Can Energy Drinks Cause Anxiety

What Can I Drink Instead Of Energy Drinks

Several other options boost your energy and help to keep you alert apart from energy drinks. They are a much more healthy option even if they may not give you the same amount of energy boost as an energy drink does.

• Yerba mate

Yerba mate is prepared the same way you would prepare green tea or black tea.

It contains a bit of caffeine and some other incredibly beneficial substances. Part of it is beneficial factors are antioxidants and minerals which are healthy choices.

It is not addictive or acidic like coffee but lightens your mood while keeping you healthy.

• Green tea

Whether taken hot or cold, teas boost your energy because they contain a bit of caffeine, and then some extra health beneficial substances. Green tea contains minerals and antioxidants beneficial to your health and wellness.

It also provides the necessary energy to keep you alert and healthy.

• Protein shakes

Fatigue is commonly caused by lack of protein. A simple protein shake with some carbohydrates for faster energy conversion is enough to boost your energy level.

You can prepare a protein shake by mixing 10 grams of protein form of milk, soymilk, yoghurt or powder into your shake, and then you can add quinoa, wheat germ or fruits.

Tip: Here are the best protein drinks for diabetics.

• Fresh juice

You can make juices from quality ingredients such as nuts and seeds , leafy greens , berries , kiwi, banana, citrus fruits and so on.

• Ginger root tea

• Water

The water they say is the worlds best energy drink.

Mixing Energy Drinks With Alcohol

Mixing energy drinks with alcohol, such a Monster or Red Bull with vodka, is a popular choice, especially at college campuses. One of the side effects of energy drinks, however, is that when it is mixed with alcohol, it can cause aggression or other risky behavior.

A September 2018 study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research showed that the ingredient taurine, which is in energy drinks like Monster, when combined with alcohol caused zebrafish to display aggressive and more predatory actions, along with more risk-seeking behavior.

The NIH backed up these study findings for humans, saying that those who mixed energy drinks with alcohol were more likely to drive drunk, report unwanted or unprotected sex, and have alcohol-related injuries.

Read more:Healthy Alternatives to Six Popular Energy Drinks

Common Side Effects Of Energy Drinks

As the name indicates, energy drinks are refreshments that are formulated to give you more increased energy. Made with ingredients like taurine, guarana, and sugar, these handy concoctions are packed full of stimulants that are known to promote factors like mental focus and energy levels.

negative effects of energy drinks

Below are five of the most commonly used ingredients in energy drinks:

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Can A 15 Year Old Drink Monster

In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded that energy drinks are not appropriate for children and adolescents, and should never be consumed. Further, the group warned that adolescents might mistakenly use energy drinks, rather than sports drinks like Gatorade, for rehydration during physical activity.

Anxiety Disorders Are Linked To Alcohol And Drugs

There is a strong link between alcohol and anxiety. Research shows that people with anxiety disorders are two to three times more likely to have problems with drugs and alcohol at some point in their lives than the general population. But that’s not all: Alcohol and drugs can often cause panic attacks, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America .

People with social anxiety, in particular, may turn to alcohol in order to lessen their symptoms, but alcohol can actually make anxiety worse. About 20 percent of people with social anxiety disorder also have an alcohol or substance abuse disorder, notes the ADAA. No matter which problem comes first, the combination of drugs, alcohol, and anxiety can become a vicious cycle.

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Mood And Sleep Pattern Alterations

This is one of the most common negative effects of energy drinks. A study which was published in the Frontiers in Public Health journal showcased that along with the commonly recognized health issues related to energy drinks insomnia and obesity these beverages may enhance the likelihood of kidney damage, diabetes, and most importantly, mental health problems.

The study ascertained that the high levels of caffeine found in energy drinks could indicate that individuals are consuming quantities that are over the recommended safety limit.

Moreover, according to a , consuming over-the-limit amounts of caffeine can upset your mood as well as sleep patterns both of which are manifestations of depression and elevated stress.

When Should You Not Drink Energy Drinks

We recommend you to strongly reconsider the habit in the following circumstances.

• When the energy drinker has kidney disease or the drink is a diuretic.

This means it makes the kidneys release more fluid into the urine, causing less fluid in the body. Taking energy drink during or after exercising and sweating is dangerous and can lead to severe dehydration.

• Drinking with alcohol

Alcohol also has dehydrating effects, so consuming energy drink mixed with alcohol can significantly drop your body fluids to a dangerously low level.

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Energy Drinks And Heart Health

One of the most concerning Monster drinks side effects is how it can affect the heart. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that energy drinks can cause heart complications ranging from an irregular heartbeat, or at the more extreme range, even heart failure.

