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Are energy drinks dangerous for you, even though they are popular?
Want to get energy from a bottle? You're not the only one. Energy drinks and shots, such as Prime, Monster Energy, Red Bull, and Rockstar, are quite popular, especially among teens and young adults. They drink them not just to have more energy but also to help them lose weight.
There are more than 500 energy drink brands available in the U.S. Each year, they bring in more than $25 billion in sales, and by 2033, that number is expected to reach $50 billion.
Energy drinks contain caffeine
There isn't a secret ingredient in energy drinks; it's largely caffeine that gives you a boost. Consumer Reports tried 27 energy drinks and found that the amount of caffeine in each serving ranged from 6 to 242 milligrams (mg). Some cans and bottles include more than one dose.
In comparison:
A cup of coffee with 5 to 8 ounces of coffee has about 100 milligrams of caffeine.
A 12-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola has 50 mg.
A lot of the beverages also have a lot of sugar, which, coupled with the caffeine, can give you a burst of energy and then a crash, like the sugar in a candy bar. A lot of "natural" or "sugar-free" energy drinks also have a lot of caffeine in them, which can be bad for your health in the same way.
Energy drinks also have a mix of herbs and other things that are sold as "energy boosters," but they haven't been shown to really boost energy unless they also have caffeine in them.
The most important issue: the side effects of energy drinks
Some people, especially young adults, may drink too many of them. When they do, the caffeine (which is a diuretic) can make them dehydrated and cause more problems. The FDA says that most healthy individuals can safely take up to 400 mg per day. However, minors should only take 100 mg or fewer each day.
The FDA has had a lot of complaints associating drinking energy drinks with deaths and serious side effects, such as high blood pressure, seizures, and irregular heart rhythms. A lot of these situations have led to people going to the hospital.
According to America's Poison Centers, the number of children and adolescents under 20 years who were exposed to energy drinks rose by 24.2% from 2022 to 2023. 78% of these cases were unintentional exposures, which means the kids didn't know they were drinking energy drinks or how much caffeine they were getting.
From 2017 to 2023, the number of middle school children who went to the emergency room because of caffeine overdose or bad consequences more than doubled.
Drinks with energy and heart problems
Studies have revealed that energy drinks can make the heart work less well. People who drink energy drinks have higher blood pressure and elevated electrical activity in their hearts for hours afterward. These changes could make it more likely that they will get serious, possibly life-threatening arrhythmias.
There have also been case reports that relate heavy usage of energy drinks, especially when mixed with alcohol or severe physical activity, to heart attacks.
Drinking booze and energy drinks together
Experts in public health have voiced concerns about this combination, which led the FDA to tell producers that caffeine is a "unsafe additive" for alcoholic drinks.
Energy drinks might make you feel more awake, which can cancel out the sedative effects of alcohol and let you drink for longer.
A cup of coffee with 5 to 8 ounces of coffee has about 100 milligrams of caffeine.
A 12-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola has 50 mg.
A lot of the beverages also have a lot of sugar, which, coupled with the caffeine, can give you a burst of energy and then a crash, like the sugar in a candy bar. A lot of "natural" or "sugar-free" energy drinks also have a lot of caffeine in them, which can be bad for your health in the same way.
Energy drinks also have a mix of herbs and other things that are sold as "energy boosters," but they haven't been shown to really boost energy unless they also have caffeine in them.
The most important issue: the side effects of energy drinks
Some people, especially young adults, may drink too many of them. When they do, the caffeine (which is a diuretic) can make them dehydrated and cause more problems. The FDA says that most healthy individuals can safely take up to 400 mg per day. However, minors should only take 100 mg or fewer each day.
The FDA has had a lot of complaints associating drinking energy drinks with deaths and serious side effects, such as high blood pressure, seizures, and irregular heart rhythms. A lot of these situations have led to people going to the hospital.
According to America's Poison Centers, the number of children and adolescents under 20 years who were exposed to energy drinks rose by 24.2% from 2022 to 2023. 78% of these cases were unintentional exposures, which means the kids didn't know they were drinking energy drinks or how much caffeine they were getting.
