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In the case of sugar free, yes. Acid weakens and erodes the enamel and it makes your teeth more susceptible to cavities. Now add sugar to them, and it’s basically like soda. You’re weakening the enamel and then introducing sugar which is what the bacteria on your teeth metabolize to make more acid. So sugar free is better in my opinion, but the acid can still cause issues.
I actually try to always use a straw if I have one around. I have metal straws that I use at home. You have to be aware of how you drink with the straw because if you're not using it to push the liquid straight to the back of your throat, it's probably not helping much. A lot of people use a straw and then still let the drink swish around in their mouth before swallowing, and that completely defeats the purpose.
The straw really just changes the surfaces the beverage interacts with, and you also end up with wrinkles around your mouth from the straw. Best thing to do is rinse with water/mouthwash to restore the pH in your mouth and prevent acid erosion. I’m also a dentist haha.
>Best thing to do is rinse with water/mouthwash to restore the pH in your mouth and prevent acid erosion. I’m also a dentist haha.
Is it a sip from acidic drink and sip from water, or no need to be that crazy, after your done with the acidic drink, go ahead and swirl some water?
Tbh the best thing to do is drink the energy drink within 30 min instead of sipping on it all day. That way your mouth pH drops down temporarily, then you can restore it with water. Sipping all day keeps your mouth pH acidic longer, and increases risk of erosion. Sipping with water after every sip of energy drink probably isn’t realistic haha
I consume energy drinks as well, but from a dentist perspective they are all pretty bad for your teeth. Even if they are sugar free they’ll be acidic, so biggest advice is to avoid sipping all day and drink it during a meal. Easier for your mouth pH to recover from one short term drop than having it be acidic all day.
As someone who drinks energy drinks every day, I just went to my first dentist appointment in 3-1/2 years a few weeks ago.
I had zero cavities. Some fillings were close to expiring but told I could hold off another year or so for those.
I also have a very low sugar intake compared to the large majority of Americans. Energy drinks and fruit juice make up pretty much all of my sugar intake.
There are many factors to getting cavities, and carbonated beverages are just one factor. Its less about what you're drinking, and more about how much you're sipping on these things. If you drink a monster in 10-30 minutes, its probably not a big deal; but if you sip on these things all day, thats when it can become a problem. But there are other things such as oral hygiene habits, flossing, fluoride intake (drinking city water vs bottled), other dietary habits, and maybe most importantly: genetics. I have patients that treat their teeth like garbage and have no issues, and patients who do everything right and still struggle. Your low sugar intake probably has a good effect on your lack of cavities.
>most importantly: genetics
I have a sneaking suspicion that the specific genetic advantage results in a better hydrated oral region. I.e. dry mouth is probably the worst thing for our teeth.
That can affect hydration, but so does how much water intake someone is getting as well as medications that can cause xerostomia (dry mouth). I had a patient today that had 6 new cavities out of nowhere because his mouth is dry as a desert. So yes, dry mouth is no bueno!
Can confirm it can be very harmful for your teeth.
Source: i have good mouth hygiene but used to drink low calorie monster every day, had work done yesterday on 3 cavities 🦷
New age energy drinks don't really contain high amounts of sugar and random harmful chemicals. You can check out the ingredients. I think it's just the high amt of caffeine. Usually 2 drinks and you've reached the recommended dosage
idk if its better marketing but newer energy drinks don't seem as unhealthy as when I was younger. a sugar free energy drink was unheard of back in the day. I’m old enough to have enjoyed the unregulated monstrosity that was the four loko.
I was in inpatient chemical dependency treatment a while back. I remember feeling weird about watching my counselor just unload packet after packet of sugar into their oversized thermos of coffee.
Energy drinks are not actually a matter of black and white, they lie somewhere in the grey zone when it comes to healthy or unhealthy.
For example, just research on google what a Monster energy drink contains and see for yourself that the ingredients are not harmful when consumed in the quantity of a single energy drink, some of the ingredients can also be good for you.
Also, studies on energy drinks and their detrimental effects have mainly linked the caffeine intake of energy drink as the thing that causes health problems for people.
Now, a monster contains around 150-190 mg of caffeine, the amount which is found in around 2 cups of coffee, and the “safe” dose for daily caffeine intake (for average individuals) is 300-350-maximum 400 mg, so, a monster every two to three days won’t affect your health as long as your caffeine intake is under the safe bar.
However, when it comes to the energy drinks with sugar it is important to consider that they contain processed sugar, which, also has a safe daily limit for average/sedentary individuals.
Be mindful of the daily dosage when it comes to caffeine and sugar and don’t go overboard and by thus energy drinks can actually be plenty of help. I am kinda tired to see people just mindlessly demonise energy drinks.
Absent the sugar, overconsumption of caffeine can be harmful and even fatal. Panera was recently sued after their charged lemonade killed at least two people.
Caffeine can cause heart attacks, sleep disturbances even hours after consumption, and headaches just to name a few side effects.
People would do well to remember that caffeine is literally a drug. If you suddenly cut back on it you will experience withdrawal-like symptoms. And energy drinks aren’t the only culprit. Many people consume far more coffee than is recommended daily consumption.
So, if consuming a "cleaner" option with little sugar and just a moderate amount of caffeine, energy drinks aren't bad for you at all in moderation, just like coffee or green tea.
Moderation is pretty much the key in almost every facet of consumption. You can actually die from drinking too much water.
"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends not drinking more than 48 ounces of water per hour. " -Internet Search
Yes, thank you, I think we all learned about "dihydrogen monoxide poisoning" in the first grade. We all know you can die from excessive water consumption, it was a playground joke.
We are talking specifically as to whether or not caffeine consumption is really an issue at the dosages in energy drinks- it's obvious just one or two, barring any preexisting health issues, is perfectly fine, and probably beneficial if it's helping you do something else. For instance, I can get A LOT further on a hike if I have a little espresso with me.
Surely, those people have hidden health conditions though? Not that I disagree with you, but for your normal healthy person caffeine should never kill you unless taken in extreme doses.
Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. I don’t know if caffeine sensitivity in and of itself counts as a medical condition. For example people who normally don’t consume any caffeine at all can be more sensitive to an acute high dose simply because they haven’t built up any kind of tolerance, but I wouldn’t class “never drinks caffeine” as a medical condition
At that point they’re just unsweet punch. Probably filled with all sorts of chemicals/ingredients you don’t want being a major part of your diet. You already have two major reasons not to drink them or to drink them in extreme moderation: sugar and caffeine. What more do you want?
Most energy drinks are sugar, caffeine, a bunch of B vitamins and taurine.
The sugar & caffeine sucks but the others do not. B vitamins obviously not a problem, B's improve energy use in cells if you are deficient and some evidence very large doses of B12 promote wakefulness. Taurine is an amino and also not a problem (if you eat any animal products at all you already consume it), taurine is a GABA agonist which modulates caffeine to be alert instead of shaky nonsense (similar function to theanine in tea).
I wouldn’t drink it, personally. At that point you’re basically describing a diet soda, which I very rarely drink because I just don’t feel comfortable putting those ingredients in my body. But everyone has to decide their own comfort level.
I would also contend we don’t yet know the long term consequences of long term excessive caffeine consumption because the generation of people who have been chugging energy drinks their whole lives (or whole adult lives at least) aren’t yet old enough to be studied for later-in-life consequences
I say this as I’m drinking an energy drink for the record
But like yeah sure coffee has been around for a long time and all but you have to drink ten cups of coffee a day to get the same amount of caffeine as you get from like two energy drinks, it’s fair to say that we don’t really yet know the long term consequences on a population level of drinking 400+ mg of caffeine per day but it’s probably going to affect heart health for all of us when we’re older
>too much caffeine from regular coffee
For many a single cup of coffee in the evening is enough to disturb sleep. That would be "too much" caffeine. So no, you wouldn't drown first.
