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Effects of Energy Drinks

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Are Energy Drinks Safe? Whether it is a long night studying or just not ready for the day, college students choose to drink energy drinks to get full energy. These highly caffeinated drinks come with stimulating names such as Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle, or Rockstar. Although these drinks are marketed as a healthful stimulant, consumers should be aware of the potential side effects, as they can be very harmful to one’s health.
Energy drinks are beverages whose producers advertise that they “boost energy”. These advertisements usually do not emphasize energy derived from the sugar they contain, but rather increased energy is due to a variety of stimulants, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Energy drinks generally contain …show more content…

Like a shock to the system, an energy drink can give your body a caffeinated jolt. According to an article in ScienceDaily, “Researchers believe the caffeine and taurine levels in energy drinks could be responsible for increases in blood pressure and heart rate” (“Energy Drinks May Be Harmful To People With Hypertension, Heart Disease”). The increase in blood pressure and heart rate is known not to rise to dangerous levels among healthy individuals under the age of 30, but it could be significant in individuals with a cardiovascular disease of those with high blood pressure. By drinking energy drinks in excess, researchers also say that energy drinks could lead to heart complications. Along with increased heart rate, energy drinks dehydrate the body. The caffeine in energy drinks acts as a diuretic and promotes dehydration. Energy drinks are formulated to boost energy, not to replace lost fluid during exercise like sports drinks do. During exercise, your body is constantly losing water through sweat. Also, the high amounts of caffeine stimulate urine production, which removes more water from the body. It is important for you to keep your body hydrated if you are drinking energy drinks. In addition, college students are going to extremes by mixing energy drinks and alcohol. Red Bull and vodkas and Four Lokos have become popular mixed drinks at bars because they reduce the fatigue of alcohol while enhancing the “feel good” buzz.

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