The United States “Energy Drink” market is around $24 BILLION dollars a year now and forecasts call for a doubling of this to almost $50 BILLION dollars a year by the year 2030. The reasons why the Energy Drink market is so huge: Many people want more energy and it is lots easier to down a drink than embark on lifestyle changes that could result in heightened energy.
The major ingredient of Energy Drinks that provide the boost is caffeine. The typical Energy drink contains up to 240 mg of caffeine. As a point of comparison, an 8 ounce cup of coffee contains about 100 mg. There are other ingredients in Energy Drinks that provide the “boost” including:
- Sugar
- Taurine
- Ginseng
- Guarana
- Niacin
When this combination is used, there can be adverse impacts such as:
- Elevating blood pressure
- Raising the heart rate and/or causing heart rhythm disturbances
- Agitation
- Anxiety
This entry was inspired by a story I read recently about a young woman in college that died suddenly with the cause of death being attributed to an abnormal heart rhythm precipitated by having too many Energy Drinks in a short period of time. The woman had a history of an abnormal EKG (Long QT syndrome) that makes a person susceptible to rhythm abnormalities.
The bottom line: My belief is that people should be very careful about their use of Energy Drinks. People that are over 50, have hypertension, history of abnormal heart rhythms and/or anxiety issues should probably steer clear of any Energy Drink usage.
And if you want some good energy, listen to this song…(an oldie of course!)
