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Do Energy Drinks Make You Constipated? (Revealed)

A man taking a energy drink from a freezer in a store
Energy drinks can cause more side effects than constipation

Energy drinks are the go-to beverage in every person’s life these days, people depend on these beverages as they can provide a boost of energy that helps you get through the day more productively.

Energy drinks are being consumed at an immoderate rate by adults as well as teenagers, which can raise several health concerns.

In addition, energy drinks with high doses of taurine and caffeine have been associated with several sides, one of which is constipation.

Constipation is quite common among people who’re sensitive to caffeine or are unable to process large doses of caffeine.

Energy drinks are created with many ingredients and there’s no doubt that some of those ingredients can be the cause of several side effects. Nonetheless, energy drinks can only do you harm as long as you consume them in doses that are impossible for your system to process.

The most common harmful ingredient is considered caffeine, especially when in high doses. Caffeine is a stimulant that can make a person constipated. Moreover, energy drinks with caffeine and taurine have also been reported to cause mild diarrhea.

If you want to know about energy drinks and how they can affect you, then keep on reading. Let’s begin!

Can Energy Drinks Cause Bowel Issues?

Cans of different energy drinks
Diarrhea and constipation are common occurrences after consuming energy drinks

Energy drinks have become extremely popular because of their effects on human mental and physical performance, however, you have to pay the price for every benefit.

While energy drinks give you a boost of energy, they can also meddle with your bowel, especially among people with caffeine sensitivity issues.

Abnormal bowel movements are common to occur after consuming energy drinks because they contain ingredients that your body isn’t familiar with which can result in constipation or diarrhea.

Let’s take an example, Red Bull is one of the most consumed energy drinks with the largest market share. Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine and 27 g of sugar with a dose of taurine per an 8-ounce can.

It’s very likely to experience constipation or diarrhea after the consumption of Red Bull as the caffeine and sugar levels are large for a normal can size.

The back of a Red Bull can
The back of a Red Bull can

Check out the nutritional table of Red Bull to get familiar with its recipe:

Typical Values Red Bull
(8.4 fl. oz)
Energy110 calories
Fat
(Of which Saturated)
0g
(0g)
Carbohydrate
(Of which Sugars)
28g
(27g)
Caffeine80mg
Sodium105mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)22mg
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)5.05mg
Vitamin B65.05mg
Vitamin B125.1µg
Nutritional facts about Red Bull

As you can see for yourself what Red Bull contains, besides caffeine, high doses of vitamins can also cause bowel issues, however, it’s quite rare.

Do Caffeine Drinks Cause Constipation?

A cup of coffee surrounded with coffee beans
Caffeine makes you dehydrated which can lead to constipation

Caffeine is the key ingredient present in energy drinks. As an active ingredient, it helps to increase mental and physical performance which results in increased productivity.

Caffeine can be found in huge doses in energy drinks which can cause several side effects.

Constipation is a commonly occurring side effect of immoderate caffeine consumption. Caffeine dehydrates the body which can make wreck your bowel movements.

Moreover, people with caffeine sensitivity have to deal with bowel movements more times than other people as their systems are unfamiliar with the doses of caffeine that are being consumed.

However, constipation should be the least of their worries because there’re many serious side effects that caffeine-sensitive people can have which include:

  • Racing heartbeat.
  • Headache.
  • Jitters.
  • Nervousness.
  • Anxiousness.
  • Restlessness.
  • Insomnia.

Furthermore, constipation can occur when caffeine is consumed in immoderate doses or more than the recommended limit as caffeine can dehydrate your body.

According to the FDA, healthy people are recommended to limit their caffeine consumption to 400 mg per day any more than that can cause side effects which include:

  • Restlessness and shakiness.
  • Insomnia.
  • Headaches.
  • Dizziness.
  • Fast heart rate.
  • Dehydration.
  • Anxiety.
  • Dependency.

Keep your consumption of caffeine in moderation and within the recommended limits if you want to avoid any of those listed side effects.

