Energy Drink Essay

In the United States alone there are a large number of people who are addicted to many substances. Many people like to shake-a-stick at those who consume legal or illegal drugs or to those who consume alcoholic beverages. Meanwhile, some of these critical people fail to realize that they are guilty of the same problem of addiction. In this case, it is being addicted to beverages that give a supplemental energy boost which is also known as the energy drink. The energy drink hit the scene in the late nineteen-nineties but has seen substantial growth since the mid two-thousands. In the beginning of the energy drink craze, companies often targeted adolescents, college students, and young adults. Companies promised that the performance of the consumer
would improve after drinking their energy products. At this time, the availability of these highly-caffeinated and heavily-sugared beverages was accessible to virtually anyone from young adults to children as well.
With over the top slogans such as Redbull’s “It gives you wings” or Monster’s “Unleash the Beast!” it is apparent that these companies aimed to entice customers with “energetic” advertising. In addition to the advertising, the effectiveness of these energy products seems legitimate, for example it gives one the sense of not being tired even though a person maybe exhausted. In “Caffeine’s Effects on the Body,” it indicates that caffeine is linked to the blocking adenosine, a neural chemical that aids in sleep regulation (Hoey, par. 2).
In addition, these energy products also claim to improve one’s mental and physical state. For instance, the intake of caffeine amplifies one’s mood, boosts one’s concentration and increases self-confidence. Not only does caffeine improve one’s well-being but the simple-sugars contained in energy drinks can also contribute to being a viable fuel source for sustained mental comprehension. Energy drinks also contain taurine, an ingredient that is listed as helping subjects with cardiovascular disease and obesity (O’Mathuna, par. 10).
Despite the benefits of energy drinks, there are numerous amounts of literature that attest to the dangers that surround these products.
Energy drinks typically have an eyebrow-raising amount of caffeine and sugar. It is also noted that they do not fall into any issues against FDA or USDA regulations, by default (FDA.gov, par. 4). This is due to the fact that all ingredients, as they are listed in their basic names, are not required to list their attributes. For example, “Guarana” is listed ingredient but is simply another source of caffeine. As such, despite passing preliminary product requirements, there are unforeseen issues that arise after these products have been released to the public. An article in The New York Times written by Barry Meier states, “the number of emergency department visits involving energy drinks doubled from 10,068 visits in 2007 to 20,783 visits in 2011” (nytimes.com, par. 3). There have also been issues in which youth, teens and collegiate aged adults who have consumed many energy drinks and have succumbed to events from sleeplessness all the way to cardiac events (Scanchis-Gomar, par.
2). Another fact of energy drinks is that in addition to high amounts of caffeine they also contain large amounts of sugar which leads to concerns for health issues.
In an article on CaffeineInformer.com, most sugared energy drinks, of 8 ounces to 16 ounces, could contain anywhere from 1g all the way to 94 grams of sugar: most of which fell between 11g – 45g (CaffieneInformer.com, par. 1-7). The maximum allowable daily recommended intake for sugar by the World Health Organization is currently 25grams (Jaslow, par. 2). As stated earlier, energy drinks, on average, contain nearly the maximum recommended amount of sugar per unit sold. Unfortunately, the average consumer does not heed such information prior to consuming energy drinks. Also, unfortunately, this can often lead to overconsumption and to a possible onset of
diabetes. In addition to long term conditions, there are also short-term side effects from energy drink consumption. In the article “Caffeine Overdrive,” it is noted that consumers can suffer from insomnia due to having too many energy drinks (Kadey, par. 6). Consumers often seek an extra boost of energy in order to complete things such college assignments or work projects. The pressures of meeting deadlines can be great which can lead people to drink too many energy drinks. In turn, when over consumption of energy drinks occur, people do not get an adequate amount of sleep due to the caffeine overload. Inadequate sleep thusly turns into diminished focus or performance and the cycle continues for dependency on energy drinks.
Another noteworthy side effect from constantly consuming energy drinks is suffering from extreme dehydration. It is noted that caffeine “relaxes the renal vasculature to cause increased urination” (Hoey, par. 2). As such, it is possible that one can become prematurely dehydrated while consuming multiple energy drinks by taking more trips to the bathroom. Failing to stay adequately hydrated can cause issues such as headaches, cramps, constipation, urinary tract infections or even kidney issues.
Consuming energy drinks can potentially lead to feeling very nervous or also suffering bouts of jitteriness (Sharma, 4). Also, a consumer’s mental state can possibly elevate to feeling paranoid or have the need to keep looking over his/her shoulder. In certain instances, energy drink consumers may even suffer from an anxiety attack or even a nervous breakdown. Ingesting large quantities of energy drinks also causes irregular or faster heart beats. An article from the Sacramento Bee dictates from Dr. Doug Zipes that “within seconds your heart begins to pound, you may get shaky and start to sweat” (Griffith, par. 20). In the end, energy drinks fall into a category where they slip under the requirements of regulatory bodies such as the FDA and the USDA. Although they contain high volumes of caffeine, sugar and other stimulants they do not exceed amounts set by the FDA and USDA. And, despite their chemistry or events involving these products, energy drinks are not as regulated as one would assume and also are not considered illegal for adults or minors. In essence, it is the responsibility of the public to educate themselves on all aspects of consuming energy drinks, both positive and negative. It is also the responsibility for everyone to take great care when choosing to purchase and consume energy drinks.