When some people wake up in the morning, they usually want to drink something to give them instant energy like coffee or an energy drink. About 63% of people drink coffee in the morning, while about 42% of people drink energy drinks. Energy drinks can have very harmful effects on the body and brain.

While energy drinks can increase alertness, attention, and energy, they can also be every harmful over time. Energy drinks cause increased blood pressure, increased hearth rate, and heavy breathing. Eventually, energy drinks can cause diabetes and tooth decay.

Most people drink energy drinks to provide an extra boost in energy, but energy drinks can have serious health effects, particularly in children, teenagers and young adults. Large amounts of caffeine may cause serious heart and blood vessel problems such as heart rhythm disturbances and increase in heart rate and blood pressure. The most caffeine an adult should have is about 400 milligrams a day; however, this lowers to 100 milligrams for teens and only 85 milligrams for kids ages 10-12. While, in one serving of a two serving canned energy drink, there’s about 74 milligrams.

The CDC reports that drinkers aged 15 to 23 who mix alcohol with energy drinks are four times more likely to bring drink at high intensity than drinkers who do not mix alcohol with energy drinks. According to nnih.nih.gov “In 2011, 42 percent of all energy drink-related emergency department visits involved combining these beverages with alcohol or drugs (such as marijuana or over the counter or prescription medicines).” People are more likely to drink more than they would usually if they mix energy drinks with alcohol which can cause them to become more impaired than they realize.

For some people who have been drinking energy drinks for a while, it might be harder to stop drinking them, but there are alternatives. Some alternatives include eating healthy snacks, like nuts and berries, or taking vitamins. For beverage alternatives, people who want to quit can drink water, juices, protein shakes or tea. The most recommend alternative is water because it can keep a person’s body hydrated.

Overall, energy drinks might seem like a quick way to get energy, but they can be unhealthy and harmful. They can cause many health problems which can become worse over time. There are different ways to get energy and to be healthy about it that does not involve massive amounts of caffeine.