Sugar In Energy Drinks

A can of Red Bull placed beside a glass filled with Red Bull and a laptop
The sugar content of Red Bull is grossly high which can cause side effects, like diabetes

Sugar is another crucial ingredient included in energy drinks, it’s included either to mask the bitterness of certain ingredients or to add another source of energy, besides caffeine.

It’s possible to get a burst of energy from sugar, however, that only lasts for a couple of hours and it isn’t the healthiest way to get energized.

Sugar can only be dangerous for your health when consumed in an excessive amount which you can unintentionally do as energy drinks include high contents of sugar. Besides that, sugar has been associated with constipation, however, the chances are quite less.

Here’s a list of side effects associated with excessive consumption of sugar:

  • Headaches.
  • Irritability.
  • Fatigue and difficulty concentrating.
  • Feeling jittery or anxious.
  • Feeling shaky or dizzy.
  • Hunger.
  • Bloating.
  • Higher blood pressure.
  • Inflammation.
  • Weight gain.
  • Diabetes.
  • Fatty liver disease.
  • Increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

According to the AHA, women should have an intake of 25 g of sugar while men should have 36 g per day.

For instance, an 8-ounce can of Red Bull has 27 g of sugar which is higher than the recommended dose for women. So, if you don’t want to suffer from the above-listed side effects, I suggest you steer clear of such energy drinks.

Check out this video to know if energy drinks are safe or not:

Energy drinks like Red Bull can send you to the ER, so be careful with its consumption

What Happens If You Drink An Energy Drink Everyday?

Consuming energy drinks in immoderate quantities comes with side effects, especially when the caffeine content is high. Energy drinks contain caffeine, sugar, taurine, and many vitamins which are only good as long as you keep them in moderation.

People who consume energy drinks daily have been reported to experience higher blood pressure and heart problems. Furthermore, it might be rare, but there have been a few deaths that have been linked to energy drink consumption.

Everyday consumption of energy drinks with high doses of caffeine has been associated with the side effects listed below:

  • Can increase blood pressure and heart rate.
  • May increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
  • May damage your teeth.
  • May negatively affect kidney health.
  • May increase high-risk behavior.
  • May lead to caffeine overdose and toxicity.

I suggest you take those above-listed side effects seriously, if you don’t they can cause much more damage.

Several studies have concluded that energy drinks affect heart rhythm and blood pressure significantly.

Moreover, as energy drinks are sugar-sweetened, long-term consumption can affect the body’s metabolism, including cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart problems.

Alternatives To Energy Drinks

Fous cans of Monster energy drink
Caffeine-jacked energy drinks can be dangerous for your health

Energy boosts can be obtained from many other sources other than energy drinks. Energy boosts are all about your brain, you don’t necessarily need caffeine for that.

However, if you’re looking for some alternatives to energy drinks, check out the list below:

  • Herbal Tea.
  • Green Tea.
  • Sparkling Water.
  • Kombucha.
  • Green Smoothies.
  • Fruit Juice.

Furthermore, you can go for energy drinks that are low in caffeine and sugar contents, if teas and smoothies are your things.

Check out the list of some energy drinks with low caffeine and sugar contents:

  • ZEVIA Zero Calorie Energy.
  • NUUN Energy.
  • SAMBAZON Amazon Energy.
  • LIFEAID FOCUSAID Clean Energy.
  • ZOA Zero Sugar.
  • ROWDY ENERGY.
  • Irn Bru No Sugar Energy.
  • Zipfizz Energy.

Conclusion

  • Energy drinks can be the reason you feel constipated as they contain caffeine in high content which can make your body dehydrated.
  • Energy drinks can be the cause of many side effects other than bowel issues, so keep their consumption in moderation.
  • Constipation is common among people with caffeine sensitivity as their systems aren’t familiar with high doses of caffeine.
  • Moreover, taurine can also cause constipation, but it’s quite rare so I wouldn’t worry about it.
  • Caffeine has been linked with several side effects besides constipation, like higher blood pressure.
  • Energy drinks have caused heart problems and even deaths, so if you experience any side effects that are listed above, I suggest you pull the plug.
  • If you want to cut back on your caffeine consumption, you should switch your energy drinks to green teas or green smoothies.

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