Energy drink addiction: What you need to know

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Energy drinks are a popular beverage that improves energy, increases alertness and focus. They contain ingredients that help promote a number of mental and physical aspects, including sugar, caffeine, B vitamins, herbal extracts, and amino acid derivatives such as L-Taurine. While energy drinks may offer certain benefits, they can be linked to health problems when consumed in excess, possibly even leading to addiction and dependence on them.

1. What is an energy drink addiction?

Addiction is a psychological condition that is associated with persistent use of stimulants or engaging in certain behaviors despite its negative consequences. Food addictions, such as energy drink addictions, may not sound as harmful as drug addictions, yet they share many behavioral similarities. What can make energy drinks so addictive for many people is that they contain certain addictive substances, such as caffeine, artificial sweeteners, or sugar.
Currently, we do not have an official definition for energy drink addiction. But in general, you can simply understand that energy drink addiction is the behavior of drinking too much energy drink without being able to control your consumption.
MORE: Substance abuse: Drugs, alcohol, tobacco

2. Some signs of energy drink addiction

Addiction to energy drinks can lead to addictive symptoms related to brain and nervous system functions, including:
Strong cravings for energy drinks Forming mental images mental (such as euphoria) of drinking energy drinks Not being able to control their energy drink consumption In addition, abstinence from energy drinks can lead to some withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, headaches, fatigue and depressed mood.
MORE: What is Soda Addiction? All you need to know

3. Negative side effects of energy drink addiction

Addiction to energy drinks can lead to a number of other negative health effects. First of all, energy drinks are acidic, and if consumed regularly, they can change the color of your teeth and wear down your enamel over time. This will make you more susceptible to dental problems, such as tooth decay. This side effect will become more worrisome if you regularly drink energy drinks containing sugar, because the sugar will feed the bacteria that form plaque, promoting tooth decay. Besides, the addiction to energy drinks can cause weight gain, because in this type of water can provide about 110 calories. All of these calories come from sugar, calculated per 8.4-ounce (250-ml) serving of energy drinks. Larger cans of energy drinks, such as the 20-ounce (590-ml) can add up to 275 calories, depending on how many cans you drink.
Recent studies have shown that regular consumption of energy drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages can cause chronic health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and disorders kidney.
Although sugar-free energy drink options may seem more appealing due to their low sugar and calorie content, they still contain a lot of caffeine. In addition, the artificial sweeteners found in energy drinks may also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
In addition to the health issue, regularly buying energy drinks can affect your finances. Buying one, two, or more cans of energy drinks during the day can be as costly as smoking and other stimulants.

4. How does energy drink addiction happen?

Energy drink addiction can happen gradually or quickly, depending on the individual case. Several factors have been implicated in the development of energy drink addiction, including personal and family history, as well as chemicals in the brain.
For energy drinks that contain a lot of caffeine and sugar, it can cause your brain to release higher levels of dopamine – a hormone that helps you feel good. However, the more energy drinks you consume, the less likely you are to feel the effects of the dopamine response. This can stimulate you to consume more and more energy drinks to try to continue experiencing the dopamine response, leading to dependence on these drinks. Besides, energy drinks can also be addictive from a psychological perspective. Some people may feel that they would not be able to perform their daily tasks well without energy drinks because they have become so dependent on them.

5. How to get rid of energy drink addiction?

While giving up energy drinks can be difficult for many people, there are a few ways you can help limit or break your addiction, including:
Sudden withdrawal: It means you will give up energy drinks suddenly rather than gradually, but it can lead to withdrawal symptoms. However, it will help you recover from an energy drink addiction faster than reducing your intake. Reduce Energy Drink Consumