Are Energy Drinks Safe?

Energy Drinks – Are They Okay to Consume?

What are they? 

Unless you've been living under a rock or in a cave for the last 20 years, you probably are aware of "energy drinks." 

But are these foods or supplements? 

People will assume they are under the umbrella of foods because they are drinks. But it isn't as straightforward as you may think. 

The nature of these beverages, their ingredients, and sometimes the manufacturer's choice makes it complex how these are regulated. As a food, the FDA regulates them. They are not regulated (in the way people think they would be) if they are classified as a supplement.  

They are consumable beverages; however, adding certain ingredients to these energy beverages could put them under the purview of supplements. And on top of that, the potentially high caffeine content could technically fall under the category of drugs. 

If you consume energy beverages, look at the label on the back of the can or container. 

Does it say, "Nutrition Facts" or "Supplement Facts"? 

If it says Nutrition Facts, then this is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. However, if it says Supplement Facts, it does not fall under the strict regulation and guidelines of the FDA that most people think. Supplements are much more loosely regulated than foods and drugs. Therefore, with supplements, you may not know what exactly is in this product you are consuming, especially if there is a listing or ingredient "proprietary blend."

Now, these energy drinks often contain calories (usually added sugar) as a food or supplement. If they don't have calories, there are two things to consider – what gives the "sweet" or tolerable taste, and how is it an energy beverage? 

If there are no calories (or meager calories), there are likely non-nutritive sweeteners. These sweeteners can include acesulfame-potassium (acesulfame-K), sucralose, aspartame, erythritol, stevia, or a combination. 

Now, if there are no calories in this beverage, how can it have energy? It can't.

I asked this question because energy only comes from calories. And there are four sources of calories: carbohydrates, protein, fat, and alcohol.

So, where is the energy coming from if an energy drink has no calories? If the energy drink does have calories, it is most likely from carbohydrates in the form of sugar. But that isn't the sole thing that makes it an "energy" drink. Otherwise, that would be like hummingbird food: sugar and water. And for humans, flavoring. 

I prefer to use the term "stimulant drinks" rather than "energy drinks." 

Regardless of where they fall regarding the FDA, the industry does not appear to be slowing down, with 2020 sales reportedly surpassing $45 billion and an estimate that it will be more than $108 billion by 2031. 

Stimulant Drinks? 

Why would I call these stimulant drinks? First, as I already explained, even if it has energy, also known as calories in the human measurement of energy, there are also stimulant drugs and substances. (Note: caffeine is a stimulant drug.) 

The energy drink companies will say that their drink has the same amount of caffeine as a "cup of coffee," - which is often true. However, that can be anywhere from 80-125 milligrams of caffeine. So it varies based on the energy drink and the cup of coffee. Howe, there are additional stimulants in addition to caffeine.

And what is a stimulant? A CNS or central nervous system stimulant activates your brain and makes you feel more stimulated or "energized." It also increases your heart rate and breathing rate. 

Caffeine is a common and naturally occurring substance in things we consume – most notably coffee and tea. In these so-called energy beverages, there is added caffeine along with additional stimulants. 

Additional Ingredients? 

Look at any of these energy beverages; you will often see those additional B vitamins are provided on a list in large quantities – sometimes in the thousands of a percent of the recommended amount. What is the purpose of these high levels of B vitamins – I have no idea since they do not provide energy. And because they are water-soluble vitamins – excess is excreted in the urine. 

Some of these other ingredients are not well researched for benefits or safety but also have an added stimulant effect in addition to the caffeine. 

These ingredients include taurine, ginseng, guarana, glucuronolactone, Yohimbe, carnitine, or bitter orange. Many energy drinks have at least two of these added ingredients. And what they are touting as the benefits are probably not as great as they suggest. 

Whether these items are marketed as supplements or food items, what is required to be listed varies. If it is a food product, there is required information related to ingredients, product information, and nutrition facts; when it comes to supplements, however, the requirements differ. And using the term "proprietary blend" can allow manufacturers to legally avoid disclosing some ingredients or how much of a component is in there. 

Under this same umbrella, other "blends" may be included, such as "energy blend," along with a list of ingredients without fully disclosing how much. Additionally, many of these ingredients do not have an associated reference value (RDA or DRI). If an amount is listed, there is no reference for acceptable or safe consumption in the context of their needs. For example, no one needs taurine, caffeine, guarana, xylitol, or erythritol, making it more complicated to understand what this ingredients list shows or what the "facts" are. 

Coffee and the Caffeine Boost

I can understand why people may choose an energy beverage because it gives them “energy.”  People tell me that they don't like coffee, so it's their equivalent of a morning coffee. Growing up, I knew some people who had a Coke, Pepsi, or Mountain Dew in the morning; it was their version of coffee. I can't fault people for their caffeine boost first thing in the morning. But the benefits tend to end there. These beverages do not have any specific benefit. (And yes, coffee does.) 

Really as a benefit, there is no nutrition or health benefit to consuming these items. But, again, it could be like a cup of coffee that provides an energy boost or a stimulant boost to the person consuming it, especially if they need to stay awake or wake up. 

As with many things, it matters how much, how often, and what the rest of their diet is. One thing is using it to stay awake for an important event or a drive late at night. But, having them every single day or multiple times a day is another story.

Are they harmful? 

Once again, this is not an easy thing to answer since context is critical. One can overconsume caffeine, and it can contribute to death secondary to cardiac arrest. There are cases attributed to "caffeine poisoning” and high consumption of caffeine that leads to cardiac arrest. Once again, we must take the entirety of caffeine consumption, whether from coffee beverages, energy beverages, or other sources. 

Additionally, we do have to take into consideration the other ingredients too. So, while I would love to have a definitive answer that yes, they are harmful or no, they are not dangerous; when used in combination with other foods or other supplements, they could contribute to injury or possibly death. 

There are several instances in which there have been associations related to somebody young and apparently healthy who has died from what may appear to be the overconsumption of energy beverages. However, it isn't easy to make a definitive statement that this was a cause and effect. 

The bottom line is people should not consume high quantities of stimulants, including energy beverages, coffee, or supplements that might have caffeine in them (such as pre-workouts). Also, pay attention as if this is making you sick. Some say they have been ill and not made an association that it could be related to the energy beverage they consumed. 

As with many things I say, if you choose to consume this, do so in moderation - and with that catchphrase, I will also mention that use extreme caution or don't do it at all, the mixing of and energy beverages with alcohol. Caffeine is a CNS stimulant (energy beverage) substance combined with a CNS depressant (alcohol) and not a good combination.