Energy drinks: how do their ingredients affect health? + Risks

In today's fast-paced world, the consumption of energy drinks has become the norm. Increased external demands force people to overcome their natural fatigue by other means than suggestion.

However, in all this turmoil of constant events and stress, we forget about our own health and want to be "fully conscious" even at the cost of serious health complications.

The history of energy drinks

Although energy drinks are a big trend and icon of modern life, they are not new to the food market. Their history goes back more than 50 years. It is no surprise that we owe their creation to Japan.

The Japanese are also known in our terms as the dominant people when it comes to the employee-employer relationship, and that's where it all began.

Dictatorial employers wanted to keep their employees as fit as possible so that they could keep working and keep the production average down. But they were only human, and often hard manual workers. So it is not surprising that, like any human being, they were subject to fatigue under physical stress.

So they needed something to keep them awake longer and boost their performance. And so in 1962, energy drinks as we know them today saw the light of day.

The precursor to energy drinks

Of course, mention should also be made of a series of experiments that took place in the UK in 1929, the aim of which was to create a drink or dietary supplement that would boost the energy of patients in medical institutions. This was also successful, and so a precursor to energy drinks called Lucozade was born.

Lucozade was mainly used in the health care industry as part of treatment and rehabilitation. Later, there was a reversal and it was preferred by the target group of athletes as a performance enhancing supplement. The term energy drink was not coined until 1983.

In 1987, one of the most famous energy drinks appeared on the market and is still one today. It is Red Bull, which was created by Austrian economist Dietrich Mateschitz. Its production was based on an old Thai recipe.

This popularity did not go unnoticed and there was a great expansion of this drink into Europe, the USA and practically all over the world.

From the past to the present

The production of energy drinks has changed over the years until it has evolved into what it is today. It is essentially the same, only the amount of the individual ingredients has changed. Caffeine, taurine and other substances are strictly limited in most countries and the amount of sugar has been reduced significantly from the original up to 4250 mg of carbohydrates in 250 ml.

Today, the market is represented by a wide range of these drinks from different manufacturers. In 2007, tablets for their home production even appeared on supermarket shelves.

What are energy drinks?

Energy drinks do not have an official definition. They are only referred to as soft drinks. Unofficially, the definition is extended to soft drinks containing caffeine, taurine or arginine, depending on the substances contained in the drink. This way, the consumer can get a rough idea of the product.

Interesting:
In Germany, up to eleven states have banned an unnamed energy drink due to traces of cocaine. In Australia, five products have been withdrawn from the market due to excess caffeine.

Energy drinks, by their composition, energize a person, increase the concentration and performance of the consumer, delay fatigue and drowsiness. Of course, their effect, as it should be, lasts approximately 1 hour.

Drinks that are often confused with energy drinks

There are drinks also designed to increase performance and energy that can easily be confused with energy drinks. However, their composition and effects work on a similar but different principle.

Ionic drinks

Some young and especially amateur athletes often confuse energy drinks and ionic drinks. This can have serious health consequences, as energy drinks are not recommended before sports performance.

Ionic drinks, intended for athletes to rehydrate and energize, are isotonic or hypotonic solutions. They contain mostly water, minerals with increased sodium (10 to 30 mmol/l). Some contain minimal amounts of caffeine, but this is not their main ingredient.

Smart drinks

Smart drinks are another such beverage. They contain the active ingredients neurotransmitters and their precursors (GABA, acetylcholine), brain nutrients (D-phenylalanine, L-phenylalanine) and plant extracts such as guarana, ginseng, ginkgo biloba and other stimulant herbs.

The main difference between energy drinks and smart drinks is in their action. Smart drinks not only affect performance and concentration, but they also affect a person's psyche. People can better withstand stressful situations.

The composition of energy drinks

Energy drinks are very popular and their production and distribution is widespread almost all over the world. There are many manufacturers and types, but the basic composition does not change.

Interesting:
In Denmark, Turkey and Uruguay, there is a complete ban on the sale and consumption of energy drinks due to their negative impact on health. In France, there was a temporary ban on Red Bull following the death of a young man (sales have been restored following an assessment by the European Commission).

Ingredients represented in energy drinks

Caffeine is a white crystalline substance.

It is a derivative of the purine 1-3-7-trimethylxanthine. It is also one of the most commonly used drugs and psychoactive substances in general. Like any other drug, it is addictive and produces withdrawal symptoms in its absence.

It is even freely available to children, for example in chocolate.

For comparison:
A can of Coca-Cola contains about 30 mg of caffeine, a cup of coffee contains up to 100 mg of caffeine and an energy drink contains an average of 80 to 100 mg of caffeine. However, the amount of caffeine varies depending on the size of the cup, the amount of raw material and other factors. Energy drinks also contain other substances.

Taurine is one of the beta-amino acids in the central nervous system and is a neurotransmitter. It is found naturally in muscles, lung tissue and the retina. It is important for the proper functioning of cells themselves and their membranes, the retina, heart, liver and liver cells or platelets.