From 2017 to 2023, the number of middle school children who went to the emergency room because of caffeine overdose or bad consequences more than doubled.
Drinks with energy and heart problems
Studies have revealed that energy drinks can make the heart work less well. People who drink energy drinks have higher blood pressure and elevated electrical activity in their hearts for hours afterward. These changes could make it more likely that they will get serious, possibly life-threatening arrhythmias.
There have also been case reports that relate heavy usage of energy drinks, especially when mixed with alcohol or severe physical activity, to heart attacks.
Drinking booze and energy drinks together
Experts in public health have voiced concerns about this combination, which led the FDA to tell producers that caffeine is a "unsafe additive" for alcoholic drinks.
Energy drinks might make you feel more awake, which can cancel out the sedative effects of alcohol and let you drink for longer.
Caffeine can hide the effects of alcohol, making people think they are less impaired than they really are and possibly driving when it is not safe.
Are energy drinks bad for you? The end result
Stay away from energy drinks if you have high blood pressure or heart problems.
It is good to take an energy drink once in a while if you are healthy and need a fast boost of energy. However, you shouldn't do this every day or for a long time.
One cup of coffee or tea is much healthier than drinking a lot of it. Even better, you can get energy from proven nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
From a medical standpoint, I recommend completely avoiding energy drinks. I promise you it has no benefit to your entire health.
Photo by Pexels
I do not drink energy drinks. Aside from the high caffeine and sugar content, I have never found the taste of them appealing. I'd rather eat a piece of fruit if I need a bit of energy over reaching for one of these unhealthy pick me ups!
ReplyDeleteThey are not for me, Melody.
ReplyDeleteGood choice, Margaret.
DeleteI must to say that I'm not a big fan of energy drink, I tried but I prefer other tastes. However one energy drink sometimees can be ok, daily not so much!
ReplyDeleteI don't like the taste, and the fact that it affects the heart is a no-no.
DeleteIf you need a boost of energy, have a large glass of water.
ReplyDeleteThere are many other healthier food options available.
DeleteThis was an excellent review of energy drinks! Consumers tend to often believe that anything that is sold on the market is not harmful. Personally, I don't do well with caffeine and don't even tolerate a "real" as opposed to decaf coffee. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
Deletei do not drink those;)
ReplyDeleteGood choice.
DeleteThere will always be things that aren't great for your health, but I'm very much against banning most things. I think the dangerous rise in adolescent exposure we see is not because these things are available but because so many parents are checked out (and so many other community members are incredibly hands-off when they wouldn't have been in the past).
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts. It's a complex issue with many factors at play.
DeleteЯ только один раз пробовала энергетик. Действия его я не почувствовала, вкус не впечатлил. Предпочту чашку горячего кофе.
ReplyDeleteНо обратила внимания, что молодые люди злоупотребляют энергетиками. Интересно, как они на них влияют. Потому что на моего мужа такой напиток тоже никак не подействовал.
Кажется, у нас в стране приняли закон о запрете продажи энергетиков детям.
Many countries have indeed been looking into or implementing laws to restrict the sale of energy drinks to minors due to concerns about their effects on young people's health.
DeleteJa w ogóle nie piję takich napojów, bo to jedna wielka chemia.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your perspective.
DeleteLa publicidad de este tipo de bebidas son lo que anima a los jóvenes a su consumición y como nos dices si solo tomarían una lata de ellas al día sería pasable, pero ser unas cuantas mas y en ocasiones en combinación con bebidas alcohólicas.
ReplyDeleteSaludos.
You've raised an important point about advertising and the combination with other drinks. Many people share your concern about the potential for abuse and the role of marketing.
DeleteMelody, your article is very interesting!
ReplyDeleteI admit it, I drink Plush Actice and Pepsi. I go to bed late, and when I wake up, I want to have energy quickly. I don't like drinking coffee.
