What to do if your heart hurts after a power engineer. Physiological impact of energy drinks on vital functions

19.05.2019 Meat Dishes

Why does my heart ache?

The strong point of oriental medicine is the prevention and treatment of pathologies associated with tissue degeneration. All our vital organs are constantly polluted with slags: cholesterol is deposited on the walls of blood vessels, nitrites clog brain cells, acid eats away at the stomach, calcium accumulates in the kidneys. Nevertheless, the human body is able to cleanse itself of poisons on its own as long as the feedback systems are functioning properly.

But if the channels through which the energy flows inside the human body are slagged, the energy flows that carry vital important information, and the effectiveness of the feedback diminishes. Consider a set of meridians along which energy flows from the heart to the central nervous system - the yin meridians. Suppose they convey distorted information about the amount of cholesterol in the heart. Now let's turn to a set of meridians in the opposite direction, from the central nervous system to the heart - to the yang meridians. They, too, may not transmit the correct information, that is, they do not receive information about the amount of hormones that must be produced. Both in the first and in the second case, a person may experience cardiovascular disease. Moreover, it is enough to disrupt the work of one set of meridians, for example, from the heart to the central nervous system. This principle applies to all other authorities.

These organic, or degenerative, changes are caused by impaired energy flow. Violation, and even more cessation of the flow, destroys the harmony of the meridional interaction of yin and yang of the corresponding organs. Once the congestion is cleared and the balance of yin and yang is restored, the disease disappears by itself. Energy therapy sessions serve to clear the pathways of energy movement, the rest human body will do it himself.

Oriental medicine identifies several vital organs in the human body: heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys. They correspond to the five basic emotions, respectively, joy, anger, anxiety, sadness and fear. A blockage in one of the energy flows, the liver, for example, can make the energy excessive (increase its yang). This will lead to increased irritability of the patient, and, conversely, a person who is often angry destroys his liver.

The liver meridian communicates with the pulmonary meridian. Consequently, blockage in the liver's energy flow path can cause a lack of lung energy (yin), which results in the person becoming unable to bear grief.

The work of the liver directly affects the heart, which corresponds to the "process of fire". Too much wood will cause too much fire, says a Chinese medical axiom. In other words, this means that a choleric person may experience heart complications. Clearing the pathways of energy movement and restoring the balance of yin and yang restores health. Right now, you can understand why Chinese medical philosophy treats the patient comprehensively, and does not focus solely on external symptoms. In this regard, it becomes clear why Western doctors often cannot find the cause of the disease, despite the fact that they themselves and their patients know about its existence.

Suppose you are a Western advocate of medical problems. If you are inclined to abandon the organ-emotion correspondence or the concept of five elementary processes, recognizing them as meaningless, remember that Eastern medical philosophy is based on a completely different worldview. Ask a Vietnamese doctor how he knows that disruption of the liver's energy movement causes a fit of rage. You might as well ask a Western surgeon how he knows that excess nitrite in the nerves of the skull causes headaches. Here is what a Western surgeon might say: "When I heard a complaint of a headache, I could cut off my head, rip out the patient's nerves from the skull, and make sure that they have excess nitrite." An oriental physician might answer: "When my patient is angry, I feel his pulse and find that there is a congestion in the meridian of his liver."

The surgeon might add: “If I opened his cranial nerves and removed the excess nitrite, the headache would go away. But in this case, the patient would most likely die. Therefore, I do not operate on him, but give him a pain reliever. His nerves become insensitive, the patient ceases to feel the headache, but it is not eliminated. " An oriental healer will say: “If I press on individual energy points to stop individual flows of energy, the patient will stop feeling anger, although he will remain inside. The point is that the liver's energy is still blocked. Instead, I clear the congestion. Now the patient will stop feeling angry because the feeling of anger has been removed. "

In other words, according to Eastern medical thinking, the cause of anger and other negative emotions is hidden within the body. For example, if you are angry with the waiter because he snatched the half-eaten steak from under your nose (and at that time you turned the other way and talked to your friend), it’s not at all because the steak was gone. This act of the waiter triggered a certain reaction within your body, which blocked the energy flow of the liver. If you do not have a congestion in the path of energy flow, such an act will not make you angry. Maybe you even ask the waiter about the possibility to pay the bill partially - you haven't finished your dish! And if your meridians are properly cleansed and your organs are energetically balanced, you will not have negative emotions. You will, of course, forget that you once could not enjoy life; lose the tendency to anger, unnecessary anxiety, depression, and unnecessary fear. If you can appreciate the principle of organ-emotion correspondence, you will understand why a stressful life can cause so many diseases of the corresponding internal organs.

