You will rarely find anyone who hasn’t heard of energy drinks. From Red Bull to Monster and many other brands, they act as a miracle for our generation as a performance-boosting solution.
Most people drink energy drinks to enjoy their refreshing taste, while others drink whenever they feel tired and need some energy. According to NCCIH, energy drinks help to keep you alert and focused.
Though energy drinks tempt us to consume them whenever we want to recharge ourselves, you might be wondering whether you can have them every day?
The short answer is: Yes! You can drink energy drinks every day. Just make sure to stick with one can per day to avoid any health issues.
Contents
Main Ingredients in Energy Drinks?
The main ingredients of energy drinks are caffeine, sugar, B vitamins, amino acid derivatives, and preservatives.
Caffeine
Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, and chocolate, but it’s also the main ingredient of energy drinks. It is mostly used to promote mental alertness, but it has a number of other applications.
Caffeine works by stimulating your central nervous system (CNS), making you feel more alert and giving you an energy boost. It is used to relieve weariness or drowsiness temporarily, to restore mental alertness when unexpected sleepiness or drowsiness occurs, and to lessen the number of episodes of acute muscle weakness.
Some persons, such as those with ADHD or sleep apnea, may benefit from this impact. Caffeine, on the other hand, is addictive and can cause issues in some people if consumed excessively.
Sugar
Sugar is primarily the main source of calories in an energy drink. However, some brands use artificial sweeteners, Sucralose, which is sweeter but less harmful than sugar.
Some energy drinks are loaded with sugar, such as a can of Monster energy drink containing 54g of sugar, which I think is not suitable for your health.
It is always better to select energy drinks that are low in sugar or you can go for sugar-free variants of energy drinks that provide the same energy boost but don’t carry the harmful effects of added sugar.
As you might know, consuming more than the recommended amount of sugar can cause multiple health problems.
B Vitamins
B Vitamins play an essential role in transforming your food into energy.
These vitamins are important for multiple enzymes to do their jobs, ranging from releasing energy from fat and carbohydrates to breaking down amino acids and transporting oxygen and energy-containing nutrients around the body.
Amino Acid Derivatives
Amino acid derivatives examples are L-Carnitine and Taurine, which are produced by the body naturally and have roles in various biological processes.
All these ingredients work together to enhance the stimulant impacts of caffeine.
Caffeine Content in Different Energy Drinks
As caffeine tends to be the main ingredient of energy drinks, it is important that we should be aware of how much caffeine is present in the drink we plan to consume.
This is because excess consumption of caffeine can have adverse effects on your health. Therefore, it is important that we keep the suggested amount of caffeine intake in our minds and choose the drink according to our caffeine tolerance.
The following table can give you an idea about the caffeine content present in some popular energy drinks.
| Product Size | Caffeine Content | |
| Red Bull | 8.4 oz (250 ml) | 80 mg |
| AMP | 16 oz (473 ml) | 142 mg |
| Monster | 16 oz (473 ml) | 160 mg |
| Rockstar | 16 oz (473 ml) | 160 mg |
| NOS | 16 oz (473 ml) | 160 mg |
| Full Throttle | 16 oz (473 ml) | 160 mg |
| 5-Hour Energy | 1.93 oz (57 ml) | 200 mg |
These energy drinks can give you an excellent boost, but consuming excessively can also increase blood pressure and heart rate.
Benefits of Energy Drinks
Consuming energy drinks can provide you several benefits such as;
1. Improving brain functioning
People drink energy drinks for many reasons. One of the main reasons is improving brain function and increasing mental alertness.
Many studies show that energy drinks can improve brain functioning such as concentration, reaction, and memory.
2. Keeping you focused when tired
Another reason people consume energy drinks is when they are tired and need a boost of energy, such as drivers on long drives often need an energy drink to stay alert.
This research indicated the effect of functional energy drinks on sleep-deprived drivers.
PubMed research explains that consuming energy drinks before driving improved driving performance and reduced drivers’ sleepiness.
Many studies show that energy drinks can reduce a person’s sleepiness even if they are sleep-deprived. Caffeine in energy drinks helps to increase your alertness and the ability to focus.
However, excess consumption may lead to caffeine crashes and other health problems.
Disadvantages of Energy Drinks
Energy drinks are beverages containing high levels of caffeine, sugar, or other sweeteners to boost energy and mental function.
Experts have expressed concern that the high sugar and caffeine content of energy drinks may pose health risks to some people.
Following are some disadvantages of energy drinks if you don’t consume them moderately:
1. Sugar Crashes
Energy drinks usually contain high levels of sugar, which can provide a temporary energy boost. However, this is quickly followed by a blood sugar crash that can leave you feeling worse than before.
This is because the body rapidly absorbs the simple sugars in energy drinks and raises blood sugar very quickly.
A sudden increase in blood sugar triggers hormones that remove the sugar from the blood. This results in a “crash” that can leave you feeling tired and irritable.
2. Obesity
Some studies have found that people who consume large amounts of sugar-sweetened drinks have an increased risk of obesity.
According to a survey on Scrip, a high amount of sugar in energy drinks can cause fat accumulation in the human body which leads to obesity.
3. Kidney Stones
Overconsumption of energy drinks can develop kidney stones. According to Urocancer, calcium oxalate is included in energy drinks which is the reason behind the formation of kidney stones.
4. Insomnia
Most energy drinks contain a good amount of caffeine to provide a sudden boost of energy keeping you alert and attentive.
An article on CDC indicated that this high content of caffeine can cause sleeping problems.
