Energy drinks can give you a boost when Monday morning hits you hard. But that fizzy beverage isn’t doing much for your body beyond your temporary pep, according to a new review published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health.
After reviewing the current studies surrounding the risks tied to energy drinks, researchers concluded that they might be associated with a wide-ranging slew of health problem. You might already know that energy drinks can screw with your sleep, make you gain weight, or even spike your blood pressure. But overarching evidence suggests they may lead to substance abuse, mental health problems, a higher diabetes risk, tooth decay, and kidney damage, too.
“The wide range of conditions that energy drinks can negatively impact was quite astounding,” study author Josiemer Mattei, Ph.D., assistant professor of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health told Men’s Health.
The sweet stuff may be to blame, she says. Energy drinks typically contain high amounts of added sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners. In fact, an average 500-millilitre can contains roughly 54 grams (g) of sugar, the review found, which is well beyond the American Heart Association’s recommendation of no more than 36 g per day for men.
When you down too much sugar, your body will eventually have a hard time responding to it, requiring more and more insulin to help glucose enter your cells. This insulin resistance can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases. Plus, consistently high blood sugar levels can damage your nerves and blood vessels over time, which can set the stage for heart disease and kidney problems.
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health US
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