In 1949, Dr. Enuf entered the US market. It was the first beverage specifically marketed as an energy drink. But it was the advent of Red Bull in 1997 that propelled a global market. Annual US sales now top 25 billion dollars, projected to exceed 50 billion by 2033.
The drinks were initially directed towards athletes, but more recently marketing has shifted toward teens and young adults. Although drinks differ, they usually contain large amounts of sugar, caffeine, additives, and legal stimulants, such as guarana, L-carnitine, and taurine. The rise in consumption has been linked to a number of negative health outcomes, especially in younger individuals. Increased anxiety, insomnia, tremors, dehydration, GI disturbances, and tachycardia serve as common adverse outcomes, while ventricular fibrillation, acute pancreatitis, seizures, mania, stroke, rhabdomyolysis (rapid breakdown of skeletal muscle), and even fatalities have been recorded. Energy drinks have been shown to increase negative cardiovascular outcomes in individuals with and without previously diagnosed conditions. Caffeine overdose or adverse-related effects resulted in more than double the ER visits for middle school children between 2017-2023.
The average human body is 60% water. Widespread benefits of drinking water regularly, if marketed as a medication, would be more prolific than any drug in history. Water promotes skin health & elasticity. It aids in weight loss and maintenance. It supports digestion, absorption of nutrients, and reduces risk of constipation. Water improves brain functioning, aiding in alertness, attention, and memory. It’s role in healthy kidney function is unrivaled, lowering the risk of urinary tract infections and kidney stones. It’s a blood thinner, aiding in cardiac performance while also helping regulate body temperature. Water lubricates joints, aids in endurance, and increases flexibility. It reduces the risk, and aids in the relief, of headaches and migraines. We’re just beginning…
As we continue to grapple with the meteoric rise in preventable illnesses, regular water consumption is one of the simplest solutions, but only if we find goodness and joy (as artificial drinks purport to give us) in treating our minds and bodies as sacred vessels. Options abound. Substitute one drink a day for water; declare Wednesday as a water only day. Save energy drinks for a special day of the week; don’t consume sugary drinks after noon. You pick. Consider that it’s not just for us, but for the youth who are watching us, and learning just how much (or not) we care about ourselves.
