Energy Drinks - Proceed with Caution

It's sort of disturbing to see how ingrained in our society energy drinks have become in just a few short years. Not only are these drinks unhealthy for a variety of reasons, but they also encourage unhealthy lifestyle habits on a widespread basis.

I would say that the proliferation of energy drinks began with Red Bull a few years ago. Since then, drinks like Monster, AMP, and Rock Star have entered the market in all their various flavors and varieties. These energy drinks are high in sugar, calories, and caffeine. Really, no aspect of these drinks is good for the human body.

Is this that bad? Honestly, probably not. These energy drinks aren't that terrible in moderation, and if they are used once in a blue moon to fuel the late-night completion of a project or presentation, they aren't going to spell dire consequences.

However, people take these drinks, like many other things in life, to the extreme. Some people may consume two to three energy drinks daily, or may drink many energy drinks in a very short period of time. This is not good for a person's heart or cardiovascular system. When paired with the strain of a constant lack of sleep, severe medical problems such as arrhythmias can ensue. Anyone that has consumed enough energy drinks has felt heart palpitations. It's not a stretch to imagine that developing into something worse.

Even if an individual does not develop cardiovascular problems as a result of the consumption of energy drinks, a severe caffeine addiction can result. And the only quick fix for a caffeine addiction is more caffeine. The cycle continues. Fluctuations in caffeine and blood sugar levels can lead to serious ups and downs in energy over the course of a day. Again, the cycle continues.

I feel as if the companies that produce energy drinks glorify a lifestyle of late nights, sleep deprivation, and being "extreme," rather than showing the grim reality of being completely drained and incoherent for a day or two after staying up until sunrise. Of course, they have to advertise their product, but much of this advertising is geared towards pre-teens and teens, which I feel is somewhat devious.

Energy drinks are not an inherently bad thing. It's probably a good thing that energy drinks exist. Countless high school and college students are indebted to energy drinks for the papers and presentations that they have allowed the students to finish. I know I have used them, in moderation of course. But like almost any food, drink, or activity, too much of an energy drink can be a bad thing. And if you consume energy drinks all of the time, you're selling yourself short for when you really need their effects, like finals week or the weekend before a big presentation.

Have your own opinion on the use of energy drinks? Do you use energy drinks often? Feel free to share your thoughts in a form of a comment. Thank you for reading!