Chances are, you’ve seen someone walking around the school with an energy drink from brands like Celcius, Redbull, or Monster. If you don’t like the taste of coffee, you can get your morning caffeine boost from these. However, many people argue they are doing more bad than good. Their high caffeine content may not be as good as you think. 

Energy drinks were originally marketed toward people who exercise often. Now, they’re marketed toward teens and young adults. Almost one-third of children aged 12-17 drink them regularly. Most brands of energy drinks have 200mg of caffeine. This is just over two cups of coffee! If you are sensitive to caffeine, it may lead to symptoms such as headaches, nausea, or dizziness.

This is especially important for kids, as an article by Columbia University states, “Until a safe amount is determined, if it’s impossible to avoid, people age 12 to 17 should have less than 100 mg of caffeine per day”. Energy drinks contain much more caffeine, therefore, most people believe kids should not consume energy drinks. The caffeine in energy drinks can also disrupt your sleep patterns, cause jitters, and negatively affect your heart. 

Additionally, many brands have more sugar than a can of Coca-Cola. According to Action on Sugar, “Per portion, the worst offender is Rockstar Punched Energy + Guava Tropical Guava Flavour with a staggering 20 teaspoons of sugar per 500ml can.” This is over twice as much as the recommended daily intake. The American Heart Association recommends that men consume up to 9 teaspoons of sugar and women consume up to 6 teaspoons. Too much sugar can affect your brain, heart, liver, and joints.

In conclusion, these drinks are overall bad for your health due to the high caffeine content and high sugar. If you drink them daily, they will be doing more bad than good. However, just like everything, you can consume them in moderation.