This Is What Happens When You Have Energy Drinks Every Day

1. They Are Bad For Your Teeth

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You may feel more alert after gulping down an energy drink but your teeth won't thank you. Energy drinks can be extremely damaging to tooth health and lead to significant tooth decay in adults and children. This is down to their frighteningly high levels of acidity and sugar.

2. Can Drastically Increase Your Calorie Intake

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It's easy to assume that energy drinks don't contain loads of calories. After all, it's not stodgy food that's passing your lips and only a drink. Stop there - they can be jaw- droppingly high in calories due to the amount of sugar they contain, almost 14 teaspoons.  You are looking at probably 200 calories per average size can.

3. Could Make You Feel Anxious

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We've all experienced it, that jittery, nervous feeling from drinking too much coffee, and the same goes for energy drinks. There's a balance between feeling awake after an intake of caffeine compared to feeling anxious. If you are having energy drinks every day, you may experience more of the latter.

4. Can Wreak Havoc With Blood Sugar

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After drinking an energy drink, most of us feel a boost soon afterwards. However, the ingredients that make us feel buzzy can also affect our bodies significantly. Energy drinks contain over 40 grams of sugar together with 200 mg of caffeine per serving, elements that can cause serious spikes in your blood sugar.

5. Might Increase Blood Pressure

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Energy drinks might provide a jolt to the heart. People who drank 32 ounces of energy drinks in one hour were reported to have shown an abnormal electrical activity in their hearts, followed by high blood pressure four hours later. This was the result of a small study that was undertaken.

6. Could Impact Your Heart Health

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If you've had too many coffees in one day and felt that pounding sensation right in your chest, then you'll know how much caffeinated drinks can actually affect your heart. As energy drinks contain lots of caffeine, daily consumption of them could potentially impact your heart in negative ways.

7. Taken With Alcohol Could Be Damaging

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Besides the concerns regarding consuming energy drinks on their own, experts also issue caution against combining alcohol with energy drinks. Alcohol acts as a depressant and energy drinks are a stimulant which can confuse your body’s neurotransmitters and the way your body reacts.

8. May Result In Kidney Damage

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Our kidneys help filter waste, they protect bone health and they regulate blood pressure Keeping our kidneys in good health is essential and drinking energy drinks each days may put those organs in harm's way. The caffeine in the drinks causes increased urination which contributes towards dehydration and a strain on kidney function.

9. Could Increase Risk Of Migraine

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Anyone who has experienced the blinding pain of a migraine will be keen to do whatever they can to avoid getting them. In that case, you may want to steer clear of daily energy drinks. The high amount of caffeine they contain could contribute towards headaches and migraines.

10. Can Help Increase Mental Performance

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Energy drinks are sometimes marketed with the sense that one sip will help you focus and achieve your potential. In fact, energy drinks can help with performance and concentrate on mental function and ability to complete tasks optimally. They can stop your mind from wandering.

11. Could Increase Risk Of Cancer

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Unfortunately, drinking energy drinks every day may increase your risk of developing cancer, even if the beverage is advertised as a healthy option, being sugar free and low calorie. These drinks often get their sweetness from artificial sweeteners like aspartame and acesulfame-K which have been associated with a higher chance of cancer.

12. Can Have An Impact On Gut Health

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Maintaining good gut health is essential to good health and feeding our guts a balance of prebiotic and probiotic goodness can really help. One thing our guts don't like is energy drinks die to the caffeine content.  They can cause gastritis, inflammation and diarrhoea.

13. May Improve Performance During Exercise

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A huge part taking energy drinks is because of their effects on exercise, which explains the common marketing ploy thrust upon us.  Several studies have found a positive link between moderate energy drink consumption and better athletic quality across different sports.

14. Could Impact Your Liver

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Our livers are the unsung heroes of our body!  They help convert food into energy and are involved in the detoxification process of the body.  Livers also support our immune systems.  Energy drinks consumed daily may not entirely support liver health and in some cases, excessive use of energy drinks has been associated with serious health consequences.

15. May be A Sign Of Dependency

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Plenty of people around the world don't feel they are fully alert until that first cup of coffee. The same can be said for people who drink energy drinks every day. If you find you need daily energy drinks, this could indicate a dependency issue. It is classed as a food addiction.

16. May Be Harmful To Teens

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Energy drinks can be especially harmful to young persons who are still growing and developing as they cannot handle the side effects of energy drinks. They may experience cognitive under development, risk of depression and sleep disorder, besides an irregular heart beat...

17. They Could Create An Allergic Reaction

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The ingredients in energy drinks often include guarana, ephedra, ginseng, taurine and green tea. These could either contain large amounts of caffeine or mimic the effects of caffeine. Other energy drinks have high levels of B vitamins. Even though those aren’t stimulants, they can in fact create an allergic reaction in some people.

18. May Cause Seizures

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One serious possible side effect of energy drinks is seizures. There have been cases of seizures in young adults that have been linked to ingesting too much caffeine. If you have a heart condition or diabetes, you should be extremely careful of how much caffeine you’re getting.

