Effects of Energy Drinks on the Heart and Blood Vessels

There are a myriad of energy drink brands and this depicts both their popularity and the size of the available market. However, numerous adverse effects have come to be associated with their consumption. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of the consumption of energy drinks on the heart and blood vessels of adult Wistar rats. The experiment involved the use of twenty-five (25) Wistar rats of either sexes and they were randomly assigned into five (5) groups (A, B, C, D and E) of five (5) adult wistar rats each. Lucozade Boost and Red Bull energy drinks were the agents of study. Group A was the control group. Group B was treated with high dose of Lucozade Boost, Group C was treated with low dose Red Bull, Group D was treated with a moderate dose of Red Bull while Group E was treated with high dose of Red Bull energy drink. At the completion of the experiment, Group A showed no pathology, while the other experimental groups showed a number of pathological changes. In conclusion, energy drinks scarcely have therapeutic benefits. The consumption of these energy drinks will seriously harm the body. Those planning to consume energy drinks should be warned.

Key Words: Energy drink, hypertrophy, congestion, cholesterol, heart, blood vessels