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Energy drinks can help with concentration for short periods of time, although this can be followed by a ‘crash’

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Dear HIW, What ingredients are in energy drinks to give you energy? And is there such thing as a healthy energy drink?

Katie Jenkins

There’s often an extensive list of ingredients added to energy drinks. This usually includes caffeine, which can stimulate the nervous system to make you alert and increase concentration. Taurine is also typically listed, an amino acid that can help regulate the minerals and water in the blood and can assist with the body’s metabolism. However, too much of either of these can have negative side effects, including nausea and dizziness. B vitamins are often added to help convert the sugar in the drink into usable energy. The sugar content in these drinks is usually very high, which is one of the main reasons consuming them can be unhealthy. Some contain 62 grams of sugar per can, which is the same as 15.5 teaspoons. This is far higher than the recommended daily sugar intake in a single beverage, and can be up to 250 calories. There are some energy drinks that are advertised as ‘healthy’. These generally have all-natural ingredients and no artificial sweeteners or added sugars.