4 Shocking Truths About Energy Drinks
POSTED ON July 15, 2016 BY Lilla Bessenyei, Pharm.D.


4 Shocking Truths About Energy Drinks
Written by: Lilla Bessenyei
Energy drinks have become very popular within the last decade. They promise abundant energy so you can skip your good night’s rest. There’s no time to respect your body’s needs – live your life, party, make some money and die young.
Unfortunately, I’m not exaggerating the terrific consequences of abusing energy drinks.
They’re worse than sodas and most other sugary beverages because they contain every bad feature of these two and more.
If you don’t believe me, there’s a recent story about a woman who drank up to 20 cans of Red Bull every day for 4 years. She gained a lot of excess weight, suffered from palpitations and finally, was hospitalized for liver damage. In fact, when the doctors saw her liver, they thought she was an alcoholic because her liver was double the normal size.
With 20 cans of energy drink, the 26-year-old woman consumed the sugar of 17 Mars Bars and the caffeine of 16 cups of coffee. Every day.
Let’s see what makes energy drinks the enemy of your liver, kidneys and your whole body:
1. Taurine
This an organic acid that can be found naturally in your body and food. It plays a role in numerous biochemical pathways in your organism.
The problem is that just one can of energy drink contains double the amount of the advised daily dose of taurine. This chemical has various effects on your brain, but scientists have found that it not only doesn’t make you feel more energized, but it also has a sedative effect, which actually worsens the ‘crash’ after the energy drink’s caffeine rebound.
2. Kava Kava
Kava kava is an herbal extract, which has been used to help anxiety and insomnia.
The downside of using this concoction is that it can lead to liver injury, which can end in hepatitis, fulminant hepatic failure and even death.
3. Sugar
Excess sugar consumption can lead to fatty liver damage and obesity in the long run. As the excess sugar is converted into body fat, it can provoke many chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
4. Caffeine
Though caffeine has shown to be protective against liver damage, excess intake can cause other health issues like reflux, palpitation, anxiety, diarrhea, diuresis, dehydration, insomnia, headaches, etc…
Considering these side effects, you should be sure to avoid energy drinks as much as possible to preserve your health and the health of your liver.
Instead of drinking energy drinks, you can swap them with infused water, green or other types of herbal tea, juices, or Organifi. Give one of these natural energy-boosting recipes a try.
Pomegranate Kombucha Energy Drink
- 1 cup kombucha tea
- ½ cup coconut water
- ½ cup pomegranate juice
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- Mix all the ingredients in a large glass and stir well. Drink a glass of this instead of energy drinks.
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Kombucha is high in antioxidants and contains a little bit of caffeine as well. Pomegranate and lemon juice provide vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Coconut water is rich in electrolytes. This drink will not only give you energy, but it’ll also keep you young and healthy for a long time.
- ¼ tsp matcha powder
- Liquid stevia
- 16 oz water
- Put all the ingredients into a bottle and shake well.
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This will not only boost your metabolism, but also help fight bacteria, viruses, cancer and you to detoxify.
Enjoy!

Lilla Bessenyei is a pharmacist and writer. It has been through her own experience that she realized that health and happiness start with what you put in your body and mind - including your thoughts. She is an avid researchers and has learned a lot about health and medicine. In her studies, she found that cultivating healthy emotions were just as important (if not more so) as a healthy diet. She is a fitness junkie, enjoys the numerous benefits of a vegan diet and enjoys helping people discover true health and happiness.
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