s the safety of an energy drink debate rages on we thought we would take a look at the other side of the issue. Since we are huge energy drink fans, its easy to preach their greatness and forget that we are putting chemicals into our body in sometimes huge quantities.

We will take a look at the most common ingredients and list the potential side effects from ingesting them through your favorite energy drink.

Caffeine
Of course this is the most common energy drink ingredient and most of you know the side effects, but the list wouldn’t be complete without it.

Dizziness, irritability, nausea, nervousness, jitters.
Allergic reactions can include; rash, hives, itching, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, swelling of the (mouth, face, lips, or tongue),diarrhea, shakiness, trouble sleeping, vomiting.
Headache and severe fatigue from withdrawal.
Breast shrinkage in females.
It’s hard to pin point a safe dose because it varies from person to person and tolerance. Between .5 grams to 1 gram in a 24 hour period will probably result in some of the above side effects.

Taurine
As of 2008, no side effects from Taurine in energy drinks have been documented.

B Vitamins
More than 35mg of Thiamine (B3) can cause flushing of the skin. Intake of 3000mg or more can result in liver toxicity.
More than 100mg of B6 can cause sensory nerve problems (burning sensation) or skin lesions.
Inositol
No known side effects have been reported, but ingesting large quantities has been linked to diarrhea.

Ginseng
Some studies have linked it to sleeplessness, while others refute this.
Other possible symptoms include; nausea, diarrhea, headaches, nose bleed, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, and breast pain.
Glucuronolactone
While no side effects have been reported there’s still debate on its safety which has lead Canada, England, Germany, and France from allowing it in non-prescription products.

Artificial sweeteners
If you like the sugar-free variety there is ongoing debate over the safety of these. Here’s good article from diet-blog on the subject.

Ginkgo Biloba
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations, and restlessness.
Can interact with other medication such as blood thinners and anti-depressants.
L-Carnitine
vomiting, nausea, headache, diarrhea, stuffy nose, restlessness and sleeping difficulty.
Its important to note with these energy drink side effects that many ingredients have similar negative effects, so with much of the information being anecdotal from patients it’s hard to say which ingredient actually caused the problems if the patient was ingesting several combinations of these at one time.

I think, overall, the evidence supports the safety of energy drinks within the context of moderation and knowing your body i.e. allergies, tolerance etc. If you drink responsibly you most likely will avoid energy drink side effects.