What, does this mean I should be having energy drinks with taurine after all? XD
this post was submitted on 10 Jun 2023
16 points (100.0% liked)
Science
3219 readers
48 users here now
General discussions about "science" itself
Be sure to also check out these other Fediverse science communities:
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Keep in mind there has not been a randomized clinical trial and this is data from mice and monkeys ;)
And though I assume you are joking, some infos for anybody else interested: There have been studies on humans involving energy drinks, which showed bad results, driving up blood pressure, reducing blood flow in the brain, as well as possibly increasing the risk of fatal heart rhythms.
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/are-there-risks-to-energy-drinks/
Sources can be found on this page too. :)
A “randomized, double-blind, controlled, crossover study” in which “young, healthy volunteers” were randomized to drink two large cans of an energy drink or a control drink that had the sugar and the same amount of caffeine, but none of the other “proprietary blend ingredients” like taurine, carnitine, ginseng, guarana, and all the other stuff they add.
That's interesting because I always considered those extra additives pretty harmless. So it's the mixture of everything which has negative side effects?
Yes, it appears to be the additives that have this effect. I am not sure if there are studies on which exact additives may be the culprit, or whether it is just the cumulative effect of all of them, but they do not seem to be harmless and I personally avoid energy drinks for that reason.
Yes, I was joking. :)
I try to keep my energy drink consumption down. It's hard sometimes, I have ADHD and when the meds don't do the trick, more caffeine is the go to...
I understand, though perhaps other sources of caffeine might be more advisable, like coffee or green/white tea, especially the latter having great health benefits. But of course you have to see what works for you. :)