19. Too Much Sugar For Teens

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You will probably be shocked to hear that a 16 oz energy drink container has around  55 to 60g of sugar. This amount well exceeds the daily recommended sugar for teens. Some drinkers may be fooled about the quantity of sugar as the drink itself may taste sour or bitter.

20. Addicting For Teens

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According to a report, teenagers who take energy drinks regularly put themselves at risk of various issues that wouldn't have even crossed their minds. These include poor performance, poor learning, sleep issues and dependency problems regarding dr*gs, alcohol or nicotine.

21. Could Be Dangerous Because Of No Age Limit

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Have you ever thought what the age limit is on energy drinks?  Well, the answer is that there isn't one. With a range of colors to attract youngsters, such as blue, green and bright yellow, it's no wonder their eyes are drawn to the sugary liquid and grocery sellers allow kids to buy them.

22. Too Convenient For Kids

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When moms are in a rush to get their kids out of bed on a school day, there often isn't time for them to have much breakfast, if any at all.  A quick stop off to buy an energy drink may wake them up but once the caffeine crash occurs, they may become fidgety and struggle to concentrate on their lessons.

23. Large Cans Can Be Dangerous

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You might be shocked to realise that a large can of an energy drink, a 24 ounce one, contains triple the amount of sugar that is the healthy recommendation. Excessive sugar intake can cause inflammation which has been linked to chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

24. Vegans May Find Them Beneficial

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Taurine is an amino acid derived from cysteine and methionine and this is the amino acid found in fish and meat. The average daily intake of taurine is between 40 mg and 400 mg. Taurine is a vital element for vegetarians as this amino acid helps raise the energy levels and nutrients required to keep fit.

25. Can Help Hangovers!

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For those who have overdone it on the alcohol front, some sports beverages can act as an active detoxifying agent. There are a few energy drinks that contain milk thistle, used as a liver detoxifying agent. These drinks are low calorie and have a higher level of milk thistle.

26. May Be Dangerous To Kids And Lactating Mothers

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Energy drinks could pose a danger to moms who are breastfeeding and to  kids due to high sugar and caffeine content. According to reports by the NHS, intake of energy drinks can poses a threat to both the lactating mother and the baby. A higher amount of taurine and sucrose can be hard on the digestive system of the infant and the mother.

27. Could Contribute Towards Miscarriage

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In the same study conducted by NHS, it was also found that high consumption of energy drinks may be associated with late miscarriages, low birth weight and stillbirths among pregnant women. Like everything, taking in moderation, is a much safer and healthier option.

28. Might Contribute Towards Insomnia

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Energy drinks can do a great job at keeping you awake, but when abused, they can cause some people to miss sleep out all together and contribute towards insomnia.  This lack of sleep could impair functioning and can be dangerous if you are driving or performing heavy tasks.

29. Could Cause Niacin Overdose

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Niacin (vitamin B3) is present in most energy drinks at levels that don't harm and can even be therapeutic! However, if a person is taking additional supplements in addition to energy drinks, this could cause a Niacin overdose. Symptoms include dizziness, skin flushing, vomiting and upset stomach.

30. Drinkers Should Choose Zero Sugar Version

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It's not a good idea to regularly take energy drinks but, if you are, stick to the zero calorie option.  This could help reduce the risk of gaining weight through all that extra sugar, yet you will still experience the same effect as a regular energy drink - but without the sugar.

31. Things you didn't know about caffeine: yes it's a dr*g, and it's one of the top used dr*gs

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We all make a joke about coffee addiction and "please don't talk to me before my coffee" but caffeinated drinks, including caffeinated energy drinks, can be a form of addiction, and they're considered a type of dr*g - the top fourth most widely used dr*g, actually, with majijuana, tobacco and alcohol coming out as the top three.

32. The three most popular drinks in the world all have caffeine in them

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We know energy drinks are popular and they all have caffeine, but the three most popular drinks in the world are actually coffee (unsurprisingly), tea and Coca Cola! Could it be a coincidence they all contain caffeine? Obviously it's hard to stay away when it's addictive!

33. Caffeine works by blocking a chemical in your brain

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We usually reach for the energy drinks or the coffee maker when we're tired, and we know it works - but did you know why? Adenosine is a chemical in the brain that is responsible for making you feel tired. Caffeine works by blocking the adenosine receptors so that you don't feel tired.

34. Caffeine was first acknowledged in 1819

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So caffeine was actually first identified on a scientific level by a German chemist back in 1819. He got a gift of coffee beans, which he then used to isolate the caffeine from, and was then able to identify it. That probably wasn't what the gift-giver had in mind, but hey - scientists, right?

35. We have a herder and his goats to thank for the coffee bean

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The legend goes that a goat herder named Kaldi from Ethiopia was minding his business tending his goats when he noticed them dancing around - apparently high on coffee berries. The story then says he took the coffee beans to a monk who threw them in the fire, roasting them - and thus coffee was born.

