What energy drinks contain

Energy drinks contain, in addition to water, which is the main ingredient, different stimulants, sugars, aromas and, sometimes, also vitamins and mineral salts. Their composition varies according to the specific product; in general, however, the stimulant substances that are most often found are the following:

• Caffeine . It is an alkaloid found in various plant substances including coffee beans, cocoa beans, tea leaves and guarana berries. It has a tonic effect on the heart and on the cardiovascular system; increases the threshold of attention and blocks fatigue messages that reach the brain. Its action is well documented in the scientific literature. At high doses, especially in some categories of particularly sensitive people, caffeine can also give serious side effects, including agitation, tachycardia, increased blood pressure, tremors.
• Taurine . It is an amino acid found in nature, especially in meat and seafood. It is added to energy drinks in order to enhance the effect of caffeine. Its action in energy drinks is not yet well documented by clinical studies; however, according to EFSA ( European Food Safety Authority), the safety margin with respect to taurine exposure for energy drinkers is at most one and a half can per day.
• Glucoronolactone . It is a carbohydrate naturally present in the human body. According to EFSA this ingredient is not harmful from a safety point of view.
• Guarana. It is a plant with stimulating effects, as it contains caffeine.

Some other substances that can be found in energy drinks are capsicin, with vaso-dilating function; ginseng extract, with tonic function; green tea, a stimulant, and ginger.

The risks of energy drinks

As sugary drinks, energy drinks promote overweight and obesity . As stimulating drinks, on the other hand, they can interfere with the activity of the nervous system, above all in the youngest, whose organism tolerates less the effects of caffeine.

The greatest risk related to the consumption of energy drinks concerns the association with alcohol, which is increasingly fashionable.

These drinks can give the sensation of fighting the sedative effects of alcohol, but it is not so, it is just an illusion, a very dangerous illusion. The symptoms of intoxication are only masked; in reality the threshold of attention remains low and drowsiness is only hidden. The impression of feeling less drunk and, consequently, less tired and less confused, leads to irresponsible behavior, like driving the car in a state of drunkenness.

This risk becomes even greater if we consider that often, feeling less the symptoms of intoxication, we tend to drink more than we normally would, putting ourselves even more in danger.