
http://docakilah.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/energy-drinks-dont-energize-they-stimulize-and-can-kill-you/
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41577256/ns/today-today_health/t/energy-drinks-can-be-dangerous-teens-report-says/
http://benjimester.hubpages.com/hub/Sucralose-Dangers
http://www.energydrinktruth.com/dangersofpreservatives.html
http://yourbodygodstemple.blogspot.com/2010/08/dangers-of-sodium-benzoate-fox-news.html
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