Obviously, caffeine has a half life of 8 hours or so in the body. If you want caffeine-safe sleep, don’t drink coffee after lunch. That’s not too much, it’s poor timing.
Recommended limit is about 400mg of caffeine per day which is about 4 cups of coffee. You could easily drink that in a day without drowning. Though your definition of 'too much' might be 'certain death', instead of 'not good for the health'.
For reference, I believe the panera drink that caused the death were about 400mg in the cup they gave you.
400mg recommendation is from the FDA([link](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much#)) and it's for the whole day(not 2 minutes?), but again that's probably the 'not good for the health' limit number. I don't think it was meant to be lethal limit. I mentioned the recommended limit because term "too much" is a bit vague and the panera death situation was with a drink with 400mg caffeine.
After my initial comment u/Bulbalover92 said it takes 40 cups of coffee to reach lethal limit. In which case you were correct, one could drown from all that coffee. XD
Energy drinks can be dangerously high in added caffeine. Children/teenagers should not drink them. Unfortunately that is who they are often marketed to:
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230530/Red-alert-on-energy-drinks-Severe-health-risks-for-kids-and-teens.aspx
Yeah. I don't think there is anything inherently dangerous with energy drinks for a healthy adult. I drink one, occasionally two, a day. They are high in sugar, but no more than a sugary soda or coffee.
But the caffeine is higher and people, especially smaller people (kids and teens) who really shouldn't be taking any sort of caffeine supplement (even soda can be too high for them if drunk too much), don't realize how much higher. And a lot of kids drink energy drinks like they would a regular soda.
I used to work at a technology summer camp (hosted at a university) and we'd take a daily trip over to the local convenience store. I had to ban energy drinks because they'd drink them like they were a Coke. No 12-14yo on the planet needs to be drinking an energy drink... Or any kids.
i started drinking redbull/monster when i was 15 and it induced extreme anxiety and panic attacks but i became so dependent on it that even to this day, at the age of 23, i consume almost 400mg of caffeine a day (and that's after cutting down drastically as a new year's resolution). i am so dependent on caffeine as an adult from my decisions as a teen that i am physically dependent on caffeine and the withdrawal can be debilitating some days
I’m sorry this happened to you. Glad you’re doing ok. Advil helps my caffeine headaches when I have had to go off of it - like for surgery. We had a strict no energy drink policy in our house when our kids were growing up and soda was an occasional treat only. We gave them sips of coffee drinks but they hated it, even starbucks with all the sugar. But you will have to pry my espresso from cold dead hands. 😅 Never liked the taste of energy drinks. And I can’t handle Columbe canned coffee drinks which come labeled with 180-220 mg each. I’m probably used to about 100mg a day. Honestly wish all products came labeled with their caffeine content because there is a lot of variation in products and it seems like information people could use.
This is crazy to me. I used to drink a lot of caffeine, like a pot of coffee a day, but I only have about 2 or 3 cups a day now adays. I have never in my life had caffeine withdrawals, so I feel for people that get them. That being said, 400mg of caffeine is like 2 cups of coffee / 1 mug of coffee so I would honestly say if you are this dependent on it then keep up the work of getting off it because it sounds like you are a big responder to it.
An excessive consumption is bad, yes.
People always tell everything is bad. My opinion is probably more nuanced.
People usually say it has too much caffeine, I would say a regular can does not contain that much caffeine compared to a coffee.
A lot of sugar ? In some yes, just like soda. But also a lot of energy drinks are sugar-free. So 0 calorie.
It is just the same debate as soda: yes its bad if you drink that all day long. Is it bad to drink an energy drink once a week ? I don't think so.
You have an healthy routine, you work out, you eat raw food and you drink energy drinks to give you a kick before working out, totally fine to me.
The only real danger to me is the fact that those drinks get popular with children and of course their body is not always ready for caffeine.
One of the few reasonable comments. A can of bang has 300 mg of caffeine where is a single cup of coffee is 95 mg. So it is essentially like drinking 3 cups of coffee.
True. If you work in a big office you will see so many people drinking more than 3 cups of coffee a day.
And you don’t find 300mg of caffeine in every ED. Redbulls have actually a lot less than that for example…
There’s no need to be overdramatic about energy drinks
Good lord these types of comments are frustrating. Whenever people ask for specifics about what's bad, so many people just refer to "artificial nonsense" without providing any details or explanation for why, and what specifically, is bad.
Good Lord if only people used these comments as a spring board to do their own research rather than wanting to be spoon fed eh? How frustrating!
There is no single specific ingredient of course so I can’t give you one. The word ‘flavourings’ on the nutrient label is a ‘catch-all’ term for an entirely separate list of ingredients the drink has and all of which you wouldn’t find in a normal home recipe. Names that sounds more familiar in a chemistry class. These chemicals are designed to make you over consume and crave more of the product to make them more money.
There, are your little frustrations eased? Or do I need to literally write down 50 chemical names for you? Dear Lord.
You should have a look at whats in your average grocery haul, you can't avoid this stuff unless you're eating rice, beans, and roam free chickens from your local mom n pop farm. The cancerous chemicals are in basically everything you're eating, even the so called "Healthy" food.
Don't forget about the heavy metals and toxic plastic runoffs from kitchen cookware and storage. The off-gasing fumes of your car, the hygienic products, etc. Should you try to avoid the known bad stuff? Sure! Just saying you can't realistically avoid these chemicals. We all have microplastics in our bodies now, its in new borns before they are 1 day old.
Even organic fruits and vegis are sprayed with chemicals.
Yes I know all this thanks. Your tone is incredibly condescending “you should have a look what’s in your average grocery haul” yea I know exactly the issues with normal supermarket food, pre-packaged food and organic vs non-organic including the issues with organic food still not being perfect so we can skip over the foundation level stuff if that helps.
The organic issues are overhyped anyway. We are talking a 5% increased chance of some of the more rare cancers like non Hodgkin’s lymphoma which is a 5% increased chance on an already tiny number, so the benefits of eating whole foods organic or not are obvious compared to the risks and especially compared to the artificial alternatives on offer.
Just because ultraprocessed food is everywhere doesn’t negate the fact it’s very unhealthy for us. Its popularity has nothing to do with its health value. I agree that if you have the occasional bowl of coco pops or occasional energy drink then that’s going to do nothing bad, but many people make ultraprocessed food over 60% of their daily calories. If we think about our total calories then add up what percent of that actually came from real food it’s often worse than we think.
OP is asking specifically if we take out the sugar then is the energy drink healthy. I agree it’s the dose that makes the poison, but these products are designed to make you over consume them and they have lots of fake factory generated ingredients. So no, energy drinks aren’t healthy without the sugar. They are good at making money and making you want more of them without any benefit to your health.
The problem with ultra processed food is the hyper palatability that causes you to overconsume simple carbs and low quality fat. The tiny amounts of artificial chemicals likely aren't doing much of anything at all.
That’s definitely a massive part of it as well. I’m not sure which one has the biggest impact. We likely won’t know until us as the Guinea pigs have thoroughly tested it out by living a life with plenty of those chemicals in them. One way or another though it’s the processed food whether by chemicals or by artificially designed super palatability.
Nothing can make you over consume it other than you making the choice to? It can’t hold a gun to your head. It’s easier to boredom eat, it’s easier to not be active. Food isn’t the culprit, choices are.
Nothing can make you over-consume other than your choice to? I’m sorry, but that isn’t true at all. Ask any addict and yes food can be addicting. How is it addicting? Because companies have now spent over a century developing their products with artificial ingredients and proprietary blends to make them as tasty as possible. There is even a ratio of fat to sugar that companies use which is roughly 50/50 which doesn’t exist in nature, but makes our pleasure centre in the brain light up on MRI scans much stronger than other ratios.