Heart in oriental medicine associated with joy and fiery elements. Joy heals the heart, but excessive joy can also harm a person, "because every medicine must have its own measure and its duration." The heart in the East is called "the king of the dense organs." Heart disease is caused by anxiety, grief, hunger, insomnia, and intense anger — in short, negative emotions and a person’s inability to control them. In addition, heart ailments are often the result of poor diet and lifestyle. But the main cause of heart disease still lies in stress, and the way of life and unhealthy diet, and sometimes our inattention, only aggravate the condition.

How often do we listen to the rhythmic work of our heart? Do we always pay attention to seemingly insignificant pains in time? And when should you start treating this disease? At a young age, in mature years? Or even later, when handfuls of pills no longer help?

Life in a metropolis leaves an imprint not only on a person's consciousness, on a way of life, but also on his psychological status in general. We face daily large quantity people, each of whom carries its own energy field, mood. To our usual stress associated with work and family, experiences are added due to the instability of our life, the increased number of social stresses and all sorts of problems. The pace of life in a big city changes the usual life rhythms of any person. Plus, living in a metropolis, people accumulate and carry negative energy, emotions for a long time and often do not know how to get rid of it. All this affects the nervous system and, of course, the heart. According to statistics, death from cardiovascular disease today it firmly holds the first place. Recently, death from myocardial infarction or cerebral hemorrhage is "younger" every year. Example: the sudden death of a talented young figure skater Sergei Grinkov. And how many more people die in the prime of their creative powers!

The heart itself, its muscle tissues do not have branches of the nervous system, and pain occurs through the indirect influence of the nervous system on the vessels that feed the heart, and on the surrounding tissues - bones, muscles. Therefore, there are various diseases not only of the heart itself, but also of other organs that indirectly affect the work of the heart. This confuses not only the patient, but also the attending physician.

So, for example, a well-known disease - cervicothoracic osteochondrosis - sometimes manifests itself only with "cardiac" symptoms: a person is disturbed by either stabbing or aching pains in the region of the heart, radiating to the left arm, causing heaviness in the limb. Palpitations, sweating, sleep disturbances are observed ... Taking numerous medications is often ineffective, and pain becomes a constant companion of life.

Why does it arise? Because with osteochondrosis, the nerve roots and vessels that feed the muscles of the anterior chest wall in the region of the heart, under the scapula, are compressed, and pain is given to the arm. If such a patient is treated correctly, without the use of drugs, success is guaranteed.

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On the shelves of many shops you can find various cans, glass and plastic bottles filled with drinks, which are commonly called energy drinks.

The companies that release the product indicate their ability not only to quench thirst, but also to stimulate the activity of the human nervous system, since the effect of these drinks on the human body is anti-sedative.

Of course, not everything is so simple, and the use of such drinks can lead to various negative consequences for the cardiovascular system of a person, the brain and the body as a whole. What happens to the human heart and the body as a whole when using energy drinks and how to reduce the risk, we will consider in our article.

What do they include?

Buyers of products of this type are well aware that they are produced in containers with a volume of 0.33 liters, less often 0.5 liters. This is due to a number of reasons. One of them is the desire of manufacturers to limit the one-time consumption of energy drinks by the person who bought them.

V different countries the world there is a restriction on the sale of such drinks. For instance, in the US, since 2010, energy has been banned from selling in all states. In some European countries, products of this type are sold only in pharmacies.

Most power engineers include:

Caffeine. It is part of all types energy drinks... It plays the role of the main stimulator of the brain. By itself, but only in adequate dosages and in the form of natural coffee.
Taurine. Stimulates metabolic processes in the body, has anticonvulsant properties.
Carnitine. Reduces muscle fatigue and accelerates fatty acid oxidation.
Guarana. It has tonic properties, removes lactic acid from muscle tissue.
Matein. Dulls hunger and promotes weight loss.
Sugar. Has a destructive effect on blood vessels and the body as a whole.

Also check out the infographic:

Each type of drink contains vitamins of various groups. The carbon dioxide contained in cola promotes the rapid absorption of the drink into the human blood. The effect of invigorating the body is felt from the first sips. On the a short time the person feels a surge of strength.

