Energy Drink Danger

by: AndreaDow
Total views: 549
Word Count: 228

Wednesday, May 28th

Have you ever turned to an energy drink for an extra jolt to get through the day? You may want to think twice about sipping energy in a can if you have high blood pressure or heart disease. According to IDEA Fitness Journal, an alert issued by the American Heart Association in November warned consumers of a possible risk. The warning comes after a study revealed higher heart rate and blood pressure levels in healthy adults that drank as little as two cans of a popular energy drink per day.

Two questions come to mind....
1. What qualifies as an energy drink? The American Heart Association defined energy drinks as having high levels of caffeine (80mg) and taurine (1,000mg).
2. Were the blood pressure and heart rate increases very high? Although the study was small, participants showed about an 8% increase in both heart rate and blood pressure after four hours of beverage consumption. These increases happened while participants were sitting down watching TV.

While the increases do not pose a risk for healthy adults, there could be adverse reactions to those at high risk for heart disease. Bottom Line: avoid energy drinks if you have high blood pressure or heart disease! Get your energy from sleeping enough, eating well, exercising and relaxing with a few deep breaths everyday.

Rating: 4.00