If you are concerned about energy drinks and your blood pressure, focus on the ingredients rather than a particular brand. Energy drinks contain several different ingredients that even taken alone can increase your blood pressure. In 2011, the energy drink market reached $9 billion a year in sales, according to Reuters. The drinks are marketed to young people as a way to enhance concentration and physical skills, but many of the drinks use herbal ingredients that are unregulated and little understood. As researchers conduct studies, the true effects of energy drink consumption are being discovered.
Blood Pressure
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a serious problem in the United States. In 2006, the disease was responsible for 366,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Part of the problem is that hypertension too often displays no symptoms. You may be one of the 22 percent of Americans who has high blood pressure, but is unaware of it. Your physician or health care provider should check your blood pressure at your annual physical; if not, ask that it be done. Regularly checking your blood pressure at home will provide you with some idea of how your body responds to energy drinks.
Ingredients
Different brands of energy drinks typically include many of the same or similar ingredients, including caffeine, guarana and ginseng. Caffeine is a known stimulant and can affect your blood pressure in doses as low as 200 mg, about the same amount in two cups of brewed coffee. Just one serving of an energy drink can contain 74 to 300 mg of caffeine. Guarana is a berry that also contains caffeine and a side effect of ginseng is high blood pressure. Everyone reacts to stimulants differently, so it is difficult to predict how you will respond to the stimulants in energy drinks.
Children and Teenagers
The American Pediatric Association issued a review of energy drinks in 2011 and determined that children and teenagers should not consume the beverages, in part due to how the drinks affect blood pressure levels. The report also states that energy drinks add excess calories without providing any nutritional value.
Warning
Excessive energy drink consumption can not only raise your blood pressure, but also cause organ damage. The January 2011 issue of the "Journal of Medical Cases" reports on the case of a 22-year old woman diagnosed with acute hepatitis after ingesting 10 energy drinks daily over a two-week period. While this case is extreme, it does illustrate an important point. Read the ingredient labels of energy drinks to understand the recommended serving size and do not exceed the recommended daily serving. One can may contain several servings. If you have high blood pressure, do not consume energy drinks without first consulting with your physician.
References
- Reuters: As Sales Soar, Experts Warn About Energy; Frederik Joelving; February 14, 2011
- Centers for Disease Control: High Blood Pressure Facts
- University of North Texas: Energy Drinks, Harmful or Helpful?
- MayoClinic.com; Caffeine: How Does it Affect Blood Pressure?; Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.; November 14, 2009
- "Pediatrics"; Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks for Children and Adolescents: Are They Appropriate?; Committee on Nutrition and the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness; June 2011
- "Journal of Medical Cases"; Acute Hepatitis in a Woman following Excessive Ingestion of an Energy Drink: A Case Report; Abhirami Vivekanandarajah, M.D., et al.; January 2011
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