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You are here: Home / Caffeine Basics / Energy Drinks: The Whole Story

Energy Drinks: The Whole Story

January 3, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

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Are energy drinks as safe as a cup of coffee? It depends. Consider this…

Both statements are true:

  • Energy drinks contain only as much caffeine as coffee
  • Energy drinks pose risks because of their high caffeine content

Okay, so what gives? These sound like conflicting statements, but the devil’s in the details.

The energy drink industry likes to promote the first statement, which is partially true: ounce for ounce, some energy drinks really are as mild as coffee; but others are many times more caffeinated. So it depends on the brand of energy drink. And in most cases, the label does not indicate the amount of caffeine a drink contains.

The second statement, that large doses of caffeine create health risks, is also correct – and how these highly-caffeinated energy drinks are promoted and consumed makes them drastically different from coffee or tea. 

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Bottom line:

If you want to consume caffeine safely, then you need to know how much caffeine you’re consuming – whether it’s in the form of an energy drink, energy shot, coffee, tea, or other substance.

  • Low to moderate doses of caffeine are considered safe for most people, and can enhance mental and physical performance. (An average cup of coffee contains about 100 mg. of caffeine.)
  • High doses of caffeine over-stimulate the body, and can trigger sleeplessness, tachycardia, nervousness, impaired decision making, and other reactions. Large amounts of caffeine are riskiest when ingested in a short amount of time, and consumed by people who are more sensitive to caffeine’s effects – which includes pregnant women, children, teens, and people with certain health conditions or genetic sensitivity.

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You’ll find more details on caffeine’s overall effects, and how different individuals react to caffeine, in Chapters 8 through 11 of Caffeine Basics.

Next: Find out what the American Beverage Association, an industry lobbying group, tells consumers about energy drinks.

Caffeine Basics: Table of Contents

Filed Under: Caffeine Basics Tagged With: caffeine amount, caffeine effects, Chapter 03, coffee, energy drink, energy shot, infographic, risk

Comments

  1. Red Bull Energy Drink in Brisbane says

    May 15, 2014 at 5:23 am

    Thanks for telling us about the side effects of high caffeine dosage. Every person should give focus on these points to stay fit.

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Meet Kate

About Kate Heyhoe

I'm an author and journalist specializing in food and cooking. Caffeine Basics is my ninth book. I've written about the U.S. wine industry, international foods, shrinking your "cookprint," and cooking with kids. Great Bar Food at Home was a James Beard Award finalist, and Cooking Green: Reducing … More

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