Let’s take a look at the evidence behind the safety of energy drinks and whether they have any specific damaging effect on the kidneys.
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History of Energy Drinks
If you do not include coffee, (which technically might be considered one of the first popular energy drinks to be mass consumed), Coca-Cola or Coke might have been the first modern energy/stimulant drink. And that’s not just due to the caffeine content, but also because it contained cocaine as an ingredient. It wasfinally removed in 1903.
Today,energy drinksare ubiquitous and sales have surged. It only takes a quick visit to the neighborhood gas station to figure out how popular they are. Their use has dramatically increased across most age groups. Which, obviously raises questions about these energy drinks' health effects.
Ingredients
In order to understand the effects, it’s best to take a quick look at the common ingredients that most energy drinks have. Here are some common “energy” ingredients:
Caffeine
Caffeine is perhaps the most well known of the above. An 8.3 oz can of Red Bull energy drink has about 80 mg of caffeine per serving. A 16-oz can of Rockstar energy drink has about 160 mg. To give you a perspective, 1 oz of espresso has anywhere between 47 mg to 75 mg of caffeine.
The average American consumes about 300 mg per day of caffeine a day.
For all the bad rap that teenagers and young adults get about consuming copious amounts of energy drinks, it has been found that they consumed one-third the amount of caffeine as adults or about 100 mg per day. Only a small portion of this caffeine actually came from energy drinks.
An interesting fact to bear in mind is that in the US, a manufacturer is not required to mention the amount of caffeine on a food label. This is largely because of a technicality. The nutrition info panel that we see on food labels is required to mention informationonly for nutrients.
Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid found naturally in protein sources including milk, meat, and fish. It is a common ingredient in sports supplements and is believed to enhance athletic ability.
However, high levels of taurine in the blood can have damaging consequences and this is especially likely to happen in people withchronic kidney disease (CKD). Symptoms from such accumulation have been reported in the literature.
It is debatable, however, if ingesting taurine found in a typical single serving of most energy drinks enough to cause serious harm to most people with normal kidneys.
Sugar
Many energy drinks, like sodas, contain a notoriously high amount ofempty caloriesthat come from their sugar content. We are well aware of the downsides of excessive sugar consumption.
An 8-ounce serving of Rockstar energy drink has about 30 grams of sugar. However, Rockstar is sold in 16-ounce cans, which contain two servings and 60 grams of sugar—or about 12 teaspoons.
Effects on the Kidneys
Besides the harmful effects reported from taurine accumulation with excess intake, data exist which have associated varying effects fromexcessive Red Bull consumption, like and increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as heart rate, and even reduced blood supply to the brain.
An abstract presented at the 2019 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology meeting showed that young healthy adults consuming Rockstar energy drink had a significant increase in their resting blood pressure which could predispose to cardiovascular events (heart attack, chest pain, stroke).
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Little Regulatory Oversight
However, high volume energy drink consumption is associated with prolonged QT interval which may predispose to life-threatening arrhythmias.The FDA is one of the federal organizations that will investigate any reported death or illness which might be apparently linked to an energy drink.
Energy Drink Manufacturers' Stand
Currently, most manufacturers participate in voluntary and mandatory reporting on the adverse effects of their respective energy drinks.
The current official line from the manufacturers seems to be that insufficient data exist with regards to most ingredients found in major energy drinks and therefore a cause and effect relationship between any energy drink and death/illness cannot be conclusively established.
Frequently Asked Questions
Moderate amounts of taurine are not bad for most people. However, like anything else, too much of it may be harmful to long-term health. When taurine and caffeine are ingested together, such as from an energy drink, blood pressure and heart rate are increased even more than they are with caffeine alone. People at risk of a heart condition should be mindful of their energy drink intake.