Research published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine says that people who had energy drinks 3 or 6 hours before going to bed experienced sleep disturbances.
5. High Blood Pressure
Energy drinks can raise your blood pressure. If you are hypertensive, you should avoid high caffeine content energy drinks.
According to AHA Journal, for people who consumed energy drinks, their blood pressure increased. Caffeine alone did not raise the blood pressure. Other ingredients present in the energy drink combine with caffeine and caused a rise in blood pressure.
Can You Drink Energy Drinks Every Day?
Yes! You can have energy drinks daily if you don’t have any pre-existing medical conditions. So, in my opinion, consuming one serving of an energy drink every day is not a big issue.
Yet you should note that all energy drinks brands use different ingredients, and their caffeine and sugar content differs. So if you are consuming an energy drink whose caffeine content is between 50 and 100 mg, it won’t cause any problem consuming it every day.
But if the amount is between 200 mg or more, I don’t think it is better to consume it every day as it can cause anxiety, high blood pressure, and headache.
However, energy drinks are not a problem for healthy adults but teenagers, children, pregnant, and nursing moms should avoid them.
How Many Cans of Energy Drink Can You Consume Per Day?
I recommend limiting your energy drink intake to 1 can per day. This won’t harm you unless you have any pre-existing health conditions.
The answer to this question also depends on what energy drinks you consume, caffeine content, sugar content, and ingredients because some contain a high amount of sugar and caffeine.
On top of that, some energy drinks include herbal extracts such as guarana, which contains naturally occurring caffeine.
According to FDA, the daily caffeine recommendation is 400 mg.
As per Harvard University, the American Health Association suggested a maximum daily intake of 36 mg sugar for men and 25 mg sugar for women.
Are Energy Drinks safe if consumed in moderation?
Yes! Energy Drinks are safe when consumed in moderation.
Regular and excessive energy drink consumption can cause heart arrhythmias, anxiety, and headaches. This is mainly because of excessive caffeine intake.
It is also observed that people who faced heart problems because of energy drinks used to consume more than 3 energy drinks and mixed them with alcohol.
So if you want to drink energy drinks every day, I suggest moderation is the key.
Can Energy Drinks be mixed with Alcohol?
Energy drinks make us feel energized, but mixing them with alcohol can be a dangerous combination.
You might be thinking why it is dangerous to mix it with alcohol? Energy drinks contain caffeine. According to CDC, caffeine can cover alcohol’s sedative effects. As a result, people become more alert and consume more alcohol.
As published by Harvard University, when energy drinks are mixed with alcohol, they can cause cardiovascular, psychological, and fatal events.
On the other hand, alcohol also contains calories. Energy drinks’ high-calorie content can lead to weight gain if we consume them regularly. So when energy drinks are mixed with alcohol, their average calories amount also increases.
Which Energy Drinks to Prefer Over Other Energy Drinks?
If you want to buy an energy drink, have a look over its ingredients, especially caffeine and sugar. Choose the one that has a low amount of these.
I think energy drinks containing 50 to 100 mg of caffeine are ideal. This range will give you an energy boost without making you jittery and anxious.
Following are the two energy drinks that meet my sugar and caffeine norms;
Red Bull Sugar-Free
Red Bull‘s sugar-free version is among the world’s most famous energy drinks. A single can contains 80 mg of caffeine, while its peer packs contain 114 mg.
The original version of Red Bull contains 27g of sugar, while sugar-free does not have any. Most of the energy in energy drinks comes from sugar.
ZippFizz Energy Drink
ZippFizz is a powder that you must mix in water to make an energy drink. It contains 100 mg of caffeine and is sugar-free.
However, it does include an absurd amount of vitamin C, vitamin B12, and some artificial ingredients but I still like this energy drink because it’s sugar-free and contains an average caffeine amount.
Are Energy Drinks Bad for You?
As I have mentioned earlier, limiting your energy drink to 1 can per day will not be bad for you.
Energy drinks are aimed at boosting your energy, concentration, and alertness. But some health professionals have advised that energy drinks can have harmful effects.
One drawback of energy drinks is they contain a high amount of sugar and caffeine. Caffeine-sensitive people may experience irritability, anxiety, and insomnia after drinking too many energy drinks or those with high caffeine amounts.
Consuming too much caffeine can lead to:
On the other hand, excess sugar intake can cause:
Other Drinks That You Can Try
Rockstar
Though it was founded in 2001, Rockstar has gotten itself among the top energy drinks available on the market.
Rockstar energy drink is currently managed by Pepsi Co. It comes in over 20 different varieties.
It has 160 mg of caffeine in a 16 fl oz serving, enough to keep you energized throughout the day. Rockstar’s taste features a pleasant citrus combination that refreshes you instantly.
A can of Rockstar costs roughly $2, so it’s not a bad idea to test it.
NOS
NOS energy drink is another option to consider if you want a drink to enhance your energy.
NOS is one of the most popular energy drink brands available. It is one of the most well-known energy products, with a reputation for quality and even pleasant flavors and you can get them for around $1.7 per can.
Other notable mentions
Final Thoughts
Energy drinks can offer many benefits, like helping you function appropriately whenever you are sleep-deprived or tired. But many health issues arise with energy drinks, mainly because of sugar, caffeine content, and mixing them with alcohol.
So if you choose to drink energy drinks every day, I recommend limiting your intake to avoid any adverse effects, and pregnant women, nursing moms, teenagers, and children should avoid energy drinks.