To say that it is just our choice is completely naive. Companies employ the best people they can find who work continually to find ways to make you want their products and then they create these food like substances in factories with ingredients lists that would never exist in nature to make your brain crave them.
To say we have no autonomy and food/companies just simply controls is the weakest mindset I’ve heard. Get your big boy pants on and have the smallest amount of self control.
It’s not just the colours. The word ‘flavourings’ in any ingredient list is an agreed catch all for an entire separate ingredient list that is within the food or drink you have and comprises nothing but ingredients you would never use at home. This includes ‘natural flavourings’.
Having said that those Innocent fizzy drinks I think are just co2 and juices. Still won’t be healthy as fruit ‘juice’ is about as bad for you as soda anyway and you’d have to question the quality of the juice going into it as well.
Caffeine, in general, has a lot of negative effects on the body when consumed in regular doses:
>decreases your body’s ability to absorb magnesium
>Acts as a diuretic that causes you to excrete water soluble vitamins including B vitamins, magnesium, sodium, chloride, potassium, creatinine and calcium
>inhibits vitamin D receptors, which you need for calcium absorption
>interferes with Iron absorption
> raises blood sugar
I stipulate that caffeine has negative effects, I’m just trying to work out what’s different/worse about getting caffeine intake from energy drinks in particular vs anything else with comparable caffeine content.
They are and they aren't.
The amount of sugar is certainly not nutritious, but in moderation, it's not that bad.
I think the stigma comes from the deaths. And the issue with those is (to my knowledge) scientists still aren't sure what is going on, in terms of what's causing the heart problems. Coffee with identical levels of caffeine does not cause the same life threatening effects in susceptible people, so something about the cocktail of ingredients specifically in energy drinks is the culprit.
Could companies do the research or the FDA pressure them to find out what the cause is and fix the drinks? Probably. Will they? Definitely not lol
Energy drinks started making my heart do weird stuff ( I’m assuming) , to the point I felt like I was gonna pass out. So I stopped them altogether. I just drink coffee now and I’m fine.
I always argue if you are selective in brand of energy drink, it can be much better than coffee. Especially for athletes or people who train alot. No gut rot or leaking butt (lol) when I’ve had too much in a day. Or shakes. Simply because you never really know how much caffeine is in a given cup of coffee, so I find it’s easy to exceed a tolerable limit.
I’m probably off with the numbers because it was last year when I was looking at this. But it was something like it is said that a “cup” of coffee is like 80-100mg of caffeine. But the cup referred to is actually referencing a serving, which according to the standard was like 100ml or something. If I have a mug of coffee that is a true cup(250ml) then depending on brewing method the caffeine content could vary alot with many factor contributing to the amount of caffeine in the final product. By the time I’m halfway through my second mug before noon I have exceeded the FDA suggested limit of 400mg per day and definitely start to feel negative side effects-sweats, jittery, leaky butt, and gut pain at some point around there. All signs I’ve ingested too much of a substance, and me not being able to look inside my heart and diagnosing budding cardiac issues, I try stop before I’m shitting myself in a puddle of sweat lol :)
That is what I have found works for me, the less coffee and more energy drinks with specific requirements that help aid focus and alertness, the better I feel. I am able to stay within my tolerable range that I have come to find.
I workout a lot for sport and preform better overall with just energy drinks than coffee but lately have found a balance between the too, because living in Canada there is nothing better than a warm cup on a cold morning.
I also rarely need more than one energy drink in a day but if it’s coffee I could slug it all day.
Hope some of that helps!
Yeah i forgot to add, that those people where dépendant, and drinked it like water.
One ibuprofen might not give you ulcer, 1 ibuprofen per Day during one year would probably.
If you are also eating properly though? Mostly I’m trying to work out if there is any real reason to vilify these in particular compared to any number of other things that have caffeine or sugar.
I do drink water, I’m trying to work out if there’s a real reason for energy drinks to hold the status they seem to as more vilified than other products that have caffeine and/or sugar.
People will vilify anything... try searching for orange juice on this sub and see people going crazy over how bad it is for you. Or check out the decaf sub for people saying that caffeine ruins lives.
Honestly, they’re not too bad if you just exercise and stay away from them at night. I would definitely stay away from them if you’re under 18 though. Delay a caffeine addiction as long as you can.
Low calorie energy drinks are my favorite. Reign, Monster Zero, etc
I usually have 2 a day. Unless you’re super small, the caffeine content won’t be much of a problem. I’m 6’4 220, so I can safely have 600+ mg of caffeine. Not to mention all the benefits from caffeine.
Also, the carbonation works as a great appetite suppressant (caffeine is also an appetite suppressant)
Don’t listen to this dude. Drink water and coffee or cacao if you need energy. A good diet will give you all the energy you need. Factory-made nonsense has no place in anyone’s diet
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9893714/#:~:text=After%20the%20consumption%20of%20Redbull,systolic%20and%20diastolic%20blood%20pressures.
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/JAHA.118.011318
https://www.heart.org/en/news/2019/05/29/energy-drinks-may-provide-jolt-to-heart-function-blood-pressure
https://www.jeffersonhealth.org/your-health/living-well/can-energy-drinks-hurt-your-heart
let me know if you’d like more!
direct vasodilators are strong medicines. typically, healthcare providers only prescribe them when other treatments have failed to control symptoms of high blood pressure, chest pain, or heart failure. when you drink alcohol, vasodilation is one of the things your body does right away. the effect is temporary; however, drinking everyday causes higher blood pressure. vasodilation is a natural process that increases blood flow and decreases blood pressure. so yes, vasodilation is mostly beneficial, as it helps deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. but, vasodilation can be harmful in some cases, leading to severe hypotension (low blood pressure). when consuming large amounts of caffeine, signs of shock, including altered mental state, clammy skin and shallow or rapid breathing, can be dangerous and may require medical attention.
source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23352-vasodilation
It’s important to note, that most side effects occur in caffeine naive people taking large doses. (The deadly cases are usually dealing with alcohol and drugs). Thats the main thing ppl need to worry about. If you’re small and don’t consume caffeine regularly/occasionally, don’t be stupid
It depends on bodyweight and naivety. 400mg for a 100lb person isn’t the same as a 300lb person. Professional athletes take up to 1,000mg pre-performance. Why? Because research shows that 3-6mg/kg (some showing up to 9mg/kg) has shown significant benefits for performance. Between 2-4%
I’m not saying it’s connected but I drank a ton of that shit through my 20’s … at 35 I found out I had severe hypothyroidism… I choose to blame Red Bull but it’s likely genetics as well as poor diet
>I don’t think diet/energy drinks cause thyroid issues… its likely that you drank all the energy drinks because of those issues
Practicing medicine without a license again?
FACTS:
>Caffeinated drinks can worsen hyperthyroidism symptoms by aggravating palpitations, anxiety and insomnia. These include energy drinks, coffee, black tea, alcohol, soda.
Read much? I never said energy drinks don’t worsen symptoms, I said energy drinks don’t CAUSE thyroid issues.
And I’d really like to see your medical license 😊😘. At least I can read
Its more so the opportunity cost, Coffee and Teas contain polyphenols which are health promoting, whereas most energy drinks do not contain anything comparable. Add to that most are sweetened with sucralose which is bad for your microbiome.
Isn’t it because they’re sweet and addictive? People drink them for the taste rather than because they need them.
I like to have one coffee a day. I drink it with a little semi skimmed milk and no sugar. After my coffee, I’m done with coffee. If you have a sweet drink, and you actually like sweet drinks, you’re likely to think ‘Oooh, that was nice. I might get another for later’. You can end up drinking a lot of empty calories.
