Why Energy Drinks Should Be Banned: Toxicity in Them

Introduction

We have all heard about how energy drinks are bad and we should stop drinking them. What gets out to the people my age is they cause heart attacks to young teens and cause death. But what really causes that? What is in these energy drinks that could cause death? Why energy drinks should be banned? My theory is that it's all the caffeine they put into it to “give energy” that really causes toxicity.

Assessing the Risks of Energy Drinks

People drink them because the company promises buyers the help of brain and body function when they're tired or sleep-deprived. So, what’s in these drinks? An energy drink is a type of drink containing stimulant compounds, usually caffeine, which provide mental and physical stimulation of energy. They may or may not be carbonated and may also contain sugar, other sweeteners, herbal extracts, taurine, and amino acids. Although these ingredients may not sound fatal of dangerous, a high dose of any of these could cause problems. Having too much sugar in a drink is not fatal or having it in your diet is not fatal, but it could increase non-fatal heart problems, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Sweeteners can also be dangerous and could be fatal unless the sweeteners are natural. Unnatural sweeteners can cause tooth decay, weight gain, poor nutrition, and could increase triglycerides. Triglycerides are an ester formed from glycerol and three fatty acid groups, they are the main constituents of natural oils, fats, and high concentrations that indicate an elevated risk of stroke. Herbal extracts are different, If it is involved with medicine it could be fatal. It causes kidney failure, and liver damage, and contains toxic chemicals. Taurine has been found to be safe. It might not be good in a long-term situation but no problems have been found from the amount of taurine put into energy drinks. Amino acids used in a nutritional supplement is not found to be dangerous but are recommended to stay under medical use. Amino acids are used for pharmacological rather than nutritional purposes.

The Hazards of Caffeine in Energy Drinks

Finally and most popularly known, Caffeine. Caffeine is a crystalline compound that is found especially in tea and coffee plants and is a stimulant of the central nervous system. So caffeine basically gives people energy. It is mostly ingested when you lack of sleep, but the health concern is high. There are 4 major health concerns regarding caffeine. Caffeine can make your Adrenal Glands exhausted, which means it can produce too much adrenaline. According to Dr.Kaslow “Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It causes the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline, the hormone your body depends on in emergencies to elevate your heart rate and increase your respiration and blood pressure for a rapid flight-or-fight response. When you overuse stimulants, the adrenals become exhausted.” there are severe blood sugar swings which are when the body produces an unhealthy amount of insulin “Caffeine forces the liver to release glycogen into the bloodstream. The pancreas responds to the sudden rise in blood sugar by releasing insulin, the hormone which causes excess carbohydrates to be stored as fat.”

Acid imbalance when it increases the secretion of acid in the stomach. “Over 208 acids in coffee can contribute to indigestion and a wide variety of health problems resulting from over-acidity associated with arthritic, rheumatic and skin irritations. Many people experience a burning sensation in their stomach after drinking coffee because coffee increases the secretion of acid in the stomach.” Lastly, Essential Minerals, when your body can't take in the nutrients it needs. “Coffee inhibits the absorption of some nutrients and causes the urinary excretion of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and trace minerals, all essential elements necessary for good health.” Now you know about what's really in energy drinks and what actually makes them so dangerous to drink - caffeine. 

Works Cited

1. Kaslow, D. (n.d.). Caffeine: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Dr. David Kaslow, ND. Retrieved from https://www.drkaslow.com/html/caffeine.html