Energy Drinks

Facts
2
Ingredients in
Energy Drinks have
many Side Effects

While there is a common assumption that energy drinks give you energy for a short period of
time, after which point the drinker crashes, what is not normally discussed is the cause of the
sudden decrease in energy. Many ingredients found in energy drinks, such as Red Bull,
Monster, Boost, Five Hour Energy, and other energy drinks, are common among foods and
drinks that tend to give the person eating or drinking them energy. However, the difference
between other foods and beverages and energy drinks are the concentrations of the energy
chemicals. Some of these chemicals include B Vitamins, Taurine, Ginseng, Gingko Biloba,
Guarana, Sugar/Sugar Substitutes, and of course, Caffeine.

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Ingredients in
Energy Drinks have
many Side Effects

B Vitamins are obviously not only healthy, but are a necessity in certain amounts, but many
energy drinks contain upwards of 200% of the Daily Value. This surplus in B Vitamins can cause
skin conditions, gastrointestinal issues, liver toxicity, blurred vision, and nerve damage. Taurine
is an amino acid found in DNA, and serves to support neurological development and restrict the
amount of water and minerals in the blood. When the body is overloaded with this chemical,
hypotension is a short term result. However, no data points to any long term effect. Of course,
there are other drawbacks from the ingredients in energy drinks, including diabetes, obesity,
dehydration, headaches, insomnia, and other short and long term issues, the main problem is
the amount of caffeine.

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Ingredients in
Energy Drinks have
many Side Effects

Specifically, caffeine acts almost as a drug in the sense that it can be addictive, and many
people experience withdrawal symptoms, causing heart murmurs, insomnia, and anxiety.
However, the most sinister part of this situation is that the companies behind these drinks are
using caffeines addictive quality as a tactic to get people to keep buying their product.
https://www.energydrinkslawsuit.com/5-most-potentially-harmful-ingredients-energy-drinks/#
https://www.energydrinkslawsuit.com/what-are-the-side-effects-of-caffeine/

5
Not All Ingredients in Energy
Drinks Are Active, and some Are
Harmful

According to UA Magazine, Common ED ingredients are caffeine,

glucose, vitamins B, plant extracts (like guarana, ginseng, ginkgo),
taurine, glucuronolactone. Many of these ingredients are advertised
as energizing, but in fact do not have scientifically proven biological
properties when ingested in the amounts present in EDs. This is true
for taurine, glucuronolactone, and ginseng and ginkgo extracts.

6
Not All Ingredients in Energy
Drinks Are Active, and some Are
Harmful

According to TIME magazine, One of the ingredients, ginseng, have

claims that ginseng boosts athletic performance, strengthens the immune
system and improves mood. But the authors say there is little proof of this,
and there isnt enough ginseng in energy drinks to offer any benefit. The
root has also been linked to increased risk of insomnia, headache and
hypertension. Ginseng should be used cautiously, as it can cause
undesirable side effects in high doses and may even be dangerous when
taken with certain medicines or if the patient is undergoing surgery.

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Not All Ingredients in Energy
Drinks Are Active, and some Are
Harmful

According to EnergyDrinksLawsuit.com, Some energy drinks contain

taurine, an amino acid that supports neurological development, and
regulates the amounts of water and minerals in the blood. Too much
taurine, however, especially when combined with other ingredients in
energy drinks, can be harmful. Very little is known about the long-term
effects of too much taurine. Moreover, excessive taurine can cause
dangerously low blood pressure.

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Energy drinks, while marketed
towards teens, are detrimental
to athletes health

Contrary to popular belief, the ingredients found in energy

drinks do not make you better at sports and they do not
make you perform better. In reality, while the energy drink
may give you a temporary high, the real side effects can be
insomnia, general nervousness and anxiety, and a crash by the
time the stimulating effects of the drink have worn off.

