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Are energy drinks heart attacks in a can? Recent studies find a link between energy drinks and cardiac arrests. Particularly among young people.
A glance down the convenience fridges at the grocery store checkout lane or a stroll past the refrigerated drinks section of most gas stations demonstrates the popularity of energy drinks. These caffeine heavy, vitamin boosting beverages have become increasingly popular.
Especially among young adults.
In fact, an estimated 30% of U.S. teens consume these energy drinks on a regular basis. Some, even more than one per day!
Despite their perception of boosting mental and physical performance, excessive consumption has been associated with cardiovascular complications. Raised blood pressure, increased incidence of heart disease, and even heart attacks have been associated with energy drink consumption.
An energy drink is a beverage containing large amounts of caffeine. They often contain added sugars, other additives, and legal stimulants. Such stimulants often include a combination of guarana, taurine, ginseng, and L-carnitine.
These legal stimulants are intended to increase alertness, attention, and energy. They also increase blood pressure, heart rate (by an average of 20 beats per minute), and breathing. All intended to increase oxygen and energy to the muscles and the brain for optimum performance.
The history of energy drinks is a recent one.
Energy drinks were introduced in the United States in 1949, however they were not widely used. The first commercially available energy drink, however, was introduced in 1976 in Thailand and was based on a Japanese drink.
Then came Red Bull in 1987. While Red Bull was first marketed in Austria, it became more popular in Europe and Asia in the 1990’s. It is now available in more than 140 countries across the globe.
By 2006 there were more than 500 new energy drinks launched in the worldwide marketplace. This industry grew to a $25 Billion market in 2016. The following 10 years likely showed the same exponential growth.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1,499 adolescents, aged 12 to 17 years went to the emergency room for an energy drink related emergency in 2011. With the increased popularity over the past ten years, this number is likely significantly higher.
Common dangers of energy drink consumption include:
Everything in moderation is a golden rule. However, people will be people. And teenagers will be teenagers. We routinely eat, drink, and do things that we know are not good for us. Such is the human condition.
But exactly how much caffeine is too much caffeine?
Studies generally agree that the maximum daily intake of caffeine for adults is 400 mg. For adolescents, this should be closer to 100 mg.
Most energy drinks ignore those limits. In fact, some energy drinks contain more than 500 mg caffeine. With a combination of green tea extracts, guarana (a legally approved stimulant), and added caffeine, a caffeine overdose is easily accomplished if more than one energy drink is consumed in a day.
While significant research has been done on caffeine, other ingredients in energy drinks can also lead to health problems. Especially when combined with caffeine.
The stimulating effects of taurine and ginseng can affect the heart and other parts of the body. Especially when consumed in excess. Some energy drinks contain more than 10 times the recommended daily maximum intake of taurine.
Excessive energy drink consumption can damage your heart in many different ways. Research has found a connection between energy drink consumption and atrial fibrillation, heart arrhythmias, heart failure, and complications like blood vessel damage, heart attacks, and stroke.
Atrial fibrillation is a type of atypical heart rhythm. This comes on as a fast, pounding heartbeat often accompanied by shortness of breath. It is the leading cardiac cause of stroke and a significant health complication associated with excessive energy drink consumption.
Heart arrhythmias are a result of problems with the heart’s electrical system responsible for regulating the heartbeat. These arrhythmias can make the heart beat too slow, or in the case of energy drink consumption – too fast.
The effects of these arrhythmias are more pronounced in those with diabetes, high body mass index (BMI), or with a family history of cardiovascular disease. However, even normally healthy individuals can experience arrhythmias from consuming excessive amounts of energy drinks.
Heart failure happens when the organ cannot pump enough blood to supply the body. This often happens with serious damage to the heart. Dilated ventricles, blood vessel damage, and heart attacks can lead to heart failure, cardiac arrest, and death.
Energy drinks can be a heart attack in a can. While consuming the occasional energy drink will likely cause no long-term health effect, excessive consumption may increase your risk of heart attack and subsequent heart failure.
According to the CDC, common heart attack symptoms include:
Other common heart attack symptoms may include unusual tiredness, nausea, and/or vomiting.
Symptoms of heart attacks may vary from person to person, from gender to another, and even within certain demographics. This is not an all-encompassing list.
If you feel like you may be experiencing a heart attack, seek emergency medical services immediately.
Most research on the effects of energy drinks is based on compilations of case studies and limited research studies. More research on the connection between energy drinks and heart complications is needed to better understand the safety of these beverages and the effects of caffeine combined with legal stimulants.
If you’d like to know more about food safety topics in the news, like “Heart Attack in a Can? Energy Drinks Linked to Cardiac Arrest,” check out the Make Food Safe Blog. We regularly update trending topics, foodborne infections in the news, recalls, and more! Stay tuned for quality information to help keep your family safe, while The Lange Law Firm, PLLC strives to Make Food Safe!
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)
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