Energy drinks—which can contain eight times more caffeine than a standard cup of coffee—trigger a range of serious health problems, from stress, raised blood pressure, obesity and kidney damage, a new review has found.
Any immediate benefits, such as greater alertness, are outweighed by longer-term health problems—but it’s something the energy drink industry isn’t telling the public, say researchers from the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health.
The drinks generate around $10bn sales in the US alone every year, partly because they are marketed as a healthy option to improve energy levels, stamina, athletic performance and concentration.
But the drinks’ high levels of caffeine and sugars can cause a wide range of life-threatening health problems, such as hypertension, kidney damage, obesity, and mental health problems such as stress and anxiety.