It only takes just one can of energy drink to cause a potentially harmful spikes in both stress hormone levels and blood pressure in young, healthy adults, a new study shows.
The study's first author Dr. Anna Svatikova, a cardiology fellow at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and her colleagues noticed that young adults who consumed one 16-ounce energy drink showed an increase in blood pressure and an elevated stress hormone response within 30 minutes, which may cause a rise in cardiovascular risk. The team presented their findings at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2015 on Sunday.
Energy drinks which are marketed as beverages that can boost physical and mental performance are making a name for themselves these days, particularly among adolescents and young adults in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), energy drinks are regularly consumed by almost 31% of teenagers aged 12-17 and 34% of adults aged 18-24.
But with the growing number in energy drink consumption comes an increase in public health concern; the beverages have been connected to a number of serious side effects. A study reported by Medical News Today in 2013, for example, associated energy drinks to a significant change in heart function.
Caffeine is believed to be the most toxic ingredient in energy drinks; a single can or bottle contains anywhere around 80 mg of caffeine to more than 500 mg. A 500 mg cup of coffee contains an average of 100 mg of caffeine; you can see how much caffeine energy drinks have, right?
Energy drinks also have skyrocketing sugar content and may include other plant-based stimulants that produce side effects comparable to those of caffeine.
For their study, Svatikova and her colleagues investigated how energy drinks affects the blood pressure, heart rate and stress responses of 25 healthy with an average age of 29 and without any cardiovascular risk, compared with a placebo drink.
The researchers pointed out a significant increase in caffeine levels after participants consumed the energy drink, while the sham drink did not have any. After the energy drink consumption, participants experienced a 6.2% rise in systolic blood pressure and a 6.8% rise in diastolic blood pressure. The average rise in blood pressure among participants was 6.4% after the energy drink consumption, while an average of a 3% rise in blood pressure was found after consumption of the sham drink.
The team did not identify any difference in heart rate after energy drink or sham drink consumption.