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Energy drinks, while marketed
towards teens, are detrimental
to athletes health

Getting into specifics, while it is true that in the short term, the
performance of these athletes is in fact heightened, in the
long term, their performance actually goes down. This is due
to to the consequences of the ingredients of these beverages,
and how they cause insomnia and anxiety. According to a
study done by the British Journal of Nutrition, athletes
perform 3%-7% better than those who dont after drinking
these drinks. But, this only accounts for the activity of these
athletes during their sports careers.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-10/f-sf-ed10
0214.php
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Energy drinks, while marketed
towards teens, are detrimental
to athletes health

After their careers come to an end, that is when the negative side
effects take hold. Many of these high school athletes who end their
sports careers with their high school careers are forced to suffer the
consequences well into their college life, which can and in most
cases does impact the rest of their life. Many athletes become
alcoholics after their high school success, according to the National
Center for Education Statistics, and their general health seems to fall
short of health standards.

https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2005/2005303.pdf
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Marketing towards teens has been
effective for the energy drink
companies.

According to Juicing For Health, Next to multivitamins, energy

drinks are the most popular dietary supplement consumed by
American teens and young adults.

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Marketing towards teens has been
effective for the energy drink
companies.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Inegrative

Health, Males between the ages of 18 and 34 years consume the
most energy drinks, and almost one-third of teens between 12 and 17
years drink them regularly.

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Marketing towards teens has been
effective for the energy drink
companies.

According to The New Yorker, showing that college-age men used

the drinks to regulate their personal sense of masculinity and that
they will drink more of them if they perceive their masculinity to be
threatened.

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Energy Drinks lead to
many Heart Problems

Most people know that the purpose of energy drinks is to give the
person drinking it more energy. However, what many people fail to
realize is that the way that these energy drinks provide energy is
through excess levels of caffeine. The extra caffeine can cause many
problems, the most common of which are heart problems, such as heart
murmurs, increased blood pressure, and in the most serious cases,
cardiac arrest.

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Energy Drinks lead to
many Heart Problems

A recent report taken by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration from 2007 to 2011, the amount of ER visits due
to energy drink over consumption doubled from approximately 10,000
cases to over 20,000 cases. While it should be mentioned that a portion
of these incidents were due to the combination of energy drinks and
other substances (i.e., pharmaceuticals, alcohol, or other illicit drugs),
most cases were in reference to energy drinks on their own.

http://secondscount.org/heart-condition-centers/info-detail-2/energy-d
rinks--heart-know-risks#.Wig--0xFyP8

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Energy Drinks lead to
many Heart Problems

In a study done by DailyMail UK, teenagers were given either a real Rockstar beverage,
or a fake replacement. In those teens that had the fake beverages, the concentration of
a type of stress hormone increased by 31%. In those who had the real thing, the stress
hormone increased by 74%. This unnatural increase in hormones, especially in the body
of an adolescent, is extremely unhealthy and unsafe. The impact of this hormone on the
heart forces it to work much faster and much harder than it should, and is another
reason for why energy drinks are not as safe as the sellers would have you think.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3310158/Just-ONE-energy-drink-day-raise-r
isk-heart-problems-Drink-causes-blood-pressure-stress-hormones-soar.html

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There Is a Lot of Sugar in
Energy Drinks

According to a graph in CaffeineInformer.com, sugar in energy drinks

can range from 0g to close to 80g in one can, depending on the can
size and the type of energy drink.

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There Is a Lot of Sugar in
Energy Drinks

According to the National Ceneter for Complementary and Integrative

Health, Average cans of energy drinks are about 8 fluid ounces, or 240
grams in weight. This single drink contains between 24 and 29 grams of
sugar. Since 1 tablespoon amounts to 12.5 grams, each 8-ounce energy
beverage contains roughly 2 to 2 1/3 tablespoons of sugar. Larger cans
may be twice this size, however, and contain double the amount of
sugar.