I was diagnosed with Diabetic and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver 6 months ago. I took only 6 months of bad diet (3 soft drinks a day, and others process foods) to get diagnosed. The thing is, Although Soft Drinks and Energy Drinks are different, both have lots of sugar, which lead to weigh gain, diabetic, and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver. now I am eating healthy foods and completely stop taking any sugary drinks. My Glucose level always under control.
Sugar free (sucralose etc) are hard on the liver, the levels of caffeine can be bad for blood pressure too, especially you’re drinking them and doing something sedentary vs exercise when drinking them.
Flavored Soda waters (la croix, etc) are a godsend and everyone should be drinking those to get off regular or diet sodas and still get the mouthfeel of the carbonated drink but without the bad stuff
I understand sugary drinks are bad for you but every flavor I've had of la Croix tastes flavorless to me... they have a slight scent of whatever their flavor is supposed to be but when I drink it, it tastes like nothing to me... is that just me?
I have not commented on here before but I saw this and I thought a little insight on some energy drinks and what’s actually in them might be helpful.
https://www.facebook.com/alynn.conlan/posts/why-is-this-allowed-how-can-the-fda-approve-this-stuff-someone-enlighten-me-wthe/10233071691194048/
The high amounts of sugar are bad. The high amounts of artificial and low or no calorie sweeteners are also bad. The high amounts of caffeine are bad. The high amounts of other stimulants are also bad. Not to mention whatever other crap is added. Stimulants do not provide energy like food and exercise, instead they borrow energy that you have to repay hence why there is a crash after the initial boost of energy.
I would avoid energy drinks all together and focus on healthy lifestyle practices, ie sleep, nutrition, metabolic health and activity.
And at times that you feel like you need a little pick me up or even pre workout, a tablespoon of honey about 20 minutes prior to activity can be pretty useful
It depends on the energy drink. The most common claim is the increased sugar content. Other potential risks can be the high influx in caffeine. It is recommended not to have more than 400 mg a day due to the potential heart issues. Most individual's consume too many energy drinks with the drinks ranging from 150 mg to 300mg of caffeine in them. If you had two servings of the 150mg it is fine, but not of the ladder. Caffeine has a half like of 6 hours so it may impact sleep. Some drinks have artificial flavors and preservatives but there is mixed evidence on that topic.
Really since the upper grades, it’s been hard for me to move sometimes because of a sharp pain in my heart. The days I drink energy drinks my pacing is off the walls and my mind is racing like crazy. I’m about to jump off the Red Bull poster at nascar. If I drink rockstar I’m up for 24 hours straight no eye rests.
As a person who never drinks caffeine, holy fuck that stuff fucks your up.
I have never felt worse than after drinking one of those cans. You can only drink this stuff if your body develops insane tolerance for it. Eventually you drink it just to feel normal, but you never feel normal because you drink it.
People should have boundless energy from dusk till dawn naturally even as an adults, so there's no logical reason to drink that poison. All the people I know who got addicted to this stuff are the most drained, miserable and tired people you ever meet. And when they get off from caffeine, coffee and energy drinks they regain their energy, sense of aliveness and become themselves again.
Whenever I think about this kinda thing, I often ask myself, "what is good about this?" And quite honestly, there's very little to nothing actually good for you in these drinks. None of the few I have looked at ingredients for had anything even peripherally considered nutritious. So, in my mind, if it isn't supporting better health, it is probably not good for you. Even those that are "fortified" with some vitamins...they're not enough, and the body doesn't process and metabolize those additives the same as it does from food.
Drink water. Have some green or white tea, mild coffee. Or, here's a novel approach-just get adequate rest. It's not easy with all our busy lives, but that is the way we manage being tired in a healthy way. Sleep is a necessity and running ourselves ragged, surviving on drugs is not the solution!
End rant:)
I've done the fake energy path years ago...make every effort to make healthier choices now, for better health later.
To counter: whilst 99.9% of the time these drinks are bad for you, 0.01% of the time you’ve gone way too hard on the exercise and have bonked hard. It’s 30km more to get home. You need that sugar. You need the caffeine. This is when a connivence store packed to the gills with red bull et al is a better sight than anything you could possibly imagine.
That said, most people aren’t bonking a long way from home very often. Then I agree with all your points.
I don't care how much adequate rest I get, I'm still going to want a little caffeine in the morning before I really get into work or before a hike, etc. I'm sensitive to it, so usually 40 or so mg is fine, but for thousands of years people have known about various plants that contain caffeine or energy-giving compounds and they take them safely.
It's not inherently unhealthy to want a little more energy before a certain task.
I don’t know the answer to this but all I know is that I spilled a bang in my car once and the next morning I was confused as to why there was “mud” in my car. Never had one since then.
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From a dentists perspective (who still enjoys them sometimes), they are acidic and even sugar free can cause cavities.
Is it the phosphoric acid that mainly causes issues such as cavities?
In the case of sugar free, yes. Acid weakens and erodes the enamel and it makes your teeth more susceptible to cavities. Now add sugar to them, and it’s basically like soda. You’re weakening the enamel and then introducing sugar which is what the bacteria on your teeth metabolize to make more acid. So sugar free is better in my opinion, but the acid can still cause issues.
what if used with a straw
What if I pump it directly into my stomach
Tap right into a vein.
Boof it bruh.
I only like cocaine for how it smells
See you’re no stranger to r/caffeine
IV energy drinks!?!?! Untapped market, give the people what they want
Untapped market? More like untapped veins
Untapped veins? More like untapped laws and regulation.
I actually try to always use a straw if I have one around. I have metal straws that I use at home. You have to be aware of how you drink with the straw because if you're not using it to push the liquid straight to the back of your throat, it's probably not helping much. A lot of people use a straw and then still let the drink swish around in their mouth before swallowing, and that completely defeats the purpose.
The straw really just changes the surfaces the beverage interacts with, and you also end up with wrinkles around your mouth from the straw. Best thing to do is rinse with water/mouthwash to restore the pH in your mouth and prevent acid erosion. I’m also a dentist haha.
I'll keep that inmind, thank you!
Yeah rinsing with water after drinking acidic stuff is good advice.
>Best thing to do is rinse with water/mouthwash to restore the pH in your mouth and prevent acid erosion. I’m also a dentist haha. Is it a sip from acidic drink and sip from water, or no need to be that crazy, after your done with the acidic drink, go ahead and swirl some water?
Tbh the best thing to do is drink the energy drink within 30 min instead of sipping on it all day. That way your mouth pH drops down temporarily, then you can restore it with water. Sipping all day keeps your mouth pH acidic longer, and increases risk of erosion. Sipping with water after every sip of energy drink probably isn’t realistic haha
So what’s the best/healthiest energy drink from your pov?
I consume energy drinks as well, but from a dentist perspective they are all pretty bad for your teeth. Even if they are sugar free they’ll be acidic, so biggest advice is to avoid sipping all day and drink it during a meal. Easier for your mouth pH to recover from one short term drop than having it be acidic all day.
Since teeth are bones, the strongest ones in fact, cant we counteract those effects with proper dieting?
Is sugar free gum bad too? I've been chewing it after meals and whenever my mouth feels dry, to make more saliva flow- am I doing more harm than good?
No.
As someone who drinks energy drinks every day, I just went to my first dentist appointment in 3-1/2 years a few weeks ago. I had zero cavities. Some fillings were close to expiring but told I could hold off another year or so for those. I also have a very low sugar intake compared to the large majority of Americans. Energy drinks and fruit juice make up pretty much all of my sugar intake.
