What to Know About the Danger of Energy Drinks

Americans really love their caffeine. In fact, 80 percent of U.S. adults consume the stimulant on a daily basis, which makes it easy to forget that it’s also a psychoactive drug.

Kathleen Miller is a senior research scientist at the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions. “Get high enough levels – say 500 milligrams of caffeine, that’s the equivalent of five cups of coffee – and you run into what’s called caffeine toxicity,” says Miller. “At high enough levels – and this is fairly unusual – caffeine is toxic enough that, for some people, it can cause seizures, mania, hallucinations, even strokes.”

Caffeinated energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster and Rock Star are now a primary concern among public health advocates. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Dawn Report, energy drink-related emergency department visits have nearly doubled between 2007 and 2011.1

Most of us understand how a cup of coffee will affect us, but energy drinks are still relatively new and largely misunderstood. These neon-colored drinks target a younger demographic, promising to “give you wings” or even promoting extreme sports on their websites. This helps explain why these products may seem suitable for augmenting physical fitness. They are not. The diuretic effect of these drinks can deplete the body of water, leading to dehydration.

It doesn’t help that canned energy drinks are void of any health warnings. In addition to caffeine, many of them contain plant and herbal extracts, so they can legally label themselves as dietary supplements rather than food. This means they are not regulated or evaluated by the FDA.

LifeWave’s Theta Fuel drink supplement* is an ideal alternative to the potentially harmful energy drinks on the market. It contains absolutely no caffeine, and uses beneficial nutrients such as niacin to contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

*For more information on Theta Fuel:
Click here in the U.S.
Click here in the EU.

1Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Dawn Report, 2014