They have been stirring up controversy now for quite sometime, energy drinks, and the health risk associated with drinking them.
Energy drinks like Monster and Red Bull have received alot of attention lately, but that attention is not for what the drinks are designed to do, but rather the side effects they cause.
The problem with the drinks is that many of them are labeled as sports drinks, like Gatorade. The concern is that some users believe the drinks are somewhat healthy. But health experts say that's not the case at all. The drinks contain a high amount of sugar and caffeine. So much that it creates a dramatic jump in heart rate. Doctors say that can be a danger
Aspirus Resident Physician, Dr. Patrick Allen says the drinks can be more of hazard than a benefit. "The biggest problem with these drinks is that have alot of caffeine and a ton of sugar in them. Alot of these drinks its equivalent to 1-3 cups of coffee in one energy drink."
So just how much caffeine is in a cup of coffee? The doctor says it's about 75 milligrams.
A can of Monster energy drink has around 160 milligrams.
Another problem with energy drinks is when they are mixed with alcohol. The caffeine decreases the drinker's ability to judge if they've had too much to drink. Doctors say while coffee is a safer alternative, you still should only have one to two cups each day.
