Caffeine and sugar are the chief ingredients of energy drinks and they can lead to physical dependence. Are you hooked on to energy drinks? They are an unhealthy obsession. You don’t want all that caffeine and sugar in your system.
The rise in the number of youngsters that regularly consume energy drinks is disturbing. According to the Journal of American Medical Association, as many as 51% of America’s young adults are regular consumers of such drinks.
Headaches
Your strong affinity for energy drinks is most likely an addiction to caffeine. If, in the absence of an energy drink to begin your day, you experience lethargy or a headache, then blame caffeine. If you’re consuming energy drinks at regular intervals through the day, then you’re addicted to caffeine. Consuming energy drinks with meals and using these drinks as a substitute for sleep are signs that caffeine has taken a grip over your body.
The human body can tolerate up to 500 mg of caffeine a day. A single cup of coffee may deliver anywhere between 100 mg to 160mg of caffeine. The half life of caffeine is around 4-6 hours. Its effects begin to peter off after this time.
Poor Focus
As the effect of caffeine begins to wear off, you’ll experience withdrawal symptoms such as tiredness, weakness, poor focus, drowsiness, muscle ache, depression, and nausea. The withdrawal symptoms manifest in around 12 hours after the last dose of caffeine and they are their height for 24-48 hours. Caffeine withdrawal can take up to seven days to subside. You can get hooked on to caffeine even if your daily intake is around 100 mg. With time, your tolerance for caffeine will increase. And, then you will need more energy drink to feel the same surge of energy.
Caffeine addiction is a growing problem and one of the reasons for this is that people are unaware of the harmful effects of caffeine. Consequently, they do not pay attention to the amount of caffeine they consume in a day. The amount of caffeine in a single energy drink can vary from 100 mg to 350 mg. It depends upon the brand.
Mixing with Alcohol
Mixing caffeinated drinks with alcohol can heighten intoxication without the addict realizing the extent. Alcohol dulls the senses but caffeine prevents the drinker from registering this fact. This hampers cognitive abilities and poor judgment can lead to risky behavior.
Apart from caffeine, the sugar in such drinks can lead to weight gain and concomitant illnesses such as diabetes. People who develop a tolerance to caffeine may move onto more powerful stimulants that are highly addictive. Dependence on caffeine takes a toll on a person’s working abilities. Heart palpitations and irregular heartbeats are a real risk with a caffeine overdose. There are recorded instances of people dying from caffeine toxicity.
Addiction to energy drinks can escalate to experimenting with hard drugs. It is best to ditch this addiction while you can. Hired Power can help you do that. The professional care team at Hired Power can provide you with the structure and support to recover from this addiction. There are other ways to lead a healthy and energetic lifestyle. The easiest option is not always the best. Call us to learn more. 800-910-9299
