Back in 2014, a The Guardian report stated the World Health Organisation WHO claimed that energy drinks could cause public health problems. Now, a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association have confirmed that consuming too many energy drinks in a short time-span may increase blood pressure and disrupt heart rhythm. While this is not the first time someone has talked about negative effects of energy drinks, the consumption hasn’t been affected much.
In fact, energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster have become increasingly popular over the last 20 years.
However, apart from increasing BP and disrupting heart rhythm, energy drinks affects our lifestyle in many ways when they are consumed beyond a limit. The excessive consumption of these drinks leads to various potential risks.
Here are a few other health hazards due to caffeine overdose in energy drinks:
1. Type 2 diabetes: A high consumption of caffeine and carbohydrates which reduces insulin sensitivity or causes insulin resistance, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
2. Late miscarriages, Low birth weight and Stillbirths: Several studies on animals have found that extreme high doses of caffeine are teratogenic, and can cause mutations in the DNA of a fetus, leading to miscarriage. However, it's not clear what level of caffeine, if any, would cause this effect on humans.
3. Sugar: The large amounts of carbohydrates and sugar in energy drinks can lead to unnecessary increase in blood sugar, dental health problems, and an added weight gain.
4. Dehydration: Large amounts of caffeine and sugar may lead to dehydration. And energy drinks are filled with both these components in abundance. Therefore, it is advised to keep one hydrated after consuming an energy drink.