Important! Energy drinks should not be confused with energy products... They have a different purpose and composition.

The effect of energy drinks on the body lasts no more than 4 hours. An energetic can with a capacity of 0.25 ml corresponds to 2 cups of espresso coffee.

Effects on the cardiovascular system

Most people know that energy drinks, acting on the nervous system, increase efficiency and reduce drowsiness.

Studies of the effects of drinks on the human body have shown that, in addition to positive properties they are dangerous.

A large dose of the drink causes an increased heart rate and tremors of the limbs. Daily use high doses of caffeine contained in the product leads to depletion of strength, imbalance in the water-salt balance in the human body and gastritis.

According to research, the harmful effects of such drinks can be:

depression and increased irritability;
tiredness and insomnia;
heart palpitations (tachycardia), heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias) and many other cardiovascular diseases;
increased arterial pressure(hypertension);
uncontrolled nervous breakdowns.

Depletion of the nervous system causes an excess of vitamin B entering the human body with a drink.

Carefully! Regular consumption of more than 2 cans of energy drinks per day contributes to the development of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in humans.

The energy sector is especially dangerous for the heart and blood vessels. Often their use leads to angina pectoris and arrhythmias. Serious studies of power engineers were carried out by French scientists. They revealed that out of 257 registered facts of the negative impact of drinks on the human body, 95 concerned the cardiovascular system.

The people participating in the study had attacks of angina pectoris, arrhythmias and arterial hypotension. In medical practice, the expression "caffeine syndrome" is used. It is understood as a complex of symptoms and diseases, including tachycardia, hand tremors, increased agitation, severe headache.

Carefully! Caffeine prevents oxygenation of the heart and blood.

The use of energy drinks by people with heart disease can lead to cardiac arrest. Drinking drinks is strictly prohibited, even for healthy people, immediately after or during physical training. A weekly regular intake of the product leads to an increase in heart rate by 7.8%, and after 2 weeks by 11%.

Why can chest pain after consuming them?

Most frequent consequence consuming energy drinks is tachycardia, manifested by pains in the heart and sensation, as if it beats hard. Tachycardia requires serious treatment.

If a person drank an energy drink and felt pain or tingling in the heart, this should be taken seriously. The first thing to do at the first sign of sickness is to stop drinking these drinks and eliminate any additional stress on the heart.

A sharp deterioration in health requires the provision of emergency therapeutic assistance to a person. Best to call ambulance... Sleep can help with mild discomfort. With an increase in heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute, a person may take several actions yourself to help improve your well-being.

They include:

Holding the breath for 10-15 seconds (the exercise is repeated after each inhalation for 10 minutes).
Taking a cold shower (if this is not possible, you can replace the shower with washing).

With a pulse of more than 150 beats per minute, you must take "Corvalol" or "Diphenhydramine".

Can the heart stop from these drinks?

The highest risk of cardiac arrest is noted by doctors in people with undiagnosed problems with the cardiovascular system. The risk group includes children, adolescents, and the elderly.

The heart can stop and completely healthy people when using energy drinks together with others alcoholic beverages or when taken during strenuous exercise.

How many energy drinks need to be drunk in order for the heart to stop for sure is not known for certain. However, the dose causing this risk is 2 250 ml cans of the drink.

How to reduce harm - 4 rules

Reception of power engineers has a number of contraindications and can greatly harm health, which will be difficult to restore later. There are a number of diseases, the presence of which makes the use of the drink deadly. Among these diseases are hypertension, angina pectoris and other heart diseases.

In no case should you:

combine the intake of energy drinks with coffee, strong tea and medicines;
drink more than 2 cans of the product at once;
drink a drink while exercising, on the dance floor, or when doing hard physical work;
do not drink energy immediately after sleeping in the morning.

Regular consumption of the product is addictive and promotes weight gain.

A few words about the right diet

People who have problems with the cardiovascular system should be attentive to. There are a number of products that can be used as a therapeutic or prophylactic agent. Among them:

It is best to include in the menu, and.
"Healers" of the heart -

Experts warn that drinking just two energy drinks in a row can lead to cardiac arrest in people with undiagnosed cardiovascular problems.

Australian scientists have studied how caffeinated beverages affect the risk of cardiac arrest in people with long QT syndrome (LQTS), an inherited condition that can lead to dangerous cardiac arrhythmias. This condition very often goes unnoticed, as it is not accompanied by any physical symptoms.

