CAFFEINE and sugar is the combination that will undoubtedly perk you up – and it’s why energy drinks are so popular.
But the Government plans to make sales to under-16s illegal in an attempt to prevent obesity in up to 40,000 children.
Children will be banned from buying energy drinks under plans announced by Health Secretary Wes Streeting[/caption]
It comes as damning evidence links these drinks to dangerous conditions, from poor mental health to stroke.
Children are more sensitive to the stimulating effects of caffeine, such as increased heart rate, anxiety and sleep problems, while excessive sugar risks weight gain, diabetes, and dental problems.
Rebecca McManamon, registered dietitian at The British Dietetic Association, tells Sun on Sunday Health: “There is no health benefit from energy drinks. All the evidence points towards a risk of harm to young people.”
Up to one in three children aged 13 to 16, and nearly a quarter of children aged 11 to 12, have one or more high-caffeine energy drinks every week.
Meanwhile, some 31 per cent of adults reported regularly sipping on products such as Lucozade, Red Bull and Monster Energy, according to a 2025 YouGov survey.
So what happens, exactly, after you drink an energy drink?
TEN MINUTES
CAFFEINE begins to enter the bloodstream, causing your heart rate and blood pressure to rise.
It’s generally safe, but can be harmful in larger doses.
Guidelines recommend consuming no more than 400mg of caffeine per day — there’s 100mg in a mug of instant coffee, 80mg in a Red Bull and 150mg in PRIME.
Dr Vishal Aggarwal, lead GP at Healthium Clinics, tells Sun on Sunday Health: “The caffeine content itself is not unusual, but the format, sugar load and drinking habits make energy drinks a riskier source of caffeine.”
Cardiologist Professor Naveed Sattar, from the University of Glasgow, says: “The best studies (randomised trials) do not consistently show short-term harm to the heart.”
But studies suggest that regular consumption could cause abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), which can be life-threatening, particularly for people with genetic heart diseases.
Scientists at Mayo Clinic in the US examined 144 patients who survived cardiac arrest and found seven consumed an energy drink prior to the episode, while three were regular drinkers.
15 MINUTES TO ONE HOUR
SUGAR surges through the bloodstream, as caffeine levels also peak, making you feel alert and energised.
Cans contain up to 55g of sugar (Monster Original 500ml).
A 500ml can of Monster Original contains 55g of sugar which will surge through your bloodstream[/caption]
But sugar is detrimental to your teeth.
Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, the Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, tells Sun on Sunday Health:
“Their high sugar content and acidic formulation make them a leading contributor to tooth decay.
“Frequent sipping is particularly harmful, as it prolongs the contact between teeth and the acidic liquid.”
Dr Kawther Hashem, Head of Research and Impact at Action on Sugar, Queen Mary University of London, says sugary beverages increase calories without people even realising.
“This promotes fat storage and obesity, and multiple studies show strong links between frequent sugar-sweetened drink intake and a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes,” she reveals.
Professor Sattar adds: “With high-calorie intake over time, weight gain and all its resultant effects are the major concerns, all of which accelerate longer-term heart risks.”
Obesity also causes increased blood pressure and hardened arteries, making heart attack, stroke and heart disease more likely.
But it’s not just sugar, even “zero” options can be a concern.
Studies have linked artificial sweeteners to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and last week, researchers in Brazil warned they could cause the brain to age faster.
Artificial sweeteners include aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and erythritol.
FIVE HOURS+
THE buzz might be gone — triggering tiredness and low energy — but the caffeine isn’t.
Dr Aggarwal says: “Caffeine’s half-life is around five hours, so stimulation continues into the afternoon or evening.”
An energy drink can be detrimental to your sleep – and have a knock-on effect for the following day[/caption]
This can be detrimental to sleep.
“After a single exposure, the primary effect is sleep disruption, which can last for a night but has a knock-on effect for the following day, thereby affecting the second night as well,” says Dr Aggarwal.
Professor Sattar also says: “Most robust short-term concerns about energy drinks seem to be related to poor sleep, anxiety and jitteriness.
“Poor sleep worsens appetite control to promote overeating and weight gain.”
The sleep issues can also impact concentration.
BDA spokeswoman Rebecca says: “For young people, reliance on an energy drink to keep alert and awake can have a long-term impact on your brain, which is still developing, and maintaining a healthy sleep pattern.
“This can knock on to so many areas of life — school attendance, relationships — and there are associations with energy drinks and risky behaviour in young people.”
Before long, you will just be craving another.
Dr Hashem says: “A rapid spike in blood glucose delivers a quick energy boost but it’s usually followed by a sharp ‘crash’, leaving you feeling exhausted and craving more sugar or caffeine.”
24 HOURS+
ENERGY drinks, like coffee, can become a “fix”, experts warn.
Dr Aggarwall says: “In regular users who stop suddenly, withdrawal symptoms such as headache, irritability and fatigue can appear within 24 hours but typically resolve within a few days.”
Long-term concerns of consistent energy drink use include weight, diabetes, teeth and heart health[/caption]
As well as weight, diabetes, teeth and the heart, there are also long-term concerns for mental health and wellbeing.
A review of 51 studies last year, published in the Public Health Journal, showed children and adolescents who drank energy drinks were more likely to engage in risky behaviours such as illegal drug taking, violence, and unsafe sex.
Professor Amelia Lake, Professor of Public Health Nutrition at Teesside University and Deputy Director of Fuse, who led the research, welcomed the ban, adding: “We have reviewed evidence from around the world and have shown that these drinks have no place in the diets of children.”
The same study, of 1.2million children, found an increased risk of mental health issues, including anxiety, stress, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
BDA spokeswoman Rebecca adds: “Long-term consumption has been contributory in some young people who have died by suicide.”
THE BEST ALTERNATIVES
Rebecca said: “It sounds boring but water is the best option.”
Try flavoured sparkling water or try AirUp – water bottles that flavour water through scent.
“If you are relying on energy drinks to keep you going then it is also worth thinking about snacks that can help maintain your energy, like nuts, seeds or fruit instead,” Rebeca says.