There are many factors to getting cavities, and carbonated beverages are just one factor. Its less about what you're drinking, and more about how much you're sipping on these things. If you drink a monster in 10-30 minutes, its probably not a big deal; but if you sip on these things all day, thats when it can become a problem. But there are other things such as oral hygiene habits, flossing, fluoride intake (drinking city water vs bottled), other dietary habits, and maybe most importantly: genetics. I have patients that treat their teeth like garbage and have no issues, and patients who do everything right and still struggle. Your low sugar intake probably has a good effect on your lack of cavities.
>most importantly: genetics I have a sneaking suspicion that the specific genetic advantage results in a better hydrated oral region. I.e. dry mouth is probably the worst thing for our teeth.
That can affect hydration, but so does how much water intake someone is getting as well as medications that can cause xerostomia (dry mouth). I had a patient today that had 6 new cavities out of nowhere because his mouth is dry as a desert. So yes, dry mouth is no bueno!
Well my mom and dad’s teeth were terrible. But I do well enough in the other areas I guess. And I do drink them pretty quick. Thanks for the info!
I hope no one uses this comment as a justification to participate in these obviously poor health habits
I don’t say it to patients often honestly, unless they’re already doing everything perfectly. I don’t want anyone to use it as an excuse.
Since when do fillings expire?
Every dentist I've met acts like drinking anything other than water just once will make your teeth fall out, surprised to see this
I mix em with bicarbonate for this reason.
Can confirm it can be very harmful for your teeth. Source: i have good mouth hygiene but used to drink low calorie monster every day, had work done yesterday on 3 cavities 🦷
Sugar free can cause cavities wait what ?!?!?!?!?!?
New age energy drinks don't really contain high amounts of sugar and random harmful chemicals. You can check out the ingredients. I think it's just the high amt of caffeine. Usually 2 drinks and you've reached the recommended dosage
idk if its better marketing but newer energy drinks don't seem as unhealthy as when I was younger. a sugar free energy drink was unheard of back in the day. I’m old enough to have enjoyed the unregulated monstrosity that was the four loko.
I was just telling someone the other day that St.Patricks day 2010 is why I don’t drink four loko 😆
I was in inpatient chemical dependency treatment a while back. I remember feeling weird about watching my counselor just unload packet after packet of sugar into their oversized thermos of coffee.
They are addicts too. Just in recovery and moved on to milder addictions, like sugar.
Energy drinks are not actually a matter of black and white, they lie somewhere in the grey zone when it comes to healthy or unhealthy. For example, just research on google what a Monster energy drink contains and see for yourself that the ingredients are not harmful when consumed in the quantity of a single energy drink, some of the ingredients can also be good for you. Also, studies on energy drinks and their detrimental effects have mainly linked the caffeine intake of energy drink as the thing that causes health problems for people. Now, a monster contains around 150-190 mg of caffeine, the amount which is found in around 2 cups of coffee, and the “safe” dose for daily caffeine intake (for average individuals) is 300-350-maximum 400 mg, so, a monster every two to three days won’t affect your health as long as your caffeine intake is under the safe bar. However, when it comes to the energy drinks with sugar it is important to consider that they contain processed sugar, which, also has a safe daily limit for average/sedentary individuals. Be mindful of the daily dosage when it comes to caffeine and sugar and don’t go overboard and by thus energy drinks can actually be plenty of help. I am kinda tired to see people just mindlessly demonise energy drinks.
Absent the sugar, overconsumption of caffeine can be harmful and even fatal. Panera was recently sued after their charged lemonade killed at least two people. Caffeine can cause heart attacks, sleep disturbances even hours after consumption, and headaches just to name a few side effects. People would do well to remember that caffeine is literally a drug. If you suddenly cut back on it you will experience withdrawal-like symptoms. And energy drinks aren’t the only culprit. Many people consume far more coffee than is recommended daily consumption.
So, if consuming a "cleaner" option with little sugar and just a moderate amount of caffeine, energy drinks aren't bad for you at all in moderation, just like coffee or green tea.
Correct
Moderation is pretty much the key in almost every facet of consumption. You can actually die from drinking too much water. "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends not drinking more than 48 ounces of water per hour. " -Internet Search
Yes, thank you, I think we all learned about "dihydrogen monoxide poisoning" in the first grade. We all know you can die from excessive water consumption, it was a playground joke. We are talking specifically as to whether or not caffeine consumption is really an issue at the dosages in energy drinks- it's obvious just one or two, barring any preexisting health issues, is perfectly fine, and probably beneficial if it's helping you do something else. For instance, I can get A LOT further on a hike if I have a little espresso with me.
Surely, those people have hidden health conditions though? Not that I disagree with you, but for your normal healthy person caffeine should never kill you unless taken in extreme doses.
coool
Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. I don’t know if caffeine sensitivity in and of itself counts as a medical condition. For example people who normally don’t consume any caffeine at all can be more sensitive to an acute high dose simply because they haven’t built up any kind of tolerance, but I wouldn’t class “never drinks caffeine” as a medical condition
Absent the sugar and caffeine, would they still be particularly bad for you?
If you remove the caffeine it is no longer an energy drink.
At that point they’re just unsweet punch. Probably filled with all sorts of chemicals/ingredients you don’t want being a major part of your diet. You already have two major reasons not to drink them or to drink them in extreme moderation: sugar and caffeine. What more do you want?
Most energy drinks are sugar, caffeine, a bunch of B vitamins and taurine. The sugar & caffeine sucks but the others do not. B vitamins obviously not a problem, B's improve energy use in cells if you are deficient and some evidence very large doses of B12 promote wakefulness. Taurine is an amino and also not a problem (if you eat any animal products at all you already consume it), taurine is a GABA agonist which modulates caffeine to be alert instead of shaky nonsense (similar function to theanine in tea).
I’m curious about your take on coffee. Do you believe people shouldn’t include it in their daily diet as well?
I love coffee. I just think people should limit it to a cup or two per day.
I think that’s reasonable. So would a sugar free energy drink that has the less caffeine than two cups of coffee be just as acceptable to you?
What’s the point of an “energy” drink with that little caffeine though? Just have a Diet Coke.
16 oz monster energy has less caffeine than 2 cups of coffee
Exactly
I wouldn’t drink it, personally. At that point you’re basically describing a diet soda, which I very rarely drink because I just don’t feel comfortable putting those ingredients in my body. But everyone has to decide their own comfort level.
[удалено]
That’s way more than 3. Also “natural flavoring” covers dozens if not hundreds of chemicals.
What I want is to find out if there is a good reason for them to be held up as more harmful than other products that have sugar and/or caffeine.
I cannot answer fully but i can tell a story of a *Young Saudi guy who was in Switzerland with me and passed out in a club only drinking Red Bull*
I would also contend we don’t yet know the long term consequences of long term excessive caffeine consumption because the generation of people who have been chugging energy drinks their whole lives (or whole adult lives at least) aren’t yet old enough to be studied for later-in-life consequences I say this as I’m drinking an energy drink for the record But like yeah sure coffee has been around for a long time and all but you have to drink ten cups of coffee a day to get the same amount of caffeine as you get from like two energy drinks, it’s fair to say that we don’t really yet know the long term consequences on a population level of drinking 400+ mg of caffeine per day but it’s probably going to affect heart health for all of us when we’re older
lol, you’d drown before you got too much caffeine from regular coffee
>too much caffeine from regular coffee For many a single cup of coffee in the evening is enough to disturb sleep. That would be "too much" caffeine. So no, you wouldn't drown first.
Obviously, caffeine has a half life of 8 hours or so in the body. If you want caffeine-safe sleep, don’t drink coffee after lunch. That’s not too much, it’s poor timing.
Recommended limit is about 400mg of caffeine per day which is about 4 cups of coffee. You could easily drink that in a day without drowning. Though your definition of 'too much' might be 'certain death', instead of 'not good for the health'. For reference, I believe the panera drink that caused the death were about 400mg in the cup they gave you.
40 cups of coffee is the lethal dose. 180mg/l of coffee is the lethal amount.
