The common misconception that energy drinks will provide harmful health effects long term has been scientifically proven to be false. They can however, become a short term problem that can affect a person’s daily life.

You’ve probably seen people around school everyday occasionally sipping a can of Red Bull or Monster energy drinks.

What you probably don’t know is that energy drinks can be detrimental to the human body.

Energy drinks are made to give you just that. Energy. However, some of these products tend to contain guarana, a substance that mimics adrenaline in your system and can give you more energy than you bargained for. Guarana contains caffeine which is common to most drinks such as Monster or Sobe.

But how much is too much?

An average cup of coffee contains 60 milligrams of caffeine and some of these energy drinks have about 150-200 milligrams. The average adult should only drink about 200 milligrams a day if consumed evenly throughout the day. You can probably see the problem with drinking three or four of these electric drinks a day.

Of course, not all these drinks contain the guarana substance. It’s the consumer’s responsibility to verify which one of the energy drinks is safest. FRS, an energy drink endorsed by Lance Armstrong has all natural sources including vitamin B, and quercetin and does not contain guarana seed extract. However, it could take from thirty minutes to a couple of days to take effect. FRS is for daily and consistent use and not made for a quick fix before a test or after a night of no sleep.

Another drink, Upshot, has been used by the U.S military and has a very concentrated amount of caffeine. This two and a half ounce shot of energy contains 200 milligrams of caffeine which you’d find in an eight ounce can of Red Bull or Jolt.

By taking a minimum of two per day, you could be doubling the recommended minimum amount of caffeine consumption a day. Another hazard with these stimulants is when people take them with alcohol.

“I would sometimes see friends drink energy drinks with alcohol and it intensified their inebriation,” said sophomore Javaughn Barret.

Imagine being twice as drunk as you would normally be. It could be very detrimental to your safety.

While exercising, these drinks can also dehydrate a person and they wouldn’t even realize because of the adrenaline “copy-cat.”

Energy drinks can be effective in helping focus, attention, and endurance but only if taken responsibly. Next time you decide to take more than one boosting concoction a day, or combining it with an alcohol substance, think about it first before messing up your entire body’s system.