The head of the study, Professor Semsaryan, noted that the potential risk to the heart from consuming energy drinks is becoming an important health problem. The most at risk are adolescents and young people, who are targeted by the sale of energy drinks.

The study involved 24 patients aged 16 to 50 years who were diagnosed with long QT syndrome (LQTS). All respondents were divided into two groups.

The first was given two cans of Red Bull, which contain 160 mg of caffeine and 2,000 mg of taurine, but no sugar. The second were given 500 ml of a stimulant drink without caffeine or taurine.

For an hour and a half, all participants were monitored for the pressure and electrical activity of the heart, measurements were made every 10 minutes. After the end of monitoring, three patients from the first group began to manifest dangerous symptoms LQTS. They had impaired cardiac electrical activity, which meant it could not pump blood properly, and two of these three patients also experienced a sharp rise in blood pressure.

“When something, in this case energy drinks, is consumed by millions of people around the world, 12.5 percent is not that small anymore, and the results deserve close scrutiny,” said study co-author Federia Dagradi of the Center for Genetic Heart Arrhythmias at Italy.

Many people have heard about energy drinks today - they can be found on store shelves, and their obtrusive advertising on TV promises a "flying" sensation and a charge of vivacity. But when they are used, the body experiences severe stress, and the load on the heart increases several times, which leads to increased pressure and malaise. The brain suffers no less from their action due to the "cocktail" of psychostimulants. The active use of these drinks can lead to a hospital bed and even death, in the presence of serious problems with blood vessels and heart muscle. What is the harm of power engineers?

Energetics: Activity or Strong Stress?

On January 1, 2018, a law banning the production and sale of alcohol-containing energy drinks on the territory of the Russian Federation came into force. But this does not mean that these drinks disappeared from circulation altogether, they began to be sold clandestinely in nightclubs or to use cocktails made from non-alcoholic energy drinks and strong alcohol... But even if the law is followed exactly, non-alcoholic energy drinks no less dangerous to health, although they are devoid of the toxic properties inherent in ethyl alcohol. Reception of any types of energy drinks is a strong stress for the body, arising from the powerful stimulation of metabolism by the components that make up its composition. Particularly severe stress and Negative consequences for health they cause in the nursery and adolescent body as well as among young people. Restrictions on sale non-alcoholic formulations as of today, no, with the exception of Moscow and the Moscow region, where their sale is regulated from the age of 18.

Why are energy drinks so dangerous, because stress and activation, "revitalization" of metabolism are useful to the body to a certain extent? The fact is that when using these drinks, the boundaries of stress are crossed physiological norms and lead to depletion of resources, negative effects on blood vessels, nervous tissue and many other organs of the body.

Even if we do not consider the currently forbidden alcoholic energy drinks that affect the liver and brain, soft drinks of this kind are no less harmful. They are used by people during the period increased loads so as not to sleep before the session, on a long trip or all night at the club, when the body is initially already tired, but overloaded with information. They activate metabolism for 3-4 hours, spasm blood vessels, increase pressure and change the blood circulation of tissues. In relation to the brain, this effect can be compared to a driven horse, which is lashed with a whip, so that it gallops further. In conditions of fatigue, the brain consumes more glucose and other nutrients, it needs more oxygen, but a tired body cannot adequately meet all its needs. After a short and ineffective excitement and activity, a pronounced decline and a sharp inhibition of brain functions inevitably occur, hypoxia of nerve cells is formed, some of which die. Frequent reception moreover, power engineers teaches the brain tissue to work only under conditions of "spurring" and forms a kind of addiction, without power engineers the brain "dulls".

The composition of energy drinks and the effect of components on the work of the heart

The main components of these drinks are extremely high doses of caffeine, extracts of matein, guarana and ginseng, taurine, melatonin, L-carnitine are found in some drinks. These components are designed to stimulate metabolism, increasing the activity of the nervous system. The amount of caffeine in these drinks is extremely high, due to which they negatively affect the work of the heart and vascular tone. Such a cocktail of stimulants leads to a sharp increase in heart rate, vasospasm, which causes an increase in pressure and a surge of strength, vigor. If it is alcoholic energy drink or it is used in a mixture with alcoholic beverages, it also affects the heart ethanol... It dilates blood vessels, lowering pressure, but at the same time makes the heart beat faster. If there are problems in the structure of the myocardium, vascular walls, or they are affected by atherosclerosis, this threatens a heart attack or stroke.

