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What Science Can Tell Us About Energy Drinks

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Sometimes coffee just doesn’t do the trick, sometimes we stayed up too late reading “just one more chapter” and 11:00 PM turned into 2:00 AM before our very eyes and suddenly we’re a quarter through our work day and in desperate need of a pick me up. If you don’t think twice about reaching for an ice-cold, crisp, and oddly refreshing energy drink, science has something to say to you! (It’s not all bad!) 

(image via: istock) 

This is Your Body on Energy Drinks

Bad news for those with pre-existing heart conditions, studies have found that those who indulge in energy drinks experience immediate changes to their cardiovascular system in the form of heart palpitations and blood pressure spikes. If you are already experiencing heart problems or have a heart condition, medical experts recommend steering clear of energy drinks. 

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Good news for those of you that are just needing some help focusing, studies have also found that energy drinks are proven to improve brain function. Or is it all in our heads? It’s not, we promise, science says so. 

Bad news if you reach for the energy drinks that are loaded with sugar, sugar plays a major role in the spreading of inflammation. Personally, we’re fans of zero sugar energy drinks, which aren’t much better, but if you need one, consider reaching for a zero-sugar drink next time. 

Good news if you love having your day ruined by a headache. See what we did there? Science has found that consuming caffeine alters the blood flow around our brain which could very well cause headaches. So while we may consume an energy drink to relieve a headache, it could be the very thing causing it. 


(image via: istock) 

We’re going to throw it to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health to enlighten us on some pretty frightening statistics: 

  • About 25 percent of college students consume alcohol with energy drinks, and they binge-drink significantly more often than students who don’t mix them.
  • The CDC reports that drinkers aged 15 to 23 who mix alcohol with energy drinks are four times more likely to binge drink at a high intensity than drinkers who do not mix alcohol with energy drinks.
  • Drinkers who mix alcohol with energy drinks are more likely than drinkers who do not mix alcohol with energy drinks to report unwanted or unprotected sex, driving drunk or riding with a driver who was intoxicated, or sustaining alcohol-related injuries.
  • In 2011, 42 percent of all energy drink-related emergency department visits involved combining these beverages with alcohol or drugs (such as marijuana or over-the-counter or prescription medicines).

(source)