Study Alerts to Severe Health Risks From Energy Drinks

By Xiu Ying, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Energy drinks, particularly popular among young people, pose serious health risks, cautioned the American Heart Association on Wednesday May 29th.

An article, published Wednesday in the academic magazine Journal of the American Heart Association, states that the intake of 900 milliliters of one of these beverages within a short period of time may increase blood pressure and risk electrical disorders in the heart.

These drinks, which emerged in the 90’s, generally contain high levels of caffeine, sugar, vitamins and plant origin stimulants – such as guaraná, ginkgo biloba or taurine – in addition to metabolites – such as carnitine.

Other ingredients found in beverages studied in the research include vitamin B and glucoronolactone, found in plants and in connective tissues.

The study recruited 34 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 40. Participants randomly took 900 milliliters of one of the two most widely sold energy drinks or a placebo on three different days.

Participants consumed the drinks in one hour, without exceeding 450 milligrams in less than 30 minutes.

Both energy drinks contained 304 to 320 milligrams of caffeine per 900 milliliters. The placebo consisted of carbonated water and lemon juice.

Researchers measured electrical activity in the heart of volunteers by ECG, as well a measuring blood pressure.

Readings were collected at the beginning of the study and every 30 minutes for four hours after intake of drinks.

The study found that participants who had consumed energy drinks registered a four hour QT interval in the ECG of 7.7 milliseconds longer than those who ingested the placebo.

The QT interval measures the time it takes for the heart’s ventricles to prepare for the next heartbeat. If the interval is too short or too long, the result may be an abnormal heartbeat or arrhythmia.

“We find links between the intake of energy drinks, changes in QT intervals and blood pressure that cannot be attributed to caffeine. We urgently need to study the particular ingredients or combination of ingredients in different types of energy drinks to explain the conclusions of our clinical trial,” explained Sachin Shah, professor of pharmacy at Pacific University in Stockton, California, who directed the research.

According to Shah, the public should be aware of the impact of energy drinks on the body, especially in the case of individuals with particular health conditions.