Healthy Information

Reconsidering Energy Drink Cocktails Sep 18, 2008
Dr. Carlos Santo

Common energy drinks have been under public scrutiny for several years now. So concerned is the general public that several countries, including France, Denmark, and Norway, banned the import of Red Bull, the world’s most popular energy drink. Only recently, a 12-year block on the popular buzz beverage was reluctantly lifted in France, when the company agreed to remove one of its key ingredients, taurine.

A recent study of over 4000 students in ten North Carolina universities showed that mixing energy drinks with alcohol, a common practice in many bars, causes students to do more dumb things than they normally do when drunk: get messed up, require medical attention, and become either victim or perpetrator of sexual assault and rape.

 Red Bull and others like it are fundamentally sugar water mixed with caffeine and a few vitamins. Some of the problems associated with this questionable combo:

Delaying the buzz: the combination of a stimulant with a depressant (alcohol) makes you think you’ve had less than you have. The bummer is in your blood alcohol count (BAC) never lies to the good officer who pulls you over.  Never mind the unsafe driving that gets you pulled over in the first place.

Hurry up in there! Both alcohol and caffeine are diuretics (they make you pee). The resulting dehydration can really stress your heart and shoot up blood pressure. It can also cause a wicked hangover the next morning.

Alcohol factor aside, energy drinks are not the best road to go down. Whether you use them to lose weight, to pull that all-nighter for your mid-term or for that second wind while club hopping, stimulants set your nervous system into hyper-drive, potentially causing:

Anxiety

Insomnia

High blood pressure

Weight gain - Stimulants raise the fat storing stress hormone cortisol (see “The Skinny On Caffeine.”)

Irritable bowel syndrome

Throw in thinning or falling hair, acne, and brittle nails for good measure.

If you’re in constant need of a lift, it might be time for a visit with your wellness practitioner. Nothing gives you energy and vitality like a healthy diet, regular exercise, and plenty of rest.