Love energy drinks? Watch this before you pick another bottle!

True to their name, energy drinks are promoted as beverages that boost energy, alertness and improve physical performance. They are one of the most popular dietary supplements amongst young people, with many drinking at least one on a regular basis.

But research shows that these colourful drinks have caused more harm than improvement than one would think. A new BMJ study has warned that heavy energy drink consumption may be linked to heart failure. Doctors treating a 21-year-old, who regularly drank 4 such cans every day for around 2 years, made the suggestion.

Adding to the mounting evidence against energy drinks, the young man who was the subject of this study ended up in intensive care after experiencing 4 months of progressive shortness of breath on exertion, breathlessness while lying down (orthopnoea) and weight loss.

This is just one case report, but several other reports have also highlighted mounting concerns about the potential cardiovascular risks of energy drinks, note the authors.

Being loaded with caffeine, heavy drinking can cause serious heart and blood vessel problems such as heart rhythm disturbances and also cause the heart rate and blood pressure to increase.

Overconsumption of caffeine is also associated with anxiety, sleep problems, digestive problems and dehydration.

And last but definitely not least, people who combine energy drinks with alcohol may not be able to tell how intoxicated they are. They may end up feeling less intoxicated but their motor and reaction response could be just as impaired.

Before you grab another one of these drinks, be careful of their impact on your health.