Although taurine and ascorbic acid are good for blood vessels and heart, they simply lose all their potential benefits as part of such a "cocktail".

When exposed to ultra-high doses of caffeine and additional stimulants, the pressure can rise very strongly, sometimes to critical levels, which threatens with headaches, disturbances in well-being, nausea and malaise. On the background high pressure the blood supply to the brain is disturbed, hypoxia of nerve cells with insomnia, aggression and anxiety is formed. Frequent intake of caffeine flushes calcium from the bones of the skeleton, increasing the risk of osteoporosis, severely irritating the stomach lining, forming heartburn, nausea and bloating. The abuse of energy drinks threatens with nervous breakdowns, depression and hypertension.

Carbohydrates in the composition and "food chemistry"

In addition to all the listed components, energy drinks contain a lot of light carbohydrates (sugars). The harm of these substances in excess amounts has long been known. In carbonated drinks, light carbohydrates lead to fat deposition, tooth enamel damage and tooth decay. Initially, these carbohydrates in the composition of the product are designed to saturate the brain and all tissues with energy, but under conditions of exposure to caffeine and other components of the drink (including alcohol) and tissue hypoxia, they are metabolized to form intermediates that load the liver and metabolism.

No less dangerous in the composition and substitutes for natural carbohydrates - sorbitol or aspartame. And if we add here the presence of dyes, preservatives, stabilizers and other chemicals, the blow to the body becomes very powerful and serious, the liver and kidneys suffer, the risk of allergies and abrupt changes in metabolism is high. Potentially beneficial amino acids, added to drinks, are not able to help the body resist the negative influences of other components of the drink under such stress conditions.

Recently, the use of energy drinks is increasingly causing concern, since there is potential danger for the heart due to their supposedly high concentration of caffeine in addition to other substances such as taurine, guarana and L-carnitine, which are largely unknown to the general public. In addition, all over the world there have been registered a large number of energy poisoning, including cases of seizures and arrhythmias.

Energy drinks (energy drinks or energy tonics) are carbonated drinks that do not contain alcohol at all or in small quantities and have an exciting or tonic effect on the body. Most energy drinks have exactly a stimulating effect on the central nervous system.

The composition of energy drinks most often contains caffeine, which can be represented by other substances such as thein, matein. Additionally, the drink includes theophylline or theobromine, which are essentially psychostimulants, as well as taurine and carbohydrates. All this in abundance is stabilized with carbonic acid.

According to wikipedia.org.

The use of energy drinks is increasing every day, as many advertisers present drinks as positively affecting performance, overall well-being and mood. In fact, energy drinks can do a lot of harm to health, especially the cardiovascular system.

Video: About energy drinks

Physiological impact of energy drinks on vital functions

It is widely believed that caffeine, especially in high doses, is associated with multiple comorbid heart conditions, including heart palpitations and a number of arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and supraventricular and ventricular tachycardia. Also, caffeine, with an acute increase in blood pressure, has negative impact on the cardiovascular system, which increases the likelihood of arrhythmias. It has been shown that such hypertension is more pronounced in the elderly and those with essential hypertension.

Energy drink companies say there is between 30 and 360 mg of caffeine per can, compared with 400 mg of caffeine in Canada.

A study of 20 young healthy people who consumed Red Bull in the midst of mental stress showed that, compared to drinking water, drinking 355 ml of Red Bull caused a cumulative cardiovascular load. At the same time, systolic blood pressure increased by about 10 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure by about 7 mm Hg. Art. and a heart rate of 20 beats per minute. Additionally, there was a decrease in the blood flow velocity in the brain by -7 cm / s.

Recently, in a comprehensive and systematic review of case studies related to energy tonics and their adverse health effects, it was noted that energy drinks are most likely to have negative effects on the neurological and cardiovascular systems.

Neurological side effects are mainly expressed:

Attacks.
Neuro-psychotic arousal.
Aggressive behavior.
Suicidal thoughts.

This may be because caffeine and taurine are both known psychoactive agents.

On the part of the cardiovascular system side effects are;

Arrhythmias (the highest percentage is 35% in other cases).
Coronary vasospasm.
Dissection of the aortic aneurysm.
Heart failure.
Prolongation of the QT interval.
Acute cardiomyopathy.
Progressive hypertension.
Reversible postural tachycardia syndrome.
Acute coronary thrombosis.
ST segment myocardial infarction.

