Energy drinks - in moderation, if you're healthy

Energy drinks are gaining popularity, not just among college students who want/need to stay up all night to write a paper, but among many adults who feel they need that boost. The problem is, these drinks are not without issues: Energy drinks may pose risks for people with high blood pressure, heart disease.

Some people argue that energy drinks are like coffee – some people use coffee to kick start their day, others use energy drinks. Most energy drinks contain as much caffeine as a regular cup of coffee. While this is true, what is happening with a lot of energy drinks is that younger children are drinking them – children who wouldn’t ordinarily be drinking coffee, or at least not drinking it regularly.

Another disturbing trend it adding alcohol to energy drinks. This can be dangerous for a number of reasons. The stimulants in the energy drinks could mask the level of consumed alcohol, leading to consumption of more than may be tolerated by the body. As well, if someone doesn’t think they are as drunk as they are, they could be more prone to doing things – like driving – convinced that they are sober enough. Physically, the combination of the two (alcohol and energy drinks) could really speed up dehydration. At the least, it could result in a much worse hangover than one from a night of drinking just alcohol, at the worst, the body could become so dehydrated that the body can't metabolize the alcohol properly.

In other words, like most things, moderation is the key. Energy drinks are likely harmless for the average healthy person, but people should be aware of their dangers as well.

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Energy drinks may pose risks for people with high blood pressure, heart disease