Energy Drinks Warning: Some Energy Drinks are Potentially Harmful to Your Heart

It used to be that stimulants were popular among dieters and athletes, but today energy supplements are drinks are sold in every grocery and convenience store. They are widely available and even marketed to teens and kids. There is no regulation on where they can be sold or who the marketing can be aimed at.

While there are notices and warnings on some of the cans and bottles, they mostly go ignored in favor of the rush of quick energy. While drinking one on occasion is unlikely to do any damage, those who come to rely on them for regular use may be in for a shock.

These beverages containing high levels of caffeine, sugar, herbs, and other ingredients have been studied widely. It has been found that even just one drink can have an effect on the blood flow in the arteries and can lead to health issues. Energy drinks narrow the veins and arteries temporarily pushing blood pressure up and making your heart work harder than it should have to.

When done repeatedly the effects become similar to someone who has unregulated hypertension (high blood pressure). It can lead to weakening of the vein and artery walls as well as the heart muscle itself.

Though it is unclear exactly what make energy drinks so hard on the body it has become clear that it’s not just the caffeine but a combination of herbal ingredients. While many of us think of herbs as natural and safe, herbs are powerful in many cases and when combined can become problematic for sensitive individuals.  Some energy drinks contain substances that are not regulated by the FDA at all.

Important to note is that some ingredients can combine with germs in an energy drinkers gut to form a compound knowns as TMAO. High levels of TMAO are directly linked to stroke and heart attack.

Reported effects of energy drink use are:

• Shakiness
• Heart Palpitations
• Nervousness
• Headache
• Vision disturbances
• Feeling like your skin is crawling
• Chest pain
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Death

Rather than reach for an energy drink:

• Take a short nap
• Get plenty of sleep nightly
• Drink water and stay hydrated
• Lower your stress
• Eat meals of small proportion more often
• Exercise
• Have a cup of coffee (just one)

Are you an energy drink drinker and now wondering how healthy your blood vessels are? Ask us! Tampa Cardiovascular Associates can test for signs of damage and test your TMAO levels. We will assess where you are currently at health wise and make suggestions to help protect you from future issues.

 

www.tampacardio.com

813-975-2800