Are energy drinks bad for your health?

Energy drinks are a multibillion-dollar industry and are the most consumed supplement not under the control of the Food and Drug Administration other than multivitamins. It’s a bit like the “Wild West” in the sense that energy drinks and their stimulating ingredients are under no FDA regulation and are not classified as a food or a drug but as a supplement.

Energy drinks contain ingredients such as caffeine, taurine and guarana that affect the heart, the heart’s electrical system and the heart’s muscular pump. When our bodies react to these chemicals, the heart rate and blood pressure can change. The heart’s recharging of the electrical system can be affected by these chemicals.

For most people with a healthy heart, the consumption of an energy drink would have no serious impact on our health.

People with underlying genetic heart disease or adults with coronary artery disease or weaker heart pumps can be more vulnerable to the chemicals in energy drinks. About one in 200 people have a sudden death-predisposing genetic heart disease, including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, long QT syndrome, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. A healthy heart can handle caffeine in moderation, but a fragile heart may not be able to.

Consuming up to 400 mg of caffeine a day is safe for most adults—some energy drinks contain over half this amount in a single can.

In addition to heart risk, studies have suggested an increased risk of stroke with energy drink consumption. Long-term exposure to these substances over time affects how the blood vessels and heart react to the chemicals. Our blood vessels that control our blood pressure are reacting to these chemicals, and the potential reason behind stroke risk is the tightening of our blood vessels.

For the 199 out of 200 people who have a healthy heart and who do not have a genetic heart disease, energy drink consumption in moderation is safe.

Overall, there is very little health value to energy drinks.

There is a lot of room for future research on these beverages. Consuming the wrong thing at the wrong time in the wrong person is a setup for the perfect storm. Caffeine may also interact with a person’s medications.

2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Energy drinks are a multibillion-dollar industry and are the most consumed supplement not under the control of the Food and Drug Administration other than multivitamins. It’s a bit like the “Wild West” in the sense that energy drinks and their stimulating ingredients are under no FDA regulation and are not classified as a food or a drug but as a supplement.

Energy drinks contain ingredients such as caffeine, taurine and guarana that affect the heart, the heart’s electrical system and the heart’s muscular pump. When our bodies react to these chemicals, the heart rate and blood pressure can change. The heart’s recharging of the electrical system can be affected by these chemicals.

For most people with a healthy heart, the consumption of an energy drink would have no serious impact on our health.

People with underlying genetic heart disease or adults with coronary artery disease or weaker heart pumps can be more vulnerable to the chemicals in energy drinks. About one in 200 people have a sudden death-predisposing genetic heart disease, including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, long QT syndrome, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. A healthy heart can handle caffeine in moderation, but a fragile heart may not be able to.

Consuming up to 400 mg of caffeine a day is safe for most adults—some energy drinks contain over half this amount in a single can.

In addition to heart risk, studies have suggested an increased risk of stroke with energy drink consumption. Long-term exposure to these substances over time affects how the blood vessels and heart react to the chemicals. Our blood vessels that control our blood pressure are reacting to these chemicals, and the potential reason behind stroke risk is the tightening of our blood vessels.

For the 199 out of 200 people who have a healthy heart and who do not have a genetic heart disease, energy drink consumption in moderation is safe.

Overall, there is very little health value to energy drinks.

There is a lot of room for future research on these beverages. Consuming the wrong thing at the wrong time in the wrong person is a setup for the perfect storm. Caffeine may also interact with a person’s medications.

2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.