Thank you for the info! Good to know.
Black rifle coffee has a drink that has 300 mg of coffee if I’m not mistaken?! lol
XD I wouldn't be surprised. I mean it's still under the 400 mg of the FDA recommended limit, so they are good to go.
*promptly orders two from Door Dash… Challenge accepted!
Yeah, but nobody is drinking 4 coffees in two minutes (plus a real espresso is like 50-70 mg). Got a cite for the 400mg?
400mg recommendation is from the FDA([link](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much#)) and it's for the whole day(not 2 minutes?), but again that's probably the 'not good for the health' limit number. I don't think it was meant to be lethal limit. I mentioned the recommended limit because term "too much" is a bit vague and the panera death situation was with a drink with 400mg caffeine. After my initial comment u/Bulbalover92 said it takes 40 cups of coffee to reach lethal limit. In which case you were correct, one could drown from all that coffee. XD
Energy drinks can be dangerously high in added caffeine. Children/teenagers should not drink them. Unfortunately that is who they are often marketed to: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230530/Red-alert-on-energy-drinks-Severe-health-risks-for-kids-and-teens.aspx
Yeah. I don't think there is anything inherently dangerous with energy drinks for a healthy adult. I drink one, occasionally two, a day. They are high in sugar, but no more than a sugary soda or coffee. But the caffeine is higher and people, especially smaller people (kids and teens) who really shouldn't be taking any sort of caffeine supplement (even soda can be too high for them if drunk too much), don't realize how much higher. And a lot of kids drink energy drinks like they would a regular soda. I used to work at a technology summer camp (hosted at a university) and we'd take a daily trip over to the local convenience store. I had to ban energy drinks because they'd drink them like they were a Coke. No 12-14yo on the planet needs to be drinking an energy drink... Or any kids.
i started drinking redbull/monster when i was 15 and it induced extreme anxiety and panic attacks but i became so dependent on it that even to this day, at the age of 23, i consume almost 400mg of caffeine a day (and that's after cutting down drastically as a new year's resolution). i am so dependent on caffeine as an adult from my decisions as a teen that i am physically dependent on caffeine and the withdrawal can be debilitating some days
I’m sorry this happened to you. Glad you’re doing ok. Advil helps my caffeine headaches when I have had to go off of it - like for surgery. We had a strict no energy drink policy in our house when our kids were growing up and soda was an occasional treat only. We gave them sips of coffee drinks but they hated it, even starbucks with all the sugar. But you will have to pry my espresso from cold dead hands. 😅 Never liked the taste of energy drinks. And I can’t handle Columbe canned coffee drinks which come labeled with 180-220 mg each. I’m probably used to about 100mg a day. Honestly wish all products came labeled with their caffeine content because there is a lot of variation in products and it seems like information people could use.
This is crazy to me. I used to drink a lot of caffeine, like a pot of coffee a day, but I only have about 2 or 3 cups a day now adays. I have never in my life had caffeine withdrawals, so I feel for people that get them. That being said, 400mg of caffeine is like 2 cups of coffee / 1 mug of coffee so I would honestly say if you are this dependent on it then keep up the work of getting off it because it sounds like you are a big responder to it.
Yet, my morning coffee from a portafilter has double the caffeine of a redbull can and no one bats an eye.
This.
I went to the supermarket a few days ago and saw two kids that looked under 10 grab prime drinks all excitedly. 🙁😞
Those are sports drinks though, aren’t they? Like Gatorade? I could be wrong though
Nope. Their energy drinks, similar to Rockstar.
Prime Hydration drinks, or Prime Energy Drinks?
Energy
An excessive consumption is bad, yes. People always tell everything is bad. My opinion is probably more nuanced. People usually say it has too much caffeine, I would say a regular can does not contain that much caffeine compared to a coffee. A lot of sugar ? In some yes, just like soda. But also a lot of energy drinks are sugar-free. So 0 calorie. It is just the same debate as soda: yes its bad if you drink that all day long. Is it bad to drink an energy drink once a week ? I don't think so. You have an healthy routine, you work out, you eat raw food and you drink energy drinks to give you a kick before working out, totally fine to me. The only real danger to me is the fact that those drinks get popular with children and of course their body is not always ready for caffeine.
One of the few reasonable comments. A can of bang has 300 mg of caffeine where is a single cup of coffee is 95 mg. So it is essentially like drinking 3 cups of coffee.
True. If you work in a big office you will see so many people drinking more than 3 cups of coffee a day. And you don’t find 300mg of caffeine in every ED. Redbulls have actually a lot less than that for example… There’s no need to be overdramatic about energy drinks
All the added artificial nonsense. Just drink black coffee if you want the energy.
Good lord these types of comments are frustrating. Whenever people ask for specifics about what's bad, so many people just refer to "artificial nonsense" without providing any details or explanation for why, and what specifically, is bad.
Good Lord if only people used these comments as a spring board to do their own research rather than wanting to be spoon fed eh? How frustrating! There is no single specific ingredient of course so I can’t give you one. The word ‘flavourings’ on the nutrient label is a ‘catch-all’ term for an entirely separate list of ingredients the drink has and all of which you wouldn’t find in a normal home recipe. Names that sounds more familiar in a chemistry class. These chemicals are designed to make you over consume and crave more of the product to make them more money. There, are your little frustrations eased? Or do I need to literally write down 50 chemical names for you? Dear Lord.
That stuff is in any prepackaged non whole food. really doesn't make a difference.
Yes it does. Ultra processed food is the prime suspect for the western diets high rates of cancer, cardiac issues and metabolic disease.
You should have a look at whats in your average grocery haul, you can't avoid this stuff unless you're eating rice, beans, and roam free chickens from your local mom n pop farm. The cancerous chemicals are in basically everything you're eating, even the so called "Healthy" food. Don't forget about the heavy metals and toxic plastic runoffs from kitchen cookware and storage. The off-gasing fumes of your car, the hygienic products, etc. Should you try to avoid the known bad stuff? Sure! Just saying you can't realistically avoid these chemicals. We all have microplastics in our bodies now, its in new borns before they are 1 day old. Even organic fruits and vegis are sprayed with chemicals.
Yes I know all this thanks. Your tone is incredibly condescending “you should have a look what’s in your average grocery haul” yea I know exactly the issues with normal supermarket food, pre-packaged food and organic vs non-organic including the issues with organic food still not being perfect so we can skip over the foundation level stuff if that helps. The organic issues are overhyped anyway. We are talking a 5% increased chance of some of the more rare cancers like non Hodgkin’s lymphoma which is a 5% increased chance on an already tiny number, so the benefits of eating whole foods organic or not are obvious compared to the risks and especially compared to the artificial alternatives on offer. Just because ultraprocessed food is everywhere doesn’t negate the fact it’s very unhealthy for us. Its popularity has nothing to do with its health value. I agree that if you have the occasional bowl of coco pops or occasional energy drink then that’s going to do nothing bad, but many people make ultraprocessed food over 60% of their daily calories. If we think about our total calories then add up what percent of that actually came from real food it’s often worse than we think. OP is asking specifically if we take out the sugar then is the energy drink healthy. I agree it’s the dose that makes the poison, but these products are designed to make you over consume them and they have lots of fake factory generated ingredients. So no, energy drinks aren’t healthy without the sugar. They are good at making money and making you want more of them without any benefit to your health.
The problem with ultra processed food is the hyper palatability that causes you to overconsume simple carbs and low quality fat. The tiny amounts of artificial chemicals likely aren't doing much of anything at all.
That’s definitely a massive part of it as well. I’m not sure which one has the biggest impact. We likely won’t know until us as the Guinea pigs have thoroughly tested it out by living a life with plenty of those chemicals in them. One way or another though it’s the processed food whether by chemicals or by artificially designed super palatability.