It also has an effect on proper immunity and acts as an antioxidant.

Synephrine is an ephedrine-like alkaloid compound (treatment for low blood pressure). It constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure. It can also cause high heart rate, heart rhythm disturbances, fibrillation of the heart and even cardiac arrest.

L-carnitine, like taurine, is an amino acid. This ingredient in the drink does not act as a stimulant, unlike caffeine and taurine, and no health risk has been identified to date. It is used as a dietary supplement or treatment for vitamin deficiencies, kidney disease, even ADHD.

Inositol is a cyclic alcohol formerly classified as a B-complex vitamin. It is formed by the reduction of sugar. It is a biologically active substance that regulates the amount of calcium in cells. It is involved in the metabolism of fats in the blood.

Interesting:
Inositol is a substance that can be used in a variety of ways. In the pharmaceutical industry to make drugs for obsessive compulsive disorder (still under study). Street vendors add it to hard drugs to dilute them (it has similar color and chemical properties). Inositol and its derivatives are also used to make explosives.

Vitamins in energy drinks are mostly from the B group. Vitamin B1 or even thiamine is essential for cell metabolism and proper muscle function. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is important for the metabolism of sugars fats and proteins.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) plays a role in amino acid metabolism and finally vitamin B12 for proper blood formation.

Sugars are naturally present in the body (carbohydrates). They are also found in foods and beverages as artificial sweeteners from sugar cane. The body needs carbohydrates to function properly. The brain also needs sugar to function properly.

Its deficiency has serious health consequences. Nowadays, the problem is not the absence of sugar. Rather, it is the excess of sugar. As for energy drinks, they contain minimal amounts of sugars.

The ingredients in energy drinks have their limits

Energy drinks have an effect on the human body. However, if a healthy, young person drinks it in reasonable quantities and does not combine it with other risky drinks (alcohol) and drugs, he or she is not at greater risk.

If the recommended limits are exceeded, damage to health can occur.

The dose that should not cause any health problems depends on the amount of caffeine in the drink. This should not exceed 100 mg/day for adolescents and adults, and 2,5 mg/kg/day for children. Of course, children should not drink them at all.

Table of maximum daily limits for adults

Comparison of ingredients in different types of energy drinks

Every ingredient in energy drinks has an effect on humans. For example, caffeine. It has its negatives, and to some extent its positives. However, the combination of ingredients in these drinks can be lethal.

Manufacturers most often indicate on the packaging the content of caffeine, taurine, niacin and other vitamins. This is only a fraction of the actual content of the drink.

Some drinks have the ingredients listed in milligrams, but there are also some that list it as a percentage. With milligrams, you need to pay attention to whether the amount of the ingredient is in 250 ml (a regular can) or in one litre of the drink.

The average consumer may not even be aware of the actual amount when purchasing. This can easily lead to overconsumption and health problems.

Table of individual ingredients in different energy drinks

The manufacturers of different types of energy drinks offer them in different variants. Therefore the content of the individual substances especially sugars, colourings and herbal extracts may vary.

For comparison, in terms of carbohydrate and glucose content, one teaspoon of homemade crystal sugar contains approximately 6000 mg of sugars. This means that one 250 ml can of energy drink has about 4.5 teaspoons of sugar in it.

The energy drink made in the Netherlands, Powerking, contains the lowest proportion of sugar of all the drinks compared. Ironically, despite this, its manufacturers do not recommend it on the official website for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people being treated for heart disease and diabetics.

The highest doses of caffeine and taurine were contained in the Czech product Kamikaze Strong Energy, which is currently unavailable. Therefore, the number one was Monster with the highest caffeine content. Semtex and Burn contain the most taurine. Burn also has the highest amount of sugars.

According to the comparison table, the least harmful energy drink of the products compared is the Czech product Kamikaze. It contains the least caffeine, taurine and sugars.

Energy drinks and their effect on the human body

Energy drinks affect almost the entire body to some extent. They affect various systems. Outwardly, they manifest themselves in a wide range of symptoms.

Effect of energy drinks on the central nervous system

They have a stimulating effect on the CNS through the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline in turn stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, thereby affecting the whole organism and triggering a cascade of symptoms.

Motor activity increases, speech rate increases, mood improves, and in some cases euphoria occurs with increased consumption. Reaction time decreases.

Interesting:
There is talk of reducing the risk of Parkinson's disease and slowing cognitive decline (dementia) in relation to regular consumption of energy drinks. This has not yet been proven.

Effect of energy drinks on the cardiovascular system

The stimulatory effect on the sympathetic and cardiac muscle causes an increase in heart rate (called sinus tachycardia) and associated palpitations. The response is a transient increase in blood pressure.

Energy drinks, when used excessively, have a temporary effect of increasing the risk of acute heart attack.

Interesting:
There has been no proven link between energy drinks and the development of arterial hypertension (high blood pressure) and arrhythmias. However, people who are being treated for these conditions should avoid energy drinks. The transient increase in blood pressure and pulse may worsen their chronic condition.