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There Is a Lot of Sugar in
Energy Drinks

According to TIME magazine, As TIME has previously reported, energy

drink companies insist their products are safe and that a link between
their beverages and side effects cant be confirmed. The companies also
appear to be making their drinks bigger and with more sugar; Monsters
new Mutant beverages, describe as a super soda on the label, have now
hit shelves. The 20-ounce drinks have about 70 grams of sugar (more than
twice of whats in some candy bars) and 115 milligrams of caffeine.

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Myths
21
Energy Drinks and Soda
are the Same Thing

One of the main differences between energy drinks and soft drinks are
how they are marketed. Regardless of the ingredients found in each of
these beverages, energy drinks are sold in more cases as health beverages,
such as 5 Hour Energy, which promises more energy but seems to gloss
over the many side effects, including heart problems, insomnia, anxiety
and many other issues.

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Energy Drinks and Soda
are the Same Thing

In addition to marketing tactics used, the reasons behind someone

drinking either of these beverages could also differ. For most people,
energy drinks are essentially energy boosters, and are primarily intaken is
the case that someone needs energy, such as student who needs to cram
for a test, or any other instance in which that extra boost is needed. On
the other hand, the when people drink soda, they tend to have a more
relaxed approach, and are just drinking it to have fun, soda usually being a
drink found at parties and restaurants.

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Energy Drinks and Soda
are the Same Thing

In addition to smaller details, like the many different varieties of each

type of drink, as well as their respective nutritional facts and
ingredients, the main points do not necessarily have as much to do
with the drink itself as much as how they are perceived by the general
public.

www.personal.psu.edu/afr3/blogs/siowfa12/2012/10/soft-drinks-vs-
energy-drinks.html

https://skipthepie.org/beverages/energy-drink-monster/compared-t
o/carbonated-beverage-club-soda/
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Caffeine in Energy Drinks
and Coffee Are The Same

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative

Health, A fluid ounce of typical filter coffee has 18mg of caffeine. A
fluid ounce of a typical Rockstar or Monster has 10mg of caffeine.

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Caffeine in Energy Drinks
and Coffee Are The Same

According to Forbes.com, Red Bull and Monster Energy, which

contain, respectively, 9.5 milligrams and 10 milligrams of caffeine per
fluid ounce. Starbucks coffee contains twice as much caffeine per
fluid ounce.

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Caffeine in Energy Drinks
and Coffee Are The Same

According to HealthGuidance.com, Conversely energy drinks have a lot

less caffeine in them [than coffee]. Presumably enough to give you
something of a 'boost' though this would be followed by a trough, and
whether or not you would actually benefit from that caffeine anyway is
open to debate.

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Energy Drinks can Prevent
Hangovers/Drunkenness

Many people, especially young people, have taken to combining alcohol with
energy drinks. The reasoning behind this phenomenon is that alcohol, a
depressant, and energy drinks, which are stimulants, cancel each other out in
terms of the effects of each type of substance. However, this belief is flawed
in that, instead of cancelling each other out, the true effects are in fact a
combination of depressant and stimulant symptoms.

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Energy Drinks can Prevent
Hangovers/Drunkenness

Some characteristics of depressants like alcohol cause traditionally drunk

symptoms such as confusion, sluggishness, and slurred speech. In contrast,
people who take stimulants tend to show signs of high blood pressure, heart
rate, and increased sweating as a result of high energy and heightened
alertness. In combination with each other however, the human brain has more
trouble processing the two types of drugs together, and thusly creates a much
more dangerous and lethal situation.

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Energy Drinks can Prevent
Hangovers/Drunkenness

In conclusion, the very idea that it is safer to drink energy drinks with alcohol is
dangerous and can lead to deadly situations depending on the situation that the
person is in. People who try mixing these two substances are putting
themselves in danger as well as others due to the chemicals in each beverage
and what happens when they come together into one substance.

http://www.unfinishedman.com/5-myths-about-energy-drinks-debunked/

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/prescription/depressants.html

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/misuse-prescription
-drugs/which-classes-prescription-drugs-are-commonly-misused

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Energy Drinks Are
Harmless

According to CNN, The possible interaction of

caffeine with the other ingredients in energy
drinks may impact the function of your arteries
by inhibiting them from dilating properly,
especially during exercise

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Energy Drinks Are
Harmless

According to NBCNews.com, Drinking 32 ounces of energy drink is

associated with potentially harmful changes in blood pressure and heart
function that are beyond those seen with caffeine alone, according to a
new study.

