Sometimes all we need is a boost. Students who have been up since 8am but really need to finish a paper before midnight need a way to stay up and not fall asleep while doing their work. Kids, college students especially, tend to seek comfort in an energy drink. Whether it’s a Red Bull, Monster or Rockstar, in the past few years soda sales have been declining and energy drink sales are rising. Reading this made me wonder. Are these drinks detrimental to a person’s health? Do the drinks actually help students focus and excel in their classes?
While looking more in depth into this subject, I found that energy drinks are very bad for someone’s health. They are perceived to be a gateway for drug dependence. Regulations for energy drinks are not strict. This has caused companies to use aggressive marketing, aiming especially at young males. The energy drink companies brand themselves as a performance-enhancing drink, which clearly makes the drink more attractive.
Energy drinks have been proven to be especially detrimental to the adolescent population. Adolescents are not consistent caffeine drinkers. This can cause them to me more vulnerable to caffeine disorders such as, caffeine intoxication, dependence and withdrawal. Having too much caffeine intake can also increase nervousness, insomnia, rapid heartbeat and irritability.
A study was done to see the extent of energy drink consumption with adolescents and young adults and to see the consequences of such consumptions. They found that energy drinks were consumed by 30-50% of these kids and like I mentioned earlier these drinks had unregulated amounts of caffeine. The study also found that effects such as seizures, diabetes and mood disorders were affiliated with the consumption on energy drinks. They concluded that energy drink have, “no therapeutic benefit.”
A popular trend that is taking up steam is mixing energy drinks with alcohol. While I was living in Israel, I realized that the most popular drink to get at any club or bar was a vodka Redbull. My friends would say it makes the alcohol taste better and keeps you drunk for longer. This did not sound right. One study stated,” The consumption of alcohol and energy drinks has become a public health concern, with US emergency department visits due to misuse of energy drinks doubling between 2007 and 2011.” In a study done, 27% out of 496 college students, reported mixing alcohol and energy drinks. 49% of college students stated that they used more than three energy drinks. In a follow up study, it showed that the energy drink users consumed more alcohol than the non-energy drink users. Adding a caffeinated energy drink to a vodka drink reduces motor control and reaction time more than drinking straight up vodka. The added effects are not widely known and that is frightening.
People do not know the extent of what they are putting in their drinks. “A recent survey of college students found that in comparison to those who consumed alcohol alone, students who consumed alcohol mixed with energy drinks had a significantly higher prevalence of alcohol-related consequences including: being taken advantage of, or taking advantage of another student sexually, riding in an automobile with a driver under the influence of alcohol, or being hurt or injured.”
So, if you find yourself really needing a boost of energy after a long day, check this article out! Try not to reach for the Redbull or Monster because that could spiral into a very ugly habit. College is stressful and sometimes it is hard to control ourselves from in taking things that make us believe our performances will enhance. Take a breath, YOU CAN DO IT!
