Energy drinks are seen everywhere. Whether you see them at a store, people around school, even your own family members, or an influencer online cracking one open every morning, they are everywhere. It seems like everyone is crazy over drinks like Alani, Celsius, and even Vitamin Water energy drinks. But what is the fascination? Is it the variety of flavors like fruit punch, berry,and black cherry, being influenced online, or do they really give you energy?
Alani contains 200mg of caffeine per 12 fluid ounces, each can contains 355 milliliters of caffeine. This is equal to 2 cups of coffee. The amount of caffeine Celsius contains is based on the type of flavor. The original Celsius flavor contains 200mg of caffeine per 12 ounce can, while Celsius HEAT has 300mg of caffeine per 16 ounce can. In comparison to coffee, a 12 ounce Celsius can contains more coffee than two 8 ounce cups of coffee. So these drinks sure would keep you up!
Although the fun color of the cans seems amusing and fun to drink, energy drinks have a huge impact on your health. There are both long-term and short-term health effects that are caused by the large amount of caffeine. The short-term effects are increased heart rate, blood pressure, anxiety, jitters, and insomnia. The long-term health effects include heart complications like heart attacks, digestion issues, and addiction.
Some people drink energy drinks without being aware of the health risks. Some drink it because they enjoy it. Riley Johnson, a freshman at Wayne Hills loves to drink energy drinks and says that she cannot go a day without one. “I can’t go a day without going out. If I do, I get headaches. I love how they keep me awake after not getting a ton of sleep.”
Hailie Ziemba likes to drink energy drinks because she saw that her friend had one and wanted to try. “I like drinking energy drinks because they give me energy and they taste good. My favorite flavor is the pink slushy from Alani. I drink them because I saw that my friend had one and wanted to try one.”
Gianna Maurer, a freshman, does not drink energy drinks. She stated “Every once in a while if I’m at someone’s house and it is offered I’ll have one. Other than that I do not have any at my house. My mom doesn’t buy them for me and they are also not good for your health.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, around 30% to 50% of adolescents in the United States drink energy drinks. This includes daily and occasionally. This includes ages 15-17. Is the energy drink craze just a fad or a long lasting trend?