The authors attribute the cardiovascular side effects to energetic ingredients such as caffeine and taurine, which, based on studies, increase platelet aggregation, disrupt endothelial function, and possibly cause vasospasm due to the development of hypertension.

Although there is a direct link between the consumption of energy drinks and platelet aggregation along with endothelial dysfunction, the exact substance causing these effects is still unknown.

The risk of developing the above diseases increases several times if the energy drink is combined with alcohol or other substances.

Caffeine and heart

It is widely believed that most energy drinks contain a significantly higher concentration of caffeine than the same cup of coffee. Cardiovascular responses to caffeine use have been extensively studied. Some effects of caffeine on heart muscle for a long time has been viewed as a possible culprit for heart disease in some people. Over the past couple of decades, coffee has been associated with various harmful effects, such as:

Hypertension.
Stomach ulcer.
Palpitations.
Atrial flutter.
Myocardial infarction.

Therefore, caffeine plays important role in the development of dangerous complications when using energy drinks.

Biochemical effects of caffeine on the heart:

In healthy people, caffeine, methylxanthine, increases the activity of the sympathetic nerve. The molecular mechanism of caffeine is its competitive inhibition of phosphodiesterase. This leads to an increase in the level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and, as a consequence, to a positive inotropic effect on the myocardium.
On the other hand, inhibition of adenosine receptors prevents the negative inotropic effect caused by adenosine. Thus, consuming large amounts of caffeine can increase blood pressure and plasma catecholamines, renin, and free acids.

Toxic doses of caffeine can affect the conduction and refractoriness of the heart, which leads to the development of various arrhythmias. Symptoms of a caffeine overdose mainly include:

Palpitations.
Hypertension.
Irritability.
Insomnia.
Tremor.
Convulsions.

In addition, the hypertensive effects of caffeine should not be ignored as they can lead to dangerous cardiovascular conditions.

There is a widespread belief that caffeine can be arrhythmogenic in those who consume it regularly. However, a large Danish study did not find a higher risk of atrial fibrillation / flutter with varying amounts of caffeine consumed. In addition, the stimulatory effect of caffeine appears to differ between individuals, and the degree of tolerance and dependence to this substance appears to be hereditary and may be associated with polymorphisms.

Caffeine metabolism

This process is extremely varied and depends on the characteristics of a particular user; thus, the effects of caffeine are uneven. The half-life is 4.9 hours, but the level of absorption mainly depends on:

human genotype;
age;
floor;
liver conditions;
the use of medications such as oral contraception, antidepressants and antiarrhythmics;
tolerance to stimulants.

Caffeine is mainly metabolized through the liver cytochrome P450 1A2 enzyme (CYP1A2). The presence of defects in this enzyme leads to a change in the metabolism of caffeine and its half-life. Hence, genetic polymorphisms in the CYP1A2 pathway may be responsible for some of the inconsistencies in coffee consumption and health effects.

Table comparing the amount of caffeine in different drinks.

Caffeinated beverage	The amount of caffeine in the drink / mg
Herbal tea	0
Lipton tea	5
Maxwell House coffee	2-10
Starbucks hot chocolate	25
Tea Arizona Iced Black	30
Starbucks Refreshers Can	30
Dannon Coffee	30
Coca Cola, Coke Zero, Diet Pepsi	34
Snapple Lemon Tea	37
Pepsi	38
Starbucks Refreshers Can	50
Maxwell House Light Ground Coffee	50-100
Mountain dew	54
Red bull	80
Starbucks ™ Grande Coffee Frapuccino	95
Starbucks Grande Chai Latte	95
Dunkin donuts™ Medium Latte	97
Rockstar	160
Monster energy	160
Starbucks grande caffe mocha	175
Dunkin Donuts Medium Brewed Coffee	178
Caffeine powder	200
Starbucks Grande Caffe Americano	225
Bang energy	357

Taurine and heart

Taurine is a derivative of the amino acid cysteine and is found abundantly in cardiac and skeletal muscles. It is quite abundant in energy drinks such as 5-h energy and Red Bull. Although taurine is considered important nutrient for a person, until extensive clinical researches evaluating the effects of taurine.

Taurine has previously been found to be beneficial in improving the lipid profile by increasing the transcription of CYP7A1, an important enzyme in bile conjugation. It is also involved in increasing the uptake of LDL by the liver and upregulation of LDL receptors.