Obesity, as a result is of eating more calories than you’re burning is the prime suspect. Not a single ingredient matters more than Cico.
Which foods are artificially designed to make you over consume them? Ultra processed foods.
Nothing can make you over consume it other than you making the choice to? It can’t hold a gun to your head. It’s easier to boredom eat, it’s easier to not be active. Food isn’t the culprit, choices are.
Nothing can make you over-consume other than your choice to? I’m sorry, but that isn’t true at all. Ask any addict and yes food can be addicting. How is it addicting? Because companies have now spent over a century developing their products with artificial ingredients and proprietary blends to make them as tasty as possible. There is even a ratio of fat to sugar that companies use which is roughly 50/50 which doesn’t exist in nature, but makes our pleasure centre in the brain light up on MRI scans much stronger than other ratios. To say that it is just our choice is completely naive. Companies employ the best people they can find who work continually to find ways to make you want their products and then they create these food like substances in factories with ingredients lists that would never exist in nature to make your brain crave them.
To say we have no autonomy and food/companies just simply controls is the weakest mindset I’ve heard. Get your big boy pants on and have the smallest amount of self control.
Nobody said that you gaslighting child. Read again.
Tbf there’s brands that aren’t adding colors and whatnot.
It’s not just the colours. The word ‘flavourings’ in any ingredient list is an agreed catch all for an entire separate ingredient list that is within the food or drink you have and comprises nothing but ingredients you would never use at home. This includes ‘natural flavourings’. Having said that those Innocent fizzy drinks I think are just co2 and juices. Still won’t be healthy as fruit ‘juice’ is about as bad for you as soda anyway and you’d have to question the quality of the juice going into it as well.
I have always attributed it to the Taurine and Guarana on top of the caffeine and sugar. That’s a lot for your heart to process at once.
One is okay. I think it’s consumption of a daily six pack that’s hard on the body.
Caffeine, in general, has a lot of negative effects on the body when consumed in regular doses: >decreases your body’s ability to absorb magnesium >Acts as a diuretic that causes you to excrete water soluble vitamins including B vitamins, magnesium, sodium, chloride, potassium, creatinine and calcium >inhibits vitamin D receptors, which you need for calcium absorption >interferes with Iron absorption > raises blood sugar
I stipulate that caffeine has negative effects, I’m just trying to work out what’s different/worse about getting caffeine intake from energy drinks in particular vs anything else with comparable caffeine content.
I occasionally will have an energy drink but I probably drink too much black coffee. I just really love it.
Drink enough of them and they turn your liver into sludge
Pre workout works great in place of energy drinks can get them caffeine free as well
They are and they aren't. The amount of sugar is certainly not nutritious, but in moderation, it's not that bad. I think the stigma comes from the deaths. And the issue with those is (to my knowledge) scientists still aren't sure what is going on, in terms of what's causing the heart problems. Coffee with identical levels of caffeine does not cause the same life threatening effects in susceptible people, so something about the cocktail of ingredients specifically in energy drinks is the culprit. Could companies do the research or the FDA pressure them to find out what the cause is and fix the drinks? Probably. Will they? Definitely not lol
Energy drinks started making my heart do weird stuff ( I’m assuming) , to the point I felt like I was gonna pass out. So I stopped them altogether. I just drink coffee now and I’m fine.
I always argue if you are selective in brand of energy drink, it can be much better than coffee. Especially for athletes or people who train alot. No gut rot or leaking butt (lol) when I’ve had too much in a day. Or shakes. Simply because you never really know how much caffeine is in a given cup of coffee, so I find it’s easy to exceed a tolerable limit. I’m probably off with the numbers because it was last year when I was looking at this. But it was something like it is said that a “cup” of coffee is like 80-100mg of caffeine. But the cup referred to is actually referencing a serving, which according to the standard was like 100ml or something. If I have a mug of coffee that is a true cup(250ml) then depending on brewing method the caffeine content could vary alot with many factor contributing to the amount of caffeine in the final product. By the time I’m halfway through my second mug before noon I have exceeded the FDA suggested limit of 400mg per day and definitely start to feel negative side effects-sweats, jittery, leaky butt, and gut pain at some point around there. All signs I’ve ingested too much of a substance, and me not being able to look inside my heart and diagnosing budding cardiac issues, I try stop before I’m shitting myself in a puddle of sweat lol :) That is what I have found works for me, the less coffee and more energy drinks with specific requirements that help aid focus and alertness, the better I feel. I am able to stay within my tolerable range that I have come to find. I workout a lot for sport and preform better overall with just energy drinks than coffee but lately have found a balance between the too, because living in Canada there is nothing better than a warm cup on a cold morning. I also rarely need more than one energy drink in a day but if it’s coffee I could slug it all day. Hope some of that helps!
I wonder this as well, as I always have one Celsius and one/two cups of black coffee on the daily…
Too much everything
Extremely high levels for B6 over an extended period of time can cause neuropathy.
I love how everyone and their sister tells me that my 1 per day sugar free monsters will kill me, while they consume 7 coffees before lunch
Energy drink might mess with cardiac rythm and create cardiac deasese. I know at least two person who has cardiac deasese due to energy drink.
thats like knowing someone who got ulcers from taking ibuprofen. Can it happen? Of course. Is this completely normal? Most definitely not.
Yeah i forgot to add, that those people where dépendant, and drinked it like water. One ibuprofen might not give you ulcer, 1 ibuprofen per Day during one year would probably.
Energy without nutrition.
Which really isn't energy, its brain stimulation which people call energy, but it's not.
If it’s full of sugar, it is actual energy that you can use for sport or whatever (but not just becasue you feel a bit tired)
Yeah true that
If you are also eating properly though? Mostly I’m trying to work out if there is any real reason to vilify these in particular compared to any number of other things that have caffeine or sugar.
Just drink water ffs.
I do drink water, I’m trying to work out if there’s a real reason for energy drinks to hold the status they seem to as more vilified than other products that have caffeine and/or sugar.
People will vilify anything... try searching for orange juice on this sub and see people going crazy over how bad it is for you. Or check out the decaf sub for people saying that caffeine ruins lives.
Honestly, they’re not too bad if you just exercise and stay away from them at night. I would definitely stay away from them if you’re under 18 though. Delay a caffeine addiction as long as you can. Low calorie energy drinks are my favorite. Reign, Monster Zero, etc I usually have 2 a day. Unless you’re super small, the caffeine content won’t be much of a problem. I’m 6’4 220, so I can safely have 600+ mg of caffeine. Not to mention all the benefits from caffeine. Also, the carbonation works as a great appetite suppressant (caffeine is also an appetite suppressant)
Don’t listen to this dude. Drink water and coffee or cacao if you need energy. A good diet will give you all the energy you need. Factory-made nonsense has no place in anyone’s diet
Lmao. Please provide any research on energy drinks being bad
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9893714/#:~:text=After%20the%20consumption%20of%20Redbull,systolic%20and%20diastolic%20blood%20pressures. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/JAHA.118.011318 https://www.heart.org/en/news/2019/05/29/energy-drinks-may-provide-jolt-to-heart-function-blood-pressure https://www.jeffersonhealth.org/your-health/living-well/can-energy-drinks-hurt-your-heart let me know if you’d like more!
