The Buzz on Energy Drinks: How They're Secretly Harming Your Liver

Here at The Plug, we’re always sharing ways on how to care for your liver. Liver health is our main priority! And it should be yours too.

Yet when considering the ways you may be unknowingly harming your liver, energy drinks can be vastly overlooked. Luckily, many studies cover the impact of energy drinks on your liver health and the likelihood of liver injury that could arise when using these products. Let’s take a look at some of them!

How Energy Drinks Affect the Liver

A report from LiverTox states that, “Consumption of excess energy drinks has been linked to several instances of clinically apparent acute liver injury which can be severe and result in fatal or urgent liver transplantation” (1). While no particular component of energy drinks has a direct correlation to liver injury (1), the chart below references some ingredients that may damage the liver’s well-being and functionality. 

Source: LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury

These results have been shown again and again across studies, with acute liver failure occurring within patients who had consumed an excess of sugar-free energy drinks throughout the year. This was the case when patients were drinking three or more energy drinks a day throughout the year while also binge drinking (2). One study showed that there was consistent liver deterioration within a 36 year old man over the course of the year. The body’s response in this study showed similar signs to drug-induced injuries that present in the liver. The authors state there is more than a 50% chance of liver toxicity if an individual exceeds more than 2000mg of niacin a day (2). 

Another study found that a 22 year old woman had liver damage following increased consumption of energy drinks over the course of two weeks (3). She appeared at the hospital with jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), abdominal pain, and increased liver enzymes. The doctors found that upon asking how many energy drinks she had been consuming a day, she was buying upwards of 10, causing elevated levels of toxins within the liver. The main cause of the liver damage, however, was due to the high levels of niacin found in the patient (3).

Even popular news sources have caught on to the liver health and energy drink connection! A Huffington Post article showcased that effects of consuming energy drinks in excess can lead to acute hepatitis and even death, and this is usually found within individuals who drink four or five energy drinks a day. Additionally, individuals within these samples have found that these energy drink-derived effects are similar to when individuals consume cocaine mixed with alcohol, due to the heavy amounts of sugar and caffeine. 

The Dangers of Energy Drinks

Across multiple cases and samples, patients consistently present with similar symptoms after consuming excessive amounts of energy drinks. Their livers begin to fail as they can no longer fight off toxins within their bodies. There are more than 20,000 energy drink-related emergency room visits every year (5), and this uptake in hospital visits will continue to increase yearly due to people overusing them in the hopes of improving energy levels and cognitive performance. 

And it’s not just energy drinks! A study from the University of Michigan showed that combining steroids with supplements can increase the likelihood of liver damage as well, despite promises of more energy, better performance, and weight loss (6). It may take only eight weeks of using these products in combination to lead to liver injury. 

What You Can Do

While energy drinks can provide a powerful boost, it’s clear that these products may be causing more harm than good — especially if consumed excessively. So if you’re a regular energy drink consumer, it’s important to take your liver health into consideration! Talk to your doctor if you have symptoms such as jaundice, abdominal pain, or dark urine, and be sure to get your liver enzymes checked out too. Your doctor may recommend easing off energy drinks or trying out more natural ways to gain energy or focus. Prioritizing a regular sleep routine, having a balanced diet, and keeping stress to a minimum can improve your well-being over time.

Adding The Plug into your routine can be a big bonus as well! Whether you bring along The Plug Drink to the gym or take The Plug Pills with your breakfast at home, you can give your liver the support it needs. When your liver’s happy and healthy, so is the rest of your body! After all, you’ve only got one liver. Pair it with the perfect sidekick, and you’re good to go for wherever life takes you! 

Bibliography 

1. Energy Drinks. LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury [Internet]. Updated 2020 Jun 20. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559836/

2. Huang B, Kunkel D, El Kabany M. Acute Liver Failure Following One Year of Daily Consumption of a Sugar-Free Energy Drink. ACG Case Reports Journal [Internet]. 2014 July;1(4):214-216. Available from: https://doi.org/10.14309/crj.2014.57 

3. Vivekanandarajah A, Ni S, Waked A. Acute hepatitis in a woman following excessive ingestion of an energy drink: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports [Internet]. 2011 June 22;5(227). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/1752-1947-5-227 

4. D’Souza J. Energy Drinks Are Destroying Your Liver [Internet]. The Huffington Post Canada. 2016 Nov 4. Available from: https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/energy-drinks-are-destroying-your-liver_n_12798568 

5. Harb JN, Taylor ZA, Khullar V, Sattari M. Rare cause of acute hepatitis: a common energy drink. BMJ case reports [Internet]. 2016 Nov 1. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27803015/ 

6. Sawani J. Many Popular Dietary Supplements Can Yield Dangerous Liver Results [Internet]. Michigan Medicine | University of Michigan. 2019 Jan 15. Available from: https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/many-popular-dietary-supplements-can-yield-dangerous-liver-results