Are Energy Drinks Dangerous for Heart Condition Patients?

With more than 500 choices of energy drinks available in the market, energy drinks are increasingly popular with teens and young adults. However, studies have shown that consumption of energy drinks can have a negative effect on the blood pressure and heart function, especially for those with pre-existing conditions.

What the energy drink study found

A study has found that consuming upto 32 ounces of energy drink can increase the risk for raised blood pressure levels and an abnormal heart rhythm. Studies have shown also that consuming energy drinks can be damaging to the cardiovascular system than caffeine alone.

Though energy drinks will most comparatively contain the same levels of caffeine as two cups of coffee, they also contain non-caffeinated ingredients, such as taurine, I-carnitine, ginseng and high levels of sugar.

To give an idea of how damaging energy drinks can be as compared to coffee, a person who consumes an energy drinks raises his blood pressure level by 5 points, while a person who consumes coffee will raise it by 1 point.

Though it has been found that consuming drinks such as these may not be damaging for healthy individuals, it has been seen that you need to be extra careful while consuming these drink if you have a heard conditions.

Drinking alternatives to Energy Drinks

If you have to cut back on energy drinks, there are many healthier alternatives present in our market.

• Coffee: By far the most common way to get your caffeine fix is to consume a cup of coffee in the morning. You can opt for iced or hot. To save money, make your own brew at home.
• Green tea: Looking for that caffeine fix and you don’t want to drink coffee? Then a healthier alternative is to consume green tea which comes packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
• Flavored waters: There are many options of flavored water which contain no sugar and can be made with carbonated water or still water. However, an even healthier option is to consume naturally flavored water. Toss a few watermelon, strawberry, blackberry or cucumber slices in a glass of water to enjoy a little extra flavor and vitamins.