You may wonder how an energy drink could do this after all, it’s just the caffeine, right? Not exactly. A small study of 18 young, healthy volunteers published in the April 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association compared the hearts of those drinking energy drinks to those drinking just caffeine.

Those who had drunk the energy drink showed abnormal electrical activity and an increased risk of an arrhythmia two hours later, while the caffeine-only drinkers did not have any of these effects. In fact, four hours later the energy drinkers still had high blood pressure levels, while the caffeine-only drinkers did not.

What caused the effects of energy drinks on the body? The authors of the study concluded that it is not the caffeine in the energy drinks that cause the side effects, but all the extra ingredients that are added, including taurine, ginseng root extract and guarana seed extract, that have these effects on the body.

Read more:The Best and Worst Energy Drinks

Could Hurt Your Heart

Caffeine is the real heartbreaker here. Several studies have also found that energy drinks increase heart rate and blood pressure. If you have these effects consistently, that can put extra pressure on your ticker and cause issues in the future.

High blood pressure is linked to a higher risk of heart failure.

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The Dirty Truth About Energy Drinks Causing Stress Anxiety And Depression

Energy drinks are caffeinated soft drinks that claim to boost performance and endurance. Consumption of these products has been associated with a number of very serious health complaints.

Considering the idea that energy drink use may cause behavioural problems and negatively impact on mental health and well-being, it is concerning to find that the products are often aggressively marketed at young people.

Children aged between 12 and 17 are among the fastest growing population of caffeine users, with 3050% of adolescents and young adults being known to consume energy drinks.

PubMed and PsycINFO were searched for all peer-reviewed articles published that addressed associations between energy drink use and mental health outcomes. Fifty-six articles were retrieved, the majority of studies examined reported positive associations between energy drink consumption and symptoms of mental health problems.

More research is required, however these studies suggest that regular consumption of energy drinks is correlated with

Anxiety, depression, restlessness, fidgetiness, irritability, difficulties concentrating, problems falling asleep & self harm behaviour.

Find Out What Could Be Making Your Anxiety Worse

Everyone gets anxious, restless, and frazzled but if you constantly feel worried, tense, or on edge, you may have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time.

Doctors make a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder when patients have anxiety symptoms for more than six months.

Examples of other anxiety disorders include:

• Specific phobias

According to the Mayo Clinic, you can have more than one anxiety disorder.

Research shows that a combination of environmental and genetic factors likely increase a persons risk for developing an anxiety disorder, notes the National Institute of Mental Health. Like so many health conditions, anxiety appears to run in families.

In addition to underlying disorders, anxiety may be caused by stress, whether from a major life event or the accumulated effect of small everyday stressors. Anxiety can also come with a medical condition such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, or thyroid disorders that need treatment. Theres a clear link between caffeine and anxiety and alcohol and anxiety. And certain medications may cause anxiety. In this case, avoiding caffeine and alcohol or changing medications may reduce the anxiety. Its important to note that while all these things can cause anxious feelings, this type of anxiety is distinct from a psychiatric diagnosis of an anxiety disorder.

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Ramps Up Your Anxiety

Is it worth the worry? Research shows that people who drink energy drinks can experience anxiety and other mental health issues. This could be related to the way that energy drinks affect your sleep.

Getting too much caffeine can mess up your sleep schedule and make it harder for you to fall asleep. Thats not good news for your mental health.

Okay So How Much Caffeine Is Too Much

According to the experts, a typical dose of 400 milligrams per day is more than enough. Note that if you are pregnant, keep doses to less than 200 milligrams daily . Having too much of this powerful stimulant can put you at risk for having symptoms like fast, irregular heartbeats, and muscle tremors.

If you do happen to go a wee bit overboard on the caffeine, dont panic. Just stop drinking your caffeinated beverage and replace it with lots of H2O to rehydrate. One cup of water to one cup of coffee or one 8 oz. energy drink is a good ratio. Then, take a walk to shake off the caffeine and help ease some of that restlessness.

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Mental Health Effects Of Energy Drinks On Teen

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Teen Treatment Program

• So, What Should You Do?

However, the issue is, kids normally dont just drink one. Research shows that 30-50% of adolescents and young adults consume energy drinks. They dont realize to what extent these sugary tasting drinks can take a toll on the mental health of your teen.

Caffeine And Mental Health

It is important to consider relationships between mental health and caffeine use, as the substance appears to be the main active ingredient in energy drinks.

