Energy drinks are beverages like Red Bull, Venom, Adrenaline Rush, 180, and ISO Sprint, which contain large doses of caffeine and other legal stimulants like ephedrine, guarana, and ginseng. However, drinking two energy drinks a day increases blood pressure, according to a presentation at the recent American Heart Association meeting.

The study, done at the Henry Ford Medical Center in Detroit , included 15 healthy volunteers of average age 25. They abstained from caffeine for two days before and during the study. After taking 2 cans of an energy drink containing 80 mg caffeine and 1,000 mg taurine, they had blood pressure measurements at ½, 1, 2, 3, and 4 hours later. They then drank 2 cans of the energy drink for another 6 days, with the blood pressure measurements repeated daily. The average 4-hour changes after one and 7 days were: systolic pressure increase by 7.9% and 9.6%, and heart rate increase by 7.8% and 11.0%, respectively. Diastolic blood pressure peaked at 2 hours, and increased 7% on day 1 and 7.8% on day 7.

These changes are not inconsiderable for anyone with hypertension. You have been warned!