What are the negative effects of energy drinks?

The main component of energy drinks is caffeine. These drinks may contain other substances such as taurine, glucoronolactone, some group B vitamins, sugar, as well as caffeine. The effects of caffeine begin to appear about 15 minutes after being taken into the body and continue for 6 hours. Caffeine inhibits the effectiveness of the phosphodiesterase enzyme. Caffeine causes an increase in the level of cAMP in the cell as the destruction of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) substance, which plays a role in intracellular signal transduction, takes place through the phosphodiesterase enzyme. Due to the change in cAMP level, the speed and strength of the heart muscles increase. As a result, blood pressure rises and more oxygen reaches the brain and other tissues.

The most important concerns about energy drinks are the long-term and overuse use's potential harm to health and especially the effects of individuals in development period - children, adolescents and young adults.