Several reported cases of liver injury have been linked to excessive energy drink consumption. However, it isn’t yet known which exact ingredients in energy drinks can harm the liver. Some research has suggested it’s not the caffeine.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Villanova University.Energy drinks—what you don’t know.Temple JL.Caffeine use in children: what we know, what we have left to learn, and why we should worry.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2009;33(6):793-806. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.01.001Kole J, Barnhill A. Caffeine Content Labeling:A Missed Opportunity for Promoting Personal and Public Health.J Caffeine Res.2013;3(3):108-113. doi:10.1089/jcr.2013.0017Suliman ME, Bárány P, Filho JC, Lindholm B, Bergström J.Accumulation of taurine in patients with renal failure.Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2002;17(3):528-9. doi: 10.1093/ndt/17.3.528.Henman K.Energy drinks. University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.Greene E, Oman K, Lefler M.Energy drink-induced acute kidney injury.Ann Pharmacother. 2014;48(10):1366-70. doi:10.1177/1060028014541997Shah SA, Szeto AH, Farewell R, et al.Impact of high volume energy drink consumption on electrocardiographic and blood pressure parameters: A randomized trial.J Am Heart Assoc. 2019;8(11):e011318. doi:10.1161/JAHA.118.011318Curran CP, Marczinski CA.Taurine, caffeine, and energy drinks: Reviewing the risks to the adolescent brain.Birth Defects Res. 2017;109(20):1640-1648. doi:10.1002/bdr2.1177National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for kidney stones.LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Energy drinks.Additional ReadingGrasser EK, Dulloo AG, Montani JP.Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular effects in response to Red Bull consumption combined with mental stress.Am J Cardiol.2015;115(2):183-9. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2014.10.017
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Villanova University.Energy drinks—what you don’t know.Temple JL.Caffeine use in children: what we know, what we have left to learn, and why we should worry.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2009;33(6):793-806. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.01.001Kole J, Barnhill A. Caffeine Content Labeling:A Missed Opportunity for Promoting Personal and Public Health.J Caffeine Res.2013;3(3):108-113. doi:10.1089/jcr.2013.0017Suliman ME, Bárány P, Filho JC, Lindholm B, Bergström J.Accumulation of taurine in patients with renal failure.Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2002;17(3):528-9. doi: 10.1093/ndt/17.3.528.Henman K.Energy drinks. University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.Greene E, Oman K, Lefler M.Energy drink-induced acute kidney injury.Ann Pharmacother. 2014;48(10):1366-70. doi:10.1177/1060028014541997Shah SA, Szeto AH, Farewell R, et al.Impact of high volume energy drink consumption on electrocardiographic and blood pressure parameters: A randomized trial.J Am Heart Assoc. 2019;8(11):e011318. doi:10.1161/JAHA.118.011318Curran CP, Marczinski CA.Taurine, caffeine, and energy drinks: Reviewing the risks to the adolescent brain.Birth Defects Res. 2017;109(20):1640-1648. doi:10.1002/bdr2.1177National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for kidney stones.LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Energy drinks.Additional ReadingGrasser EK, Dulloo AG, Montani JP.Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular effects in response to Red Bull consumption combined with mental stress.Am J Cardiol.2015;115(2):183-9. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2014.10.017
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Villanova University.Energy drinks—what you don’t know.Temple JL.Caffeine use in children: what we know, what we have left to learn, and why we should worry.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2009;33(6):793-806. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.01.001Kole J, Barnhill A. Caffeine Content Labeling:A Missed Opportunity for Promoting Personal and Public Health.J Caffeine Res.2013;3(3):108-113. doi:10.1089/jcr.2013.0017Suliman ME, Bárány P, Filho JC, Lindholm B, Bergström J.Accumulation of taurine in patients with renal failure.Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2002;17(3):528-9. doi: 10.1093/ndt/17.3.528.Henman K.Energy drinks. University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.Greene E, Oman K, Lefler M.Energy drink-induced acute kidney injury.Ann Pharmacother. 2014;48(10):1366-70. doi:10.1177/1060028014541997Shah SA, Szeto AH, Farewell R, et al.Impact of high volume energy drink consumption on electrocardiographic and blood pressure parameters: A randomized trial.J Am Heart Assoc. 2019;8(11):e011318. doi:10.1161/JAHA.118.011318Curran CP, Marczinski CA.Taurine, caffeine, and energy drinks: Reviewing the risks to the adolescent brain.Birth Defects Res. 2017;109(20):1640-1648. doi:10.1002/bdr2.1177National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for kidney stones.LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Energy drinks.
Villanova University.Energy drinks—what you don’t know.
Temple JL.Caffeine use in children: what we know, what we have left to learn, and why we should worry.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2009;33(6):793-806. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.01.001
Kole J, Barnhill A. Caffeine Content Labeling:A Missed Opportunity for Promoting Personal and Public Health.J Caffeine Res.2013;3(3):108-113. doi:10.1089/jcr.2013.0017
Suliman ME, Bárány P, Filho JC, Lindholm B, Bergström J.Accumulation of taurine in patients with renal failure.Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2002;17(3):528-9. doi: 10.1093/ndt/17.3.528.
Henman K.Energy drinks. University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Greene E, Oman K, Lefler M.Energy drink-induced acute kidney injury.Ann Pharmacother. 2014;48(10):1366-70. doi:10.1177/1060028014541997
Shah SA, Szeto AH, Farewell R, et al.Impact of high volume energy drink consumption on electrocardiographic and blood pressure parameters: A randomized trial.J Am Heart Assoc. 2019;8(11):e011318. doi:10.1161/JAHA.118.011318
Curran CP, Marczinski CA.Taurine, caffeine, and energy drinks: Reviewing the risks to the adolescent brain.Birth Defects Res. 2017;109(20):1640-1648. doi:10.1002/bdr2.1177
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for kidney stones.
LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Energy drinks.
Grasser EK, Dulloo AG, Montani JP.Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular effects in response to Red Bull consumption combined with mental stress.Am J Cardiol.2015;115(2):183-9. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2014.10.017
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