New alert on energy drinks: they affect the functioning of the heart. Side effects should be taken seriously according to a recent study.
Another contraindication to energy drinks. It comes in addition to an already provided list of risks associated with the consumption of these products. A study, presented on December 2 at the Congress of Radiology of the North American Society, affirms that drinks such as Red Bull, Monster or Burn are bad for the heart. A team from the University of Bonn (Germany) is behind this research.
Many side effects
The team of researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the hearts of 18 healthy participants. Each volunteer underwent the examination before and after consuming an energy drink. Some received a dose of 32mg of caffeine per 100ml of drink, others a dose of 400mg of taurine per 100ml. These two products are the main components of energy drinks.
“Until now, we weren’t sure exactly what effect these energy drinks had on the functioning of the heart,” says lead author of the study, Dr. Jonas Dörner. “There are many side effects associated with high caffeine consumption, including high heart rate, palpitations, high blood pressure and, in the most severe cases, heart attacks and sudden death. Yet no study has looked at the effects of energy drinks on people with heart disease.
A more powerful contraction
In Germany, caffeine levels per 100ml of drink can reach three times the dose in 100ml of coffee. In France, according to the Ministry of Health, “a 250ml can of energy drink contains about 80mg of caffeine, or the equivalent of a cup of coffee” while taurine is at a much higher level than normal. This high concentration and the combination of these products has adverse effects on the body.
The Bonn team demonstrated that the heart’s left ventricle contracts harder an hour after consuming an energy drink. The left ventricle is the part of the heart that receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and sends it to the aorta, which then diffuses it throughout the body. “The consumption of energy drinks has a short-term impact on cardiac contractility,” explains Dr. Dörner. The results specify, however, that a major unknown remains: researchers do not know the effect of this powerful contraction of the heart on daily activities or sports performance.
Traditionally, energy drinkers have been adolescents or young people. It is also the one most at risk. The Ministry of Health specifies who should avoid the consumption of energy drinks: “It is strongly not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women as well as children and adolescents. The researchers add that people at cardiovascular risk should also refrain.
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