Caffeine is an addictive substance but most of us are just fine with that. If that cup of coffee or energy drink gets us out of bed in the morning, stops our headaches, and improves our alertness… so be it, most of us reason.
However, there are things you should know before you start chugging your next Monster or Rockstar drink.
Australian researchers found that drinking just 500 ml of energy drinks, like Red Bull, can increase your risk of going into cardiac arrest by almost 1/5 in people with long QT syndrome, The Sun reports.
Long QT syndrome is a hereditary condition that affects one in 2,000 and since there are few physical signs many people don’t even know they have it.
“The potential cardiovascular risk of energy drinks continues to emerge as an important public health issue,” the studies lead author, Professor Christopher Semsarian, said. “The population most at risk is teenagers and young adults, representing the population these drinks are most heavily marketed towards. Since energy drinks are widely available to all ages and over the counter, it is important that cardiovascular effects of these drinks are investigated.”
According to The Hearty Soul, the Mayo Clinic gave 15 healthy participants two cans of (500 ml) of energy drinks a day for one week.
They found that it caused an 8 percent increase in blood pressure within four hours of consumption and 10 percent increase by the end of the week. Their heart rates increase by 8 percent on the first day and 11 percent by the end of the week. Furthermore, energy drinks have also been associated with deaths.
Cory Terry, a 33-year-old father from Brooklyn, reportedly died after drinking a Red Bull. He was said to be a non-smoker who drank the energy drink on a daily basis.
Ross Cooney, and 18-year-old from Limerick with a heart condition, drank four cans of Red Bull during a basketball game and died, according to Daily Mail.
The Sweedish National Food Administration also warns that people should not drink energy drinks with alcohol or after exercise.
“If you drink a lot of Red Bull, if you are dehydrated, and if you mix it with alcohol, it can be very dangerous,” Dr. Dan Andersson of Stockholm’s South Hospital told Daily Mail.
So, you’ll definitely want to think twice before you start kicking back all those energy drinks.
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