Whether you’re a tired mom or athlete in training, energy drinks can provide the occasional pick-me-up for those days when you have no choice but to keep going.
But what about those people who like to drink them every day?
Many of the health concerns involving energy drinks relates to caffeine levels. It is recommended that adults consume no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day, or two “energy shot” drinks.
But one U.K. mom was drinking up to six energy drinks a day, and now wants to warn others of the health risks.
Mum who drank six cans of energy drink a day now needs a pacemaker https://t.co/ZP1ie2DoQC pic.twitter.com/ClmKorXrIK
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) May 9, 2019
Samantha Sharpe, 33, from Leicester, found herself able to cope with three kids and a job by drinking energy drinks.
But after a while these sugary drinks packed with caffeine started to take their toll on Samantha’s health.
“The drinks made my heart beat faster, which would cause palpitations, then after I would crash when I needed another one, causing my heart rate to drop to 20 beats per minute,” she told LeicesterLive.com.
It would give me headaches, I’d be grumpy, and I’d need another one to keep me going,” she added.
It was 2014 and Samantha was working as a cleaner and drinking up to five or six cans of energy drinks every day.
“I have three children and I work, so it was daily life that pushed me to drinking the energy drinks,” she said. “I work in the evenings so it got me through the day. It woke me up and got me a bit hyper.”
After a while Samantha found it harder to sleep and would also experience the shakes. This continued for four years.
But, when she began suffering from blackouts, she knew it was time to visit her doctor.
Samantha had a pacemaker fitted but that wasn’t the only health issue; doctors confirmed she had kidney stones and was on the brink of type 2 diabetes.
Now the hard-working mom doesn’t black out more and sees her doctor every six months. She tries to warn others of the dangers of energy drinks at every available opportunity.
Energy drinks must always be consumed in moderation. Although doctors never confirmed this was the primary cause of Samantha’s health issues they did say they had not helped her.
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