You May Drink These All The Time, But They Could Send You To The Hospital

For those who don’t like coffee or don’t give themselves enough time to brew a pot each morning, energy drinks can be a great alternative in a pinch.

And while these sugary drinks may be an easy way to give you the boost you need, they could actually be making you and your children sick…like, trip-to-the-hospital sick.

A 50-year-old man was diagnosed with acute hepatitis after drinking multiple energy drinks a day during a three-week period.

Originally thinking he had the flu, the man sought medical attention after he began experiencing symptoms of jaundice.

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He had no history of liver disease and was not on any medications. He was, however, really abusing energy drinks.

Lab results as well as a liver biopsy showed strong signs of hepatitis C.

Hepatitis is a severe liver inflammation that can cause cirrhosis, liver disease, or even cancer. While the disease is often transmitted through the sharing of needles or contaminated food, acute hepatitis is not infectious and can be caused by toxins.

Energy drinks are often full of supplements and vitamins, which in large doses can prove detrimental to your health. This unfortunate guy’s condition became less serious once his regular lifestyle of energy drink consumption changed.

In this man’s case, large amounts of vitamin B3, or niacin, were present. Niacin is linked to hepatotoxicity, a type of liver damage that can be caused by high doses of the supplement. Each drink he consumed contained 40 mg of niacin, and he was averaging 200 mg of niacin daily for three weeks straight.

In 2011, a woman suffered a similar fate after drinking 10 energy drinks a day for two weeks. She experienced nausea, vomiting, and jaundice.

Energy drinks aren’t the only beverages on the market that could be making you sick. Cola-based sodas are high in phosphoric acid, which can cause kidney disease and could increase your chances of kidney stones. Phosphoric acid in soda can also cause osteoporosis, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

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Do you chug multiple energy drinks a day, and if so, what do you think about these findings?