Energy drinks can be dangerous. It is important that one understands what is actually in the products because the labels typically don’t tell you. Energy drinks are known as a possible cause of thousands of emergency room visits each year, and there are reports of at least 11 deaths among people who drank 5-Hour Energy.
The amount of caffeine
Although known as “energy drinks,” many of these products don’t provide any real energy, as you would get from carbohydrates, for example. Instead they provide a stimulant-caffeine. The labels don’t usually tell you how much caffeine is in the product. At consumerlab.com, they recently tested caffeine levels in three popular energy drinks. They found that a 5-ounce bottle of Monster Energy M-3 Super Concentrate contained 206 mg of caffeine and 5-Hour Energy
Energy drinks are overall bad for your health.
contained about the same amount but in just 2 ounces, meaning that 5-Hour Energy is even more concentrated than Monster. To compare, a full 8-ounce cup of regular brewed coffee has just 95 milligrams of caffeine. Ounce-for-ounce, the caffeine in 5-Hour Energy is 9 times as concentrated as in coffee.
Vitamins your body doesn’t need
There are very high levels of B vitamins in some energy drinks that could be harming you.For example, an adult needs only 15 mg of niacin per day – and few people are deficient. One bottle of 5-Hour Energy has twice that amount, which is close to the upper tolerable intake level for niacin, which you can get flushing of the skin. If you drink more than two bottles in a day, you are exceeding safety levels for folic acid and vitamin B6, this raises your risk of various types of toxicity to your body. The amounts of vitamins in these products don’t always match what is on the label. Details of this can be found at ConsumerLab.com’s Product Review of B Vitamins Supplements and Energy Drinks.
Loose Regulation
Be aware that the regulations are such that these products can contain any amount of caffeine and B vitamins that the companies want to put in. It is a buyer-beware situation. You don’t really know what you’re getting, which is why ConsumerLab.com tests products like these.
Energy Drink Dangers: The Bottom Line
Getting a lot of caffeine at once with harmful mega-doses of vitamins is just not healthy or safe. People who mix energy drinks and alcohol are more likely to engage in risky behavior because it makes them feel or act alert while they are mentally compromised.
Consuming caffeine gradually from coffee or tea is a more healthful way to go. And of course eating properly and receiving more sleep are the best solutions to feeling more energized.
