Index IntroductionRisk Assessment of Energy DrinksThe Dangers of Caffeine in Energy DrinksWorks CitedIntroductionWe have all heard about how energy drinks are harmful and we should stop drinking them. What affects people my age is that they cause heart attacks in young teenagers and cause death. But what actually causes it? What is it in these energy drinks that could cause death? Why should energy drinks be banned? My theory is that it's all the caffeine they put in there to "energize" that is really causing toxicity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Assessing the Risks of Energy Drinks People drink them because the company promises buyers help with brain and body functions when they are tired or sleep-deprived. So, what's in these drinks? An energy drink is a type of drink containing stimulant compounds, usually caffeine, that provide mental and physical energy stimulation. They may or may not be carbonated and may also contain sugar, other sweeteners, herbal extracts, taurine and amino acids. While these ingredients may not seem fatal or dangerous, a high dose of any of them could cause problems. Having too much sugar in a drink is not fatal or putting it into your diet is not fatal, but it could increase non-fatal heart problems, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Sweeteners can also be dangerous and could be fatal unless the sweeteners are natural . Unnatural sweeteners can cause tooth decay, weight gain, poor nutrition and may increase triglycerides. Triglycerides are an ester made up of glycerol and three groups of fatty acids, they are the main constituents of natural oils, fats and high concentrations that indicate a high risk of stroke. Herbal extracts are different, if involved in medicine they could be fatal. It causes kidney failure and liver damage and contains toxic chemicals. Taurine has been found to be safe. This may not be a good thing in a long-term situation, but no problems have been found from the amount of taurine put into energy drinks. Amino acids used in a dietary supplement are not believed to be dangerous, but are recommended to remain under medical use. Amino acids are used for pharmacological rather than nutritional purposes. The risks of caffeine in energy drinks Finally, the best known, caffeine. Caffeine is a crystalline compound found primarily in tea and coffee plants and is a central nervous system stimulant. So caffeine basically gives people energy. It is mainly ingested when you are not sleeping, but the health risks are high. There are 4 major health problems related to caffeine. Caffeine can exhaust the adrenal glands, meaning it can produce too much adrenaline. According to Dr. Kaslow “Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It causes the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline, the hormone your body depends on in an emergency to increase your heart rate and increase your breathing and blood pressure for a quick flight-or-fight response. When you abuse stimulants, your adrenal glands become exhausted. there are severe blood sugar swings that occur when the body produces an unhealthy amount of insulin. “Caffeine forces the liver to release glycogen into the bloodstream. The pancreas responds to the sudden increase in blood sugar by releasing insulin, the hormone that causes carbohydrates to come in,