Although caffeine consumption is moderately associated with a number of psychiatric disorders, the relationships appear not to be causal, and discrepancies in the literature are common. Some studies have observed positive effects: for example, low doses have been shown to elevate mood. Evidence suggests, however, that such outcomes likely depend on the dosage consumed Kaplan et al., for instance, reported that 250mg increased elation, whereas 500mg increased irritability. Acute effects may also vary between studies depending on whether or not the research participants in question were tested in a state of caffeine withdrawal. Further to this, baseline characteristics of caffeine consumers are likely to differ from nonconsumers. For instance, when investigating daily caffeine consumption in psychology students, Gilliland and Andress reported that trait anxiety and depression were higher in moderate and high consumers compared to abstainers.

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Drug And Substance Abuse

Not only can energy drinks enhance risk factors for mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, but these popular drinks can further be linked to teenagers acceptance of drug and substance abuse.

Data collated from 2010-2018 found that more than 50% of teens who consumed multiple energy drinks throughout the day were not opposed to regular or even frequent drug usage. Also, the data suggested that most individuals didnt regard hard drugs as dangerous behavior. These dangers of energy drinks are serious and quite frankly, concerning.

Furthermore, in a 2011 report issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, it was reported that the quantity of energy drink-related trips to emergency rooms in the United States doubled, soaring from 10,068 to 20,783 cases. As an example, in 2011 alone, 1 in every 10 of these emergency visits ended in hospitalization.

The study documented that there were more patients aged 18-39 than any other demographic, yet the most extensive increase was in individuals aged 40 or above. The most commonly reported mood-related side effects of energy drinks included depression, fatigue, anxiety, hallucinations, and mania.

You’ll Risk Diabetes And Weight Gain

Some energy drinks contain more sugar than is recommended for women to consume in a whole day. The sugar-free versions may be better, but not much. Many artificial sweeteners are questionable at best from a health viewpoint, and studies show that even they tend to raise blood sugar in those who consume them. It isn’t worth it.

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Why Is Coffee Better At Reducing Depression Risk Than Tea

Some components in coffee might counteract the negative effects of depression, according to one 2014 Japanese study.

Coffee also contains chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid. These acids can reduce the inflammation of nerve cells that takes place in the brains of people with depression.

This may relieve some of the discomfort and distress that depression can bring, some of which occurs due to inflammation.

Not all tea is less effective than coffee at reducing the risk of depression. The study also identified that green tea has a high antioxidant content and can be as effective as coffee in protecting against depression.

Green tea contains folate, which may also help with depression. The study linked green tea and coffee consumption to a reduced risk of depression.

Not all studies agree that caffeine only has positive effects for people with depression.

What Should I Do If I Am Worried About Caffeines Effects On Anxiety

Luckily, if youre worried about caffeine and anxiety, you have options.

For starters, if you are a die-hard coffee fan, you can try drinking it in smaller amounts, choosing caffeine-light beverages like lattes, or just choose to drink decaf or half-caff.

Or, another great alternative is to simply swap to a healthier drink option, like the clean, all-day energy shots from Proper Wild.

These powerful 100% plant-based energy shots are made with organic green tea for a smooth flow of energy throughout the day rather than the immediate jolt that is often experienced with synthetic caffeine. In addition, these super-shots are made with 15x more L-theanine than a cup of green tea for sustained focus and productivity, without the notorious jitters or crash.

If youre worried about feeling anxious after getting your daily fix of caffeine, consider switching to these energy shots from Proper Wild. They are made with zero grams of added sugar and absolutely no additives or artificial ingredients for a smooth taste without the junk. By sticking with organic caffeine and staying away from added sugar, you can experience clean energy with a lower chance of the side effects that can make you feel anxious.

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Is It Ok To Drink Coffee With Anxiety

If you drink coffee and have anxiety, itâs a good idea to avoid caffeine and see if your symptoms improve. You may need to wean yourself off by cutting down gradually over the course of a week.

Keeping a diary can help with this â make a note of your caffeine consumption and any anxiety symptoms and see if you can spot a correlation.

What Are Energy Drinks

Energy drinks are products promoted as being capable of mental stimulation and physical enhancement. They contain a high amount of stimulant, mostly caffeine and sugar, among other ingredients.

Stimulants are drugs that induce wakefulness, alertness, elevated mood, increased speech and motor activities. They basically stimulate the central nervous system and the brain.

But, prolonged use of these stimulants in high doses causes side effects such as restlessness, mood swings, irritability, anxiety, hyperactivity, and excessive speech. There are quite a number of stimulants out there, mostly for therapeutic purposes. Still, we will restrict our discussion to caffeine , which is the main stimulant in most of the energy drinks available in supermarkets.

Methylxanthines are milder forms of stimulants which occur naturally in plants. Pure caffeine is odourless and has a bitter taste.

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