Discovering YOU Magazine January 2019 Issue | Page 14

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

stress from having to buy several energy drinks daily, which will rack up some money.

There was a study published in the Journal of American College Health which showed that teens are more likely to take dangerous risks when high on caffeine. This could result in injury or legal troubles, because too much caffeine from energy drinks causes some people to shake and become anxious. This can interfere with performing needed tasks or cause emotional issues. It’s also found that too many energy drinks can lead to vomiting. This causes dehydration and acid erosion of teeth and the esophagus if frequent, and also many ingredients in energy drinks can cause an allergic reaction, from minor itching to airway constriction.

hypertension if they consume too many energy drinks in a short period of time.

It’s also found that energy drinks significantly raised the blood pressure of study participants. Overall, there was a 6.4% increase in average blood pressure.

A newer study published by the American Heart Association showed that energy drinks have a greater negative effect on blood pressure than drinks that contain caffeine alone as the active ingredient. They believe the combination of ingredients in energy drinks are why these beverages pose a greater risk of heart related problems than drinks like coffee or tea.

Here’s something I didn’t even know and that is “Niacin (Vitamin B3)” is placed in most energy drinks at levels that cause no harm and can even be therapeutic. However, if a person is taking additional supplements containing Niacin, overdosing on the vitamin is possible when consuming energy drinks in addition to those supplements. Symptoms include; skin flushing, dizziness, rapid heart rate, vomiting, itching, gout, and diarrhea. To reduce the potential energy drink dangers education is key.

Consumers need to be aware of how much caffeine is in a drink or product, and parents need to know exactly what their children are drinking, while talking to them about what is safe. Energy drinks are widely promoted as products that increase alertness and enhance physical and mental performances.

Marketing targeted at young people

The next thing is something you should really think about and that is “High Blood Pressure.” Caffeinated products like energy drinks can elevate a person’s blood pressure. For those with normal blood pressure, this isn’t concerning, but those with blood pressure problems, they can place themselves at risk of stroke and other health problems related to