Sugary caffeinated beverages are often the go-to solution for people wanting to combat the mid-morning slump, but research suggests these drinks could be linked to serious conditions that require emergency treatment.
Energy drinks tend to contain high levels of sugar and caffeine, which has led to calls for moderation.
A recent study conducted at the Mayo Clinic in the US, which was published in the Elsevier journal Heart Rhythm, has sparked concern about serious implications the fizzy drinks may have on our bodies.
Researchers examined data from 144 patients who had survived a cardiac arrest following emergency treatment and found that seven of them, aged between 20 and 42, had consumed an energy drink some time before the life-threatening event, with six requiring electrical shock treatment and one needing manual resuscitation.
Peter Schwartz, from the Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmias of Genetic Origin and Laboratory of Cardiovascular Genetics, in Milan, Italy, wrote in an accompanying editorial: “Critics might say of these findings, ‘it’s just an association by chance’.
“We, as well as the Mayo Clinic group, are perfectly aware that there is no clear and definitive evidence that energy drinks indeed cause life-threatening arrhythmias and that more data are necessary, but we would be remiss if we were not sounding the alarm.”
The two main stimulants in fizzy energy drinks are caffeine and sugar, so what exactly is that doing to our bodies?
“Caffeine increases the heart rate, increases concentration, keeps people awake for longer and prevents them from going to sleep,” explains Dr Belinda Griffiths from The Fleet Street Clinic.
“Caffeine can be good for adults. A lot of studies are saying that two coffees or more a day, depending on the amount of caffeine in each drink, might be beneficial for heart disease.”
However, refined sugar – especially in the quantities found in energy drinks – is not healthy at all.
“We can quite happily manage without it; we get enough sugar from everything else that we eat and drink,” says Dr Griffiths.
“It increases blood glucose, gives a short burst of energy and then a drop afterwards, which can affect your mood, and also make you feel increasingly hungry afterwards [meaning] you might want to eat more.”
London-based nutritionist Beanie Robinson, founder of The Health Space, says anyone looking to wean themselves off energy drinks should consider switching to fizzy water.
The nutritionist says: “I don’t think we want to be relying on energy drinks for energy, I encourage clients to drink filtered water – this is what gives us energy.
“Consuming a high amount of energy drinks is exposure to caffeine, artificial flavourings and sweeteners that can affect our energy and gut levels.
“If you love an energy drink every now and again, it probably isn’t going to do any damage, however, there are better alternatives that avoid sugar and caffeine.”
She also recommends adding a squeeze of lemon, lime, cucumber or mint to still or fizzy water, to give it extra flavour.
Do you drink energy drinks? Do the health implications worry you? Why not share your opinion in the comments section below?
Also read: How to eat your way to better ageing
– With Camilla Foster
