The Many Dangers of Energy Drinks

I've recently begun working as a Personal Trainer at a nice gym here in San Francisco, and have been inspired to address the many dangers of energy drinks. I knew people drank them, but have been somewhat shocked by just how many people, and even people who otherwise have relatively clean diets. With these drinks, perhaps more than with anything else, I hear repeatedly: "I know they're bad, but..." But WHAT?! As a Nutritionist, I strive to hold back judgment, and absolutely realize we all (including myself) have our vices, habits, etc, that may just not be worth giving up sometimes due to the joy they bring (although generally we could all benefit from at least practicing moderation), but energy drinks are another story. They are bad news, and here's why...

• Any can or bottled soda contains a minimum of 15 grams of refined sugar
• Soft drinks are loaded with artificial preservatives, colorings, and flavorings.
• "Diet" drinks (regular soda and energy drinks) contain artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose, which have been clinically proven to lead to brain and nerve dysfunction/damage, diabetes, heart palpitations, emotional disorders, loss of/decreased vision, ringing in the ears, memory loss, shortness of breath, and many more. I will talk a bit more about artificial sweeteners later.
• Energy drinks will give you an initial "boost," but is followed by a crash, leaving you craving more. This is called addiction, and is what producers are going for.
• A 2009 study in Canada found that energy drinks were the worst offenders of lining their cans with the toxic chemical BPA, which is an estrogen-mimicking chemical that produces an onslaught of serious health problems, especially when mixed with other toxins found in these drinks. Perhaps chugging estrogen is slightly veering from the goals of many gym-goers...

So there are a few of the health risks, but now lets look at the specific ingredients of these drinks, to truly see what we are putting into our bodies. The first listed ingredients on a Rockstar Energy Drink are: Sucrose, glucose, taurine, citric acid, artificial flavors, sodium citrate, caffeine, caramel color, benzoic acid, sorbic acid. Yikes. So, the first 2 ingredients are straight sugar, which reek havoc on our blood sugar levels (causing severe energy dips and spikes) in the short term, and diabetes in the long term after regular consumption. Taurine is a free form amino acid associated with muscle constriction and the nervous system. However, in its' synthetic form, it has been shown to cause heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and seizures. When you are reading the label of an energy drink, it is crucial to keep in mind that all of these supplements are in their synthetic form, and therefore effect our bodies in completely different (and negative) ways. Specifically to Taurine, considering the risk it poses to our heart health, and most energy drinks contain 10 times the "acceptable" limit (particularly in children), this explains why kids have been rushed to the emergency room and even died recently after energy drink consumption. 


Citric acid is a preservative used in many soft drinks, and has been shown to lead to/trigger severe joint pain, and also is frequently found to contain MSG, a dangerous neurotoxin. Glucose and sucrose are just two different forms of sugar. Sucrose is common table sugar (one part fructose, one part glucose), and goes directly to our liver which needs to process it first before it can used by our body. This is one of the main reasons energy drinks can produce liver damage in the long term (as can other heavily processed/refined foods for this same reason).


Benzoic acid is another preservative, and has been shown to effect the nervous system and cause severe eye and skin irritation. It is most commonly used in foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Sorbic acid is yet another preservative with similar implications. And 'artificial flavors,' don't you just love the vague-ness? Due to trade-secret laws, companies are not legally required to disclose their "secret" ingredients (because we would all rush home to make our very own toxic drinks and then sell them to children!), so this can mean anything. Key word: toxic. 


A 2008 3-year study conducted by the LA Times found that in a Chicago poison control center, 250 calls came due to energy drink-related health complications, 12% requiring hospitalization, two thirds to the intensive care unit. Symptoms reported included heart palpitations, insomnia, tremors, sweating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and chest pain. Another study done in a California poison center found that in just one year, 9 cases involving hospitalization specifically due to the energy drink Redline, which is illegal to sell to minors.


A 2011 article in the Journal of Pediatrics asserts that "... because energy drinks are categorized as nutritional supplements, they avoid the limit of 71 mg caffeine per 12 fluid ounces that the US Food and Drug Administration has set for soda, as well as the safety testing and labeling that is required of pharmaceuticals. As a consequence, energy drinks can contain as much as 75 to 400 mg caffeine per container, with additional caffeine not included in the listed total often coming from additives such as guarana, kola nut, yerba mate, and cocoa." The article goes on to say, "Although US poison centers have only recently begun tracking toxicity of energy drinks, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand have reported numerous adverse outcomes associated with energy drink consumption. These include liver damage, kidney failure, respiratory disorders, agitation, confusion, seizures, psychotic conditions, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, rhabdomyolysis, tachycardia, cardiac dysrhythmias, hypertension, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and death." 


Alternatives?


Here are some natural energy drinks and other approaches you can choose, as well:

• Coconut water is a great source of electrolytes, potassium, and other minerals, and is much better than sports drinks like Gatorade which  is loaded with sugar, preservatives, and flavorings. 
• Here is a natural sport drink mix (courtesy of herb'nculture.com)

1 cup rejuvelac (probiotics, enzymes, electrolytes)

1 cup lemon juice (antibacterial, antioxidant, bioflavinoids, simulates digestion, cleansing)

1/4 cup ginger juice (Cleansing, reduces nausia and indigestion common to endurance athletes, antibacterial. antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, etc...) 

1 cup aloe juice (sooths digestion, simulates immune functions, nutrients, etc...)

1/2 cup Raw & organic honey (anti-bacterial, high glucose content=quick energy)

1/2 t cinnamon (slows glucose absorption, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory) 

1/2 T sea salt (electrolytes, trace minerals) 

• Here is another idea for a home-made energy smoothie:

1 banana
4 Medium strawberries
1 small handful goji berries
1 handful of kale (you can use collards, chard, spinach etc)
1 tbsp Raw Cacao Powder
1 tsp. Raw Maca Powder
1 scoop Protien Powder (try organic, cold pressed whey or rice. Avoid soy)
1 tbsp green powder blend 
1 cup unsweetened Almond Milk.
Water to consistency

• Perhaps most importantly: pure water!! So many of us are dehydrated, and simply consuming enough water throughout the day will be of great benefit.

Hopefully you are convinced to consider giving up your energy drinks, or at least cutting back. I promise you will be able to "party like a rock star" for many more years to come.