Melody, I send you greetings and wish you a good weekend!
Thanks for the feedback. It's good to know what works for you
DeleteThank you for yet another informative blog post, Melody! I have an energy drink once in a while, but try to stay away from them as much as possible. I find that drinking a couple of glasses of water often does the trick! xxx
ReplyDeleteThat's a great tip about water! It's amazing how often simple hydration can make a big difference.
DeleteYou are quite right -- "energy" drinks are not good for your health. Thank you so much for your visit and comment on "Saved By Grace." God bless.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome. God bless.
DeleteHello!! I don't like energy drinks, but this is a really interesting post, really good, thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!!
I'm glad you found it interesting, thanks for the feedback.
DeleteEnergy drinks are very dangerous!
ReplyDeleteThey certainly can be if consumed in excess.
Deletehace unos años leí en la revista national geographic una edición especial sobre la cafeína y lo nocivo que son las bebidas energizantes; las cuales no sólo son usadas por deportistas, sino también por estudiantes universitarios y por jóvenes que quieren bailar sin descanso durante toda la noche en una discoteca.
ReplyDeleteel porcentaje de cafeína en un red bull es del 60% lo cual ha causado algunas muertes. la combinación de cafeína y azúcar es para hacer que las personas sean dependientes de las bebidas energizantes, pues aquella combinación da más sed y para paliar la sed se toman otra y otra bebida energizante generando un círculo vicioso de nunca acabar.
yo jamás he bebido una bebida energizante, ni lo haré en el futuro.
que pases un feliz fin de semana.
This is a great point. The combination of caffeine and sugar can indeed create a dependency, leading to a cycle of consumption that can be difficult to break. It's a significant health concern for many.
DeleteI never drink energy drinks.
ReplyDeleteWe also don't allow those under 18 to drink it in summer caps.
Besides those with heart problems, energy drinks are most dangerous for young and children because they don't understand how they work.
Thank you for sharing your experience. It's a common and sensible policy to restrict energy drinks for minors, especially at summer camps. The potential dangers for young people and those with heart conditions are well-documented.
DeleteI am vegetarian, sugar, dairy and gluten free and I do not eat anything or almost anything refined and industrial made, so energy drinks do not even exist in my world LOL I think all people should start making 99% of what they eat themselves and possibly even growing their own food if they have the space. After the fall of society and values, which is probably due in a few years from now due to money hungry elites, people will probably return to sense and start living by valuing health and life.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting perspective. It sounds like you've found a way of living that works well for you and your health.
DeleteI have never fancied energy drinks, it's too high in caffeine and not healthy for the heart.
ReplyDeleteNot good at all. Thank you, Benita.
DeleteThank you, dear Melodie,
ReplyDeletethis is such an important post about energy drinks and their harmful effects! ⚡🥤 And there’s something else I’d like to add:
Many of these drinks are sold only in cans. Most of these cans are made from aluminium – and the raw material for aluminium (bauxite) is mined in the rainforest 🌳🐒. This means that producing aluminium cans destroys a lot of nature. In some countries, fortunately, there are now recycling systems for metal cans. But until a few years ago, in Austria (the home country of Red Bull 🦬), this was not the case – and sadly, many consumers simply threw their cans out of the car window into nature.
I was one of the people who actively campaigned for a recycling law ♻️💪 – and not too long ago, it was finally passed. In other countries, there is still no can recycling, which means more pollution on the one hand 🌍💔 and more rainforest destruction on the other...
All the best from Austria
Traude
🌿 https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2025/08/mit-dem-enkel-durchs-waldviertel-und-in.html
You're absolutely right, Traude. That's a huge point people miss. The environmental impact of these drinks goes way beyond just the waste. The aluminum cans are a real problem, and it's awesome that you were part of the effort to get a recycling law passed in Austria. That's a big win. It's crazy to think about all those cans just being tossed out, especially when you consider the damage done to the rainforests to make them in the first place. You're right, there's still a long way to go in other countries, but it's good to see progress being made somewhere.
Delete