From the Daily Mail: Energy drinks are seemingly more popular than ever, with the market worth more than $23 billion in the US.
But health experts are warning these beverages are teeming with caffeine, chemicals and sugar and can quickly become addictive.
Nick Padlo, who runs the addiction recovery center Sophros Recovery, told the Daily Mail an energy drink addiction can impact both physical and mental health.
Padlo said: ‘The impacts of excessive caffeine include increased restlessness, irritability, anxiety and mental anguish.
‘In addition, [energy drinks] can impact sleep, which creates a perpetual cycle where the person then needs more caffeine to stay alert during the day. It can also have an impact on heart health.’
Padlo, a veteran who lives in Florida, is no stranger to addiction, explaining that after leaving the military, he later had to overcome an addiction to both drugs and alcohol.
However, the number patients coming to his clinic for addictions to energy drinks has skyrocketed, with some people gulping down more than give per day.
The report notes that while energy drinks are not illegal, they can be just as deadly as illegal drugs, and a 2024 study found that energy drinks can contribute to heart attacks.
“We have definitely seen an increase in the dependency on energy drinks, especially among young people,” Padlo said.
READ MORE from the Daily Mail.
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