Taurine use may also be associated with lower blood pressure. Perhaps this is due to the weakening of the effect of angiotensin II, which causes vasoconstriction or "enhances" the action of the kinin-kallikrein system, which usually promotes the development of vasodilation.

A study of ethnic Chinese found an inverse correlation between 24-hour taurine extract and diastolic blood pressure in Han people (the main Chinese ethnic group) and a decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in Tibetan subjects when consuming the corresponding foods. Similarly, a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed in 19 patients with borderline hypertension.

In addition, taurine deficiency was found to cause a decrease in the sensitivity of the heart muscle to Ca ions. As a result, the inotropic capacity of the organ decreases. This may be the reason why supplements increase physical performance by improving blood flow to the rest of the organs, especially the musculoskeletal system.

It was determined that the concentration of taurine is higher in the muscles of the left ventricle of the heart of patients who died from chronic heart failure than in patients who died from other causes and did not have cardiac pathology.

The study notes that taurine may, in fact, have an inotropic effect that is directly related to cardiovascular side effects associated with energy drinks.

Comparison of the effects of consuming energy drinks containing only caffeine and those containing caffeine and taurine showed:

Mean 24-hour systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean blood pressure were significantly higher in people who took caffeine and taurine energy drinks.
The intake of energotonics containing taurine increases the risk of developing myocardial infarction. This is most likely due to the fact that caffeine and taurine can interact.
Drinking a drink with caffeine alone does not cause any significant cardiovascular changes as determined by magnetic resonance. While taking a combination of caffeine and taurine, peak systolic output is significantly increased.

The interaction between taurine and caffeine was addressed by Schaffer and colleagues, who, in agreement with the European Union Scientific Committee on food products concluded that taurine should neutralize some of the adverse effects of caffeine taken in excess. In particular, it was noted that the physiological functions of taurine are incompatible with the adverse symptoms of cardiovascular disorders that have arisen against the background of excessive consumption of drinks containing caffeine and taurine.

Video: The Truth About Energy Drinks. Quality Formula program,

Guarana and heart

Pauliniacapuna, also known as guarana, is a South American herb that was first mentioned in 1872 and used to treat headaches. The natives of the Amazon used the seeds of these fruits to increase efficiency and energy.

The stimulating effect of guarana is due to the peculiarity chemical composition similar to the structure of caffeine. It has been determined that guarana seeds contain 2% -4.5% caffeine, while in coffee bean contains 1% -2% caffeine.

The effect of guarana is not fully understood. Whether this is additive or synergistic when combined with caffeine is unclear. Guarana in up to 500 ml energy drink ranges from 1.4 mg to 300 mg. The herb is generally recognized as safe by the FDA, although there is no set dosage and it is unclear how much guarana is in each drink because many companies do not quote milligrams. Therefore, it should be assumed that the amount of caffeine in products containing guarana is actually higher. No wonder young people were admitted to wards emergency care with cardiovascular manifestations after excessive swallowing of guarana-based energy drinks.

Overall score

The increasing number of overdoses associated with energy drinks and caffeine clearly shows that there is a real risk for the development of adverse effects in the form of these same arrhythmias. However, with moderate consumption and without the combination with other stimulants or alcohol, the risk of such side effects minor.

It should be noted that a large number of serious health complications have been caused by excessive consumption of energy drinks in a short period of time. Therefore, it may be important for energy drink companies to post warnings about their products to avoid problems.

The exact amounts and concentrations that are ideal for minimizing health risks are unknown. Patients with underlying medical conditions such as liver failure or cardiomyopathy should avoid stimulants, including energy drinks, at least be careful with small amounts of them. If overdose symptoms develop, it is very important to stop consuming energy drinks.

In terms of the constituents of the energy drinks themselves, caffeine concentrations appear to be comparable or even lower than many popular coffee drinks, which makes an energy drink in small quantities quite safe. In fact, medical research has shown that moderate consumption caffeine has a direct relationship with a reduced risk of arrhythmias.

With regard to taurine, the medical literature shows a general positive influence on health, especially for the cardiovascular system, so it is unlikely that this substance can harm the heart and blood vessels. However, when there is a risk of developing hyperlipidemia, hypertension and cardiomyopathy, products containing taurine should be used with caution.

Guarana can have a synergistic effect similar to caffeine, therefore, when energy drinks with these substances are consumed, a negative effect on the heart and blood vessels can be exerted. Such statements still require additional information about their joint impact.