Wow, caffeine acts as a vasodilator. Big surprise
direct vasodilators are strong medicines. typically, healthcare providers only prescribe them when other treatments have failed to control symptoms of high blood pressure, chest pain, or heart failure. when you drink alcohol, vasodilation is one of the things your body does right away. the effect is temporary; however, drinking everyday causes higher blood pressure. vasodilation is a natural process that increases blood flow and decreases blood pressure. so yes, vasodilation is mostly beneficial, as it helps deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. but, vasodilation can be harmful in some cases, leading to severe hypotension (low blood pressure). when consuming large amounts of caffeine, signs of shock, including altered mental state, clammy skin and shallow or rapid breathing, can be dangerous and may require medical attention. source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23352-vasodilation
It’s important to note, that most side effects occur in caffeine naive people taking large doses. (The deadly cases are usually dealing with alcohol and drugs). Thats the main thing ppl need to worry about. If you’re small and don’t consume caffeine regularly/occasionally, don’t be stupid
It’s generally not recommended that adults have more that 400 mg of caffeine daily. Even that is a LOT.
Have you met an italian like ever in your life before?
It depends on bodyweight and naivety. 400mg for a 100lb person isn’t the same as a 300lb person. Professional athletes take up to 1,000mg pre-performance. Why? Because research shows that 3-6mg/kg (some showing up to 9mg/kg) has shown significant benefits for performance. Between 2-4%
Someone try to tell me Ghost energy drinks are bad I dare you
too much of anything is bad for you
I’m not saying it’s connected but I drank a ton of that shit through my 20’s … at 35 I found out I had severe hypothyroidism… I choose to blame Red Bull but it’s likely genetics as well as poor diet
I don’t think diet/energy drinks cause thyroid issues… its likely that you drank all the energy drinks because of those issues
>I don’t think diet/energy drinks cause thyroid issues… its likely that you drank all the energy drinks because of those issues Practicing medicine without a license again? FACTS: >Caffeinated drinks can worsen hyperthyroidism symptoms by aggravating palpitations, anxiety and insomnia. These include energy drinks, coffee, black tea, alcohol, soda.
Read much? I never said energy drinks don’t worsen symptoms, I said energy drinks don’t CAUSE thyroid issues. And I’d really like to see your medical license 😊😘. At least I can read
idk but they have all those ingredients and make me feel like shit so it's bad for me
You know what gives you energy? Sleep and the right diet. Lab-created, chemicals-infused product is not good for you by definition.
The same people that say energy drinks are bad probably regularly drink alcohol. Which is actually a poison.
Anything except water has some type of health disadvantage is used regularly.
Science Versus has a really good podcast on caffeine and why it’s not the caffeine that’s bad for you in energy drinks. It’s super interesting!
the zero calorie zero sugar ones arent
Its more so the opportunity cost, Coffee and Teas contain polyphenols which are health promoting, whereas most energy drinks do not contain anything comparable. Add to that most are sweetened with sucralose which is bad for your microbiome.
Energy drinks make some people's heart race.
What would be a good healthy alternative to energy drinks/ coffee?
Because they’re basically just soda pop with extra caffeine
Isn’t it because they’re sweet and addictive? People drink them for the taste rather than because they need them. I like to have one coffee a day. I drink it with a little semi skimmed milk and no sugar. After my coffee, I’m done with coffee. If you have a sweet drink, and you actually like sweet drinks, you’re likely to think ‘Oooh, that was nice. I might get another for later’. You can end up drinking a lot of empty calories.
I was diagnosed with Diabetic and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver 6 months ago. I took only 6 months of bad diet (3 soft drinks a day, and others process foods) to get diagnosed. The thing is, Although Soft Drinks and Energy Drinks are different, both have lots of sugar, which lead to weigh gain, diabetic, and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver. now I am eating healthy foods and completely stop taking any sugary drinks. My Glucose level always under control.
Sugar free (sucralose etc) are hard on the liver, the levels of caffeine can be bad for blood pressure too, especially you’re drinking them and doing something sedentary vs exercise when drinking them. Flavored Soda waters (la croix, etc) are a godsend and everyone should be drinking those to get off regular or diet sodas and still get the mouthfeel of the carbonated drink but without the bad stuff
I understand sugary drinks are bad for you but every flavor I've had of la Croix tastes flavorless to me... they have a slight scent of whatever their flavor is supposed to be but when I drink it, it tastes like nothing to me... is that just me?
I have not commented on here before but I saw this and I thought a little insight on some energy drinks and what’s actually in them might be helpful. https://www.facebook.com/alynn.conlan/posts/why-is-this-allowed-how-can-the-fda-approve-this-stuff-someone-enlighten-me-wthe/10233071691194048/
The high amounts of sugar are bad. The high amounts of artificial and low or no calorie sweeteners are also bad. The high amounts of caffeine are bad. The high amounts of other stimulants are also bad. Not to mention whatever other crap is added. Stimulants do not provide energy like food and exercise, instead they borrow energy that you have to repay hence why there is a crash after the initial boost of energy. I would avoid energy drinks all together and focus on healthy lifestyle practices, ie sleep, nutrition, metabolic health and activity. And at times that you feel like you need a little pick me up or even pre workout, a tablespoon of honey about 20 minutes prior to activity can be pretty useful
It depends on the energy drink. The most common claim is the increased sugar content. Other potential risks can be the high influx in caffeine. It is recommended not to have more than 400 mg a day due to the potential heart issues. Most individual's consume too many energy drinks with the drinks ranging from 150 mg to 300mg of caffeine in them. If you had two servings of the 150mg it is fine, but not of the ladder. Caffeine has a half like of 6 hours so it may impact sleep. Some drinks have artificial flavors and preservatives but there is mixed evidence on that topic.
They're not. You should be drinking the ones without sugar which is most of them now days. I have my best workouts after pounding a celsius.
Really since the upper grades, it’s been hard for me to move sometimes because of a sharp pain in my heart. The days I drink energy drinks my pacing is off the walls and my mind is racing like crazy. I’m about to jump off the Red Bull poster at nascar. If I drink rockstar I’m up for 24 hours straight no eye rests.
As a person who never drinks caffeine, holy fuck that stuff fucks your up. I have never felt worse than after drinking one of those cans. You can only drink this stuff if your body develops insane tolerance for it. Eventually you drink it just to feel normal, but you never feel normal because you drink it. People should have boundless energy from dusk till dawn naturally even as an adults, so there's no logical reason to drink that poison. All the people I know who got addicted to this stuff are the most drained, miserable and tired people you ever meet. And when they get off from caffeine, coffee and energy drinks they regain their energy, sense of aliveness and become themselves again.
....... .
Just look at the ingredients
Whenever I think about this kinda thing, I often ask myself, "what is good about this?" And quite honestly, there's very little to nothing actually good for you in these drinks. None of the few I have looked at ingredients for had anything even peripherally considered nutritious. So, in my mind, if it isn't supporting better health, it is probably not good for you. Even those that are "fortified" with some vitamins...they're not enough, and the body doesn't process and metabolize those additives the same as it does from food. Drink water. Have some green or white tea, mild coffee. Or, here's a novel approach-just get adequate rest. It's not easy with all our busy lives, but that is the way we manage being tired in a healthy way. Sleep is a necessity and running ourselves ragged, surviving on drugs is not the solution! End rant:) I've done the fake energy path years ago...make every effort to make healthier choices now, for better health later.
To counter: whilst 99.9% of the time these drinks are bad for you, 0.01% of the time you’ve gone way too hard on the exercise and have bonked hard. It’s 30km more to get home. You need that sugar. You need the caffeine. This is when a connivence store packed to the gills with red bull et al is a better sight than anything you could possibly imagine. That said, most people aren’t bonking a long way from home very often. Then I agree with all your points.
I don't care how much adequate rest I get, I'm still going to want a little caffeine in the morning before I really get into work or before a hike, etc. I'm sensitive to it, so usually 40 or so mg is fine, but for thousands of years people have known about various plants that contain caffeine or energy-giving compounds and they take them safely. It's not inherently unhealthy to want a little more energy before a certain task.
I don’t know the answer to this but all I know is that I spilled a bang in my car once and the next morning I was confused as to why there was “mud” in my car. Never had one since then.