The next time you're confused while choosing between a cup of coffee and an energy drink after a rough day at work, you might want to keep this little detail in mind - a medium-sized cup of coffee has about 150mg of caffeine, while a can of energy drink could contain anywhere from 154mg to 500mg. That is not to say that one is better than the other, but the abnormal levels of caffeine found in energy drinks have recently become a matter of much debate. Downing multiple energy drinks could mean consuming more than 400mg of caffeine, which exceeds the upper limit of daily caffeine intake. If this makes you roll your eyes, chances are you're already addicted. Caffeine tolerance of different individuals can vary, but it doesn't take an expert to point out that the level of caffeine found in many energy drinks is freakishly abnormal. Citing health concerns regarding energy drinks, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently ordered a ban on the sale and manufacture of several such drinks in the country - the ones that had an unhealthy combination of caffeine and ginseng, which had an "opposing effect on the body," and also contained "vitamins above the recommended daily allowance," the report said.
We spoke to medical professionals in the city, who helped us list the damaging effects of excess energy drink consumption, which, they say, will give you a high, but will almost always make you addicted as well. You wouldn't even know you're addicted Like smoking and alcohol, energy drinks are addictive, but not many know this. Dr Maneesh Gupta, a consultant psychiatrist in Dwarka, explains, "Energy drinks are mostly consumed by young people, who drink them while studying, especially before an exam or when they're with friends. Gradually, it becomes a habit without them realising it. I've had patients, who consume a lot of energy drinks, coming to me and complaining about not being able to sleep, irritation in their body and seeing 'flashing lights' in their head. It is a revelation for them when they find out that this comes from addiction to energy drinks.
They don't think these drinks are harmful and instead, think they are 'just another soft drink,' but energy drinks have a really, really high level of caffeine in them, which gives you a sense of false energy. After you become a regular drinker, your mind craves more caffeine. Hence, it takes a lot of time for someone who is addicted to an energy drink to wean themselves off it."
Energy drink labels are misleading Energy drinks should ideally carry warning labels about the risks of over-consumption, but doctors say that some manufacturers aren't even honest about the ingredients, let alone a health warning. Dr Nikhil Raheja, a psychiatrist at the National Institute of Psychiatry, says, "No company that manufactures energy drinks will ever come out with its true composition. These drinks contain stimulants that make you feel very active. You're able to talk nonstop, so it helps you socialise. You can work out in the gym for longer hours and it also keeps you energetic while travelling. It is a known fact in biology - anything that shows instant results is never natural, there have to be chemicals in it.
If you ever ask these companies to tell you the real ingredients, they will always give you a very evasive answer. Plus, the branding and advertisement through which they promote their product, have a deep psychological effect on you. They make wild claims and you believe them." Alcohol and energy drinks: The dangers of mixing At most bars and pubs in the city, energy drinks mixed with alcohol have become the go-to cocktails among partygoers. Dr Rahul Chandhok, senior consultant psychiatrist at Fortis, explains the adverse effects of mixing the two. He says, "Even if people are addicted to energy drinks, they will never go and see a doctor on their own, because firstly, they won't even consider that they might be addicted. Secondly, even if they do consume a lot of these drinks, they assume that the possibility of getting hooked on to them is minimal, as these drinks don't seem like alcohol. But the caffeine in energy drinks leads to a hyper-alert state of mind and makes it even more excited.
People think they are channelling this energy in a positive direction, but they are in fact consuming so many energy drinks that they can no longer focus on anything. When they mix these drinks with alcohol, they're actually doubling the harmful effects." Dr Nikhil Raheja adds, "I have noticed that some of my patients, who used to be addicted to alcohol or drugs, eventually moved on to consuming energy drinks - about 20-30 drinks in a day! There is an element of dependence and there is definitely a tendency to get hooked. There aren't many studies on this type of addiction and people don't talk much about it either. This is the reason why it is such an unpopular kind of addiction.
Any carbonated drink mixed with alcohol doubles the harmful effects. Alcohol is a depressant and energy drinks are a stimulant. So you can imagine the kind of effect the two mixed together will have on your brain - one is activating it, while the other is depressing it." Consuming too many energy drinks is not a sensible choice Dr Ankur, an emergency physician in Delhi, says, "A high dose of energy drinks could lead to restlessness, insomnia, increased heart rate, palpitations, irritability and even allergic reactions. Most of these drinks contain a very high level of sugar as well. Companies play it very smart and mislead consumers by making the sugar in their energy drink seem healthier. Sugar, too, is somewhat addictive. Hence, the addiction to energy drinks becomes very hard to cure and if the consumption is stopped abruptly - it can give you headaches and other such symptoms. There are a lot of different ways to get a healthy energy boost - good food, sufficient sleep, exercise and lots of water. Depending on energy drinks, when feeling energetic can be achieved naturally, is not a very sensible choice."
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