36. It takes a good half an hour for caffeine to kick in

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You're not going to get an instant effect by knocking back an espresso and hoping your eyes will suddenly be a little less fuzzy. It's going to take a good 20-30 minutes for the effects to kick in! And you can actually maximise the effects of coffee by taking a nap after you've just drank some, for the 20-30 minutes it takes to kick in!

37. Caffeine isn't only found in coffee beans or tea leaves

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It's easy to think that these are the only two places for caffeine to be found originally, and then placed into all other drinks - but it's actually not the case. Caffeine can also be found in the guarana fruit (pictured here, we know and we're sorry), cacao beans and the cola nut - which, incidentally, is what's used in Cola!

38. The more you roast them, the less caffeine beans have

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You can actually affect the caffeine level of coffee beans by how long you choose to roast them. So if you've been roasting your beans for ages thinking it'll still give you an amazing caffeine kick, you're actually getting much less than beans roasted for a shorter time. Dark roasts have lower caffeine levels for this reason.

39. Smokers process coffee at a much quicker rate

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Smokers have an enzyme that's had a hefty workout through its breaking down of nicotine, and it's this enzyme that also breaks down caffeine in the body. So smokers actually process coffee at a much higher rate compared to non smokers, because they have more of this enzyme.

40. Espresso isn't as much caffeine as you think it is

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If you were to make an espresso, and then make a normal coffee that had the exact same millimetre amount of ingredients as the espresso, it's the espresso that would have a much higher caffeine level. But if you're making a regular coffee, which is about three times the size, this then means the coffee has more caffeine than the espresso. So you may be thinking you're getting more caffeine with a shot of pure espresso than a big cup, but it's actually not the case.

41. Tea has more caffeine than coffee

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Okay, so this only counts when you're comparing the actual tea leaves to coffee beans. During the brewing process, it would be a cup of coffee that would end up having more caffeine than tea with water. But in their rawest form, tea leaves actually have more caffeine than coffee beans!

42. Caffeine itself has taste - and it's not nice

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When you think of caffeine, your first thought might be coffee, and the taste of coffee. Even though we know caffeine is in drinks like Monster energy and Coca Cola, our brain doesn't really compute that it has a taste - other than what we think of coffee. But caffeine actually does have a taste - it tastes pretty much like crushed aspirin, if you've ever taken a pill by chewing it instead of swallowing, for some reason (we're not judging).

43. Americans consume around 300 milligrams of caffeine A DAY

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So according to the FDA, the average American will consume around 300 milligrams of caffeine every single day - and if you're struggling to think what that might look like, it's about a 14 oz Starbucks coffee cup. But remember it's not a 14 oz cup filled with coffee - it's 14 oz of pure caffeine!

44. But the Dutch actually consume twice as much

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If you thought it sounded bad, then it might be a relief to know (or maybe not) that the Dutch are actually worse. People in the Netherlands actually consume twice as much caffeine a day per person. This could have something to do with the amount of coffee shops they have in the Netherlands!

45. You can actually smoke caffeine

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We don't mean smoking your grinded down coffee beans, we mean pure caffeine - but this is just hypothetical, because it's not actually a readily available product to have caffeine powder in every day shops ready to smoke! If you did smoke it, you would feel like your heart was going to explode.

46. Caffeine became popular in Europe because of chocolate, not caffeine

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As mentioned, Europe - like the Netherlands - is big on its coffee, but caffeine didn't become big across the pond because of coffee shops. Caffeine first became a hit in chocolate form in Europe, before coffee was even on the map there. This is because chocolate was brought over by Spain about 50 years before tea or coffee.

47. 'Decaffeinated' doesn't mean the caffeine is thrown away

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When you're enjoying a decaffeinated coffee, you might not have given much thought beyond happily knowing it has a lower caffeine content. But the process of decaffeinating coffee beans is actually a complicated one - and it doesn't just mean the caffeine disappears. The caffeine taken out of beans for decaffeinated is then used in other things, like energy drinks...

48. Caffeine content in the same type of coffee can vary from place to place

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If you ordered a large cappuccino at Starbucks, it wouldn't have the same caffeine content as a large cappuccino from McDonald's, for example. Caffeine content actually varies a huge amount depending on where you order the coffee from, even if it's the same order.

49. You can actually be allergic to caffeine

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And those with a caffeine allergy can actually die from it if they drink too much! What's interesting is that many signs of an allergy to caffeine can actually be symptoms you associate with drinking too much coffee - like having the shakes or not being able to sleep. But for an allergy to actually kill you, you'd have to drink some serious amount of coffee all at once - like 70 cups in one go!

50. Caffeine can actually help your memory

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There are a lot of negative side effects, as we know - and as mentioned with the energy drink situation - but like everything, when taken in moderation, caffeine could actually be a good thing. Studies have suggested that caffeine could help improve long-term memory!