Effect of energy drinks on the respiratory system

In the beginning (first 30 to 40 min), bronchodilation, i.e. relaxation of the respiratory system, occurs. By stimulating breathing, breathing feels lighter. At higher doses, however, it becomes faster and more difficult.

Effect of energy drinks on the digestive system and metabolism

The digestive tract is the site of absorption of food and also of what we drink. Also, energy drinks are absorbed partly in the stomach and intestinal mucosa. This process starts about 10 min after ingestion. The maximum action is after 30 to 40 min.

At the oesophagus, the sphincter is released, which brings the stomach contents upwards. This causes G.E.R.D. (gastroesophageal reflux) - heartburn or 'acidity'. Erosions and ulcers later appear on the stomach.

The breakdown of the individual components occurs in the liver. Their complete elimination occurs in each individual depending on other factors. The time varies from 3 to 10 hours, and may be longer in pregnant women.

Historically, it has been suggested that the amount of sugars has steadily decreased over the years. Today, it is at a minimum. Manufacturers have also reached consumers with sugar-free energy drinks with added sweeteners (so-called sugar free).

In addition to their low sugar content, they are characterised by appetite suppression, increased metabolism and fat-burning capacity. Fat reduction is therefore certain, but given their other effects, their increased consumption during diets is questionable and inappropriate for this purpose.

Effect of energy drinks on other systems

By relaxing the smooth muscles of the organs and by having a diuretic effect, these drinks act as good diuretics. This means that people urinate more frequently and thus lose fluid. However, dehydration of the body does not occur because this effect is not so strong. An exception may be overdose in children.

Energy drinks, pregnancy, breastfeeding and children

On labels and cans, manufacturers do not recommend that pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers consume these drinks. The ingredients in the drink pass through the placenta and into breast milk.

Pregnant women are known to have a higher elimination half-life for all the components of the drink. This means that it takes longer for the body to eliminate these substances. When consumed in increased quantities (caffeine > 300 mg/day, i.e. about 3.5 cans/day), the newborn has a lower birth weight and there is a risk of miscarriage.

In young children, the heart rate tends to increase. This is also due to the physiologically higher heart rate in children. For example, a newborn baby has up to 140 beats per minute. This rate gradually decreases with age.

Interesting:
In some countries, the sale and consumption of energy drinks is banned until the age of 18, just like tobacco products. In Sweden, for example, the age limit has been moved to 15.

What should you not combine energy drinks with?

It is not difficult to know what energy drinks should not be combined with. First of all, it is necessary to understand how they affect our organism, which systems in the human body they preferentially affect and how they manifest themselves.

Then it is no longer a problem of common sense to figure out when it is not advisable to consume them.

Energy drinks in combination with alcohol

Especially young people often combine energy drinks with alcohol. This combination has literally become a trend. It is the most dangerous combination ever. Energy drink labels often lack warnings against mixing them with alcoholic beverages. An exception is Sweden, where labels warn against this danger.

The energy drink combined with alcohol delays getting drunk. Since people do not feel drunk (subjectively reduced feeling of drunkenness), they drink more. This prolongs the actual consumption of alcohol. However, the blood alcohol level is higher than when drinking it alone. This increases the risk of alcohol intoxication and death.

Other risks that are present in a state of higher drunkenness combined with alcohol include risky drinking behaviour and distorted assessment of the situation. People are bolder, more aggressive and prone to dangerous activities (drink driving, vandalism, physically harming others).

Energy drinks combined with drugs

Consumption of energy drinks should be avoided completely, especially by people being treated for heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Their illness is a risk and can lead to serious deterioration of their health (heart attack, stroke, glycaemic disorders).

Energy drinks can also amplify, slow or block the effect of certain heart or blood pressure medications (as well as other medications), causing serious complications (hypertensive crisis, collapse, heart attack, hypoglycemic coma and others). A preparation known as ephedrine is used to treat low blood pressure.

Along with the energy drink, a sharp increase in pressure, tachycardia, arrhythmia, sweating, and even death can occur.

It is also dangerous when combined with drugs for psychological disorders. These include drugs for depression and anxiety.

Energy drinks and addiction

Energy drinks contain several ingredients that independently cause the body to become addicted to these substances. Combining them increases the risk of addiction. These are mainly caffeine, taurine and, to a lesser extent, sugars.

Symptoms of overdose

• restlessness, anxiety, fear, panic disorder
• insomnia
• excessive sweating
• high blood pressure, headaches, visual disturbances
• heart palpitations, high heart rate
• heart rhythm disturbances
• heart failure, death
• rapid and shallow breathing to respiratory failure
• frequent urination, kidney and liver damage

Withdrawal symptoms

• redness in the face
• excessive sweating
• psychomotor restlessness
• irritability, aggressiveness
• confusion to hallucinations
• trembling of the limbs
• nausea, vomiting
• heart palpitations, high heart rate
• high blood pressure

Tangible evidence is lacking, but energy drinks combined with alcohol are thought to increase the risk of alcohol dependence.

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