Energy drinks and their effect on health are considered one of the most important topics that concern many people, especially those who follow a healthy lifestyle and want to maintain their fitness, physical and mental health.

Therefore, through this article, we learn together about all the details related to energy drinks, their mechanism within the body, their most important benefits, and the harms that they may cause it, too.

Energy drinks and their effect on health

Energy drinks and their effect on health require a lot of discussion and description to know the most important aspects of this matter, but we can summarize the discussion about them in the old saying, “Whatever exceeds the limit turns to the opposite.”

Therefore, we cannot move immediately to learning about energy drinks and their effect on health without first knowing what these drinks are: Its components and how the human body deals with it.

After we learn about the aforementioned aspects, we can then discuss the most important benefits and harms of energy drinks, as well as the difference in these benefits and harms according to different ages and health conditions, in addition to many factors that can control the effectiveness of energy drinks and their effect on health.

What are energy drinks?

Energy drinks are drinks which aim to activate and raise a person’s physical and mental ability so that he can increase his productivity and perform more tasks or with greater activity.

In general, energy drinks were produced to be directed to a special segment of people, which is the segment of youth and adults from the age of 18 years to 35 years old.

These products have achieved great success and popularity among young people, and the demand for these products is increasing day by day.

Beverage manufacturing companies are even competing to produce different types and flavors in order to achieve more profits and wider spread.

The history of energy drinksThe beginning of the emergence of energy drinks was in the year 1977 in the United States of America, and from USA it spreads to all parts of the world, and young people and teenagers began to drink it widely, so much so that in the year 2006, its production reached more than 500 brands with fantastic profits, and recently talking about the danger of energy drinks and their effect on Health are increasing due to its spreading around the world. How do energy drinks work?The mechanism of energy drinks and their effect on health begins as soon as the drink enters the human digestive system, and the drink goes through several stages, in which each stage produces a specific effect as follows:

1. The first stage: As soon as ten minutes have passed after drinking the energy drink, the caffeine contained in it – which is approximately equivalent to between 80 mg and 500 mg – begins to enter directly into the human blood circulation, leading to a significant increase in heart rate and thus an increase in blood pressure.
2. The second stage: After a quarter of an hour and up to 45 minutes, the level of caffeine in the blood reaches the highest possible level, so the energy drink then gives a feeling of energy, vitality, and increased concentration.
3. The third stage: Once 50 minutes have passed at the latest, the liver begins to respond to the drink by absorbing the amount of sugar in the bloodstream resulting from drinking the energy drink.

4. The fourth stage: This stage begins after one hour of drinking the energy drink, and then the caffeine level decreases, followed by a decrease in blood sugar and thus a sharp decrease in energy levels. The person quickly feels lethargic, tired, and has a decrease in energy and ability to perform various tasks.
5. The fifth stage: In the final stage of the effect of energy drinks and their effect on health, the symptoms of complete caffeine withdrawal from the body begin, which in normal cases takes about 12 hours, and this period increases to sometimes reach several days for those who are addicted to these drinks or consume large quantities. This stage is accompanied by some symptoms, such as constipation, headache, and others.

Energy drink components

Many people wonder about the main components of energy drinks.

In fact, energy drinks consist of the same ingredients as soft drinks, with the addition of some substances, which we highlight below:

• Caffeine percentage: Although soft drinks contain a percentage of caffeine, its percentage in energy drinks ranges from double to approximately 6 times! It ranges from 70 mg to about 240 mg.
• Sugar: It is known that the sugar content in energy drinks is high, as their calories range between 110 and 220 calories per drink.
• Ginseng: Ginseng is a plant herb known for its many benefits, the most important of which is improving brain function. It is present in a small percentage in energy drinks.

Benefits of energy drinks

In continuation of our talk about energy drinks and their effect on health, we must point out that there are some benefits to these drinks, which can be obtained by drinking them without excess. The most important of these benefits are:

• Improving brain functions and increasing human activity and physical and mental ability.
• Reducing the effects of physical and mental fatigue, improving memory functions.
• Taking it for people who exercise at a balanced rate, not exceeding 250 mg of caffeine per day, one hour before exercising, will improve their physical performance.
• Amino compounds found in energy drinks can enhance the strength and activity of the body’s muscles.
• It enhances sexual health in people who have a higher ability to tolerate high levels of caffeine.

Harmful effects of energy drinks

Increasing the consumption of energy drinks beyond the recommended limit exposes the body to many harms, like:

• High levels of caffeine in the body, leading to heart problems, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and serious blood vessel problems.
• Energy drinks contain a high percentage of added sugar, exceeding the recommended limit of sugar intake per day, so they increase the incidence of type 2 diabetes by more than 26%.
• Excessive consumption of energy drinks increases the rates of diseases resulting from weight gain, such as obesity, indigestion, and others.
• It is not recommended for children and non-adults because they cause growth-related problems, as they greatly affect the nervous and hormonal systems during the early stages of growth.
• Pregnant women are prohibited from consuming energy drinks because the caffeine content increases the risk of miscarriage, in addition to the risk of pregnant women developing diabetes during pregnancy.

Energy drinks are diverse and different and have many attractions for consumers, but health is the most important blessing that God has bestowed on man, so we have to preserve the trust that God has given us.