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Energy Drinks Are
Harmless

As previously stated, energy drinks have a lot of sugar in them, and

according to BodyEcology.com Excess sugar in your diet has been
linked to: diabetes, cavities, obesity, premature aging, low serotonin
levels, and upsetting the balance of microflora in your gut.

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Taurine in Drinks like Red Bull are
Harvested from Bull Testicles

A common belief of many energy drinks, especially Red Bull, is that

taurine, an ingredient common among energy drinks, is harvested from
male bulls, specifically, their livers, semen, and urine. However, this
assumption is not true and was most likely a lie made up about Red Bull by
one of their competitors. This claims also makes energy drinks such as Red
Bull non-vegetarian friendly. Unfortunately, this part is technically true.

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Taurine in Drinks like Red Bull are
Harvested from Bull Testicles

According to a mens lifestyle and entertainment magazine, the

ingredient taurine is found in many animal tissues, including red meats
and poultry. This means that energy drinks are not in fact created from
chemical derived from bull testicles. In addition, Red Bull, the original
company accused of using bull taurine, released a statement, stating
that the taurine in Red Bull is produced synthetically by pharmaceutical
companies, which guarantees highest quality standards. In addition, they
outright state that taurine is not derived from animals.

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Taurine in Drinks like Red Bull are
Harvested from Bull Testicles

Another great part of the background behind the synthetic taurine is that
because no animals are used in its production, Red Bull and other energy
drinks can be considered vegetarian and vegan friendly. The
misconception that energy drinks use bull testicles in their product is
simply not true at all.

http://www.unfinishedman.com/5-myths-about-energy-drinks-debunked
/

http://energydrink-au.redbull.com/no-bull-sperm-in-red-bull

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Energy Drinks Are A Healthy Way To
Get A Mental Edge Because Theyre
Packed With Herbs and Vitamins

According to MensHealth.com, So what's the alleged alternate energy source?

Most often, B vitamins. A decaf 5-Hour Energy shot, for example, packs several
thousand times your daily recommended B12 and B6, plus 100 percent of your
folic acid. But here's the thing: You won't feel a B-induced boost, since the energy
provided by B vitamins isn't stimulating like caffeine. "They simply help extract
energy from your food, and you need only a little bit," says Tod Cooperman, M.D.,
president of ConsumerLab.com, an independent tester of health and nutritional
products. "The science is misused to lead people to believe that a megadose of B
vitamins will somehow energize them. It won't.

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Energy Drinks Are A Healthy Way To
Get A Mental Edge Because Theyre
Packed With Herbs and Vitamins

According to HealthBlog.com, Caffeine found in coffee, sodas and energy

drinks are a stress bomb. The caffeine stimulates your nervous system,
which responds by flooding your body with cortisol. The sugar in highly
processed foods and drinks sends your blood glucose levels soaring, which
causes more cortisol to start zipping through your body. Sugar can have
another wicked effect on the body by shutting down the adrenal medulla,
the adrenal gland that helps your body cope with emotional and physical
stress.

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Energy Drinks Are A Healthy Way To
Get A Mental Edge Because Theyre
Packed With Herbs and Vitamins

According to NoMeatAthlete.com, Vitamins and minerals are an essential

part of any diet, and as vegetarians and vegans, many of us try to get extra
doses of some (like B12). But doctors warn that too much of a good thing will
have consequences. Vitamins B6 and B12, in large doses, have been found to
contribute to a variety of unpleasant effects: numbness and tingling in the
hands and feet; insomnia; hyperthyroid; and the degeneration of vital organs,
such as the liver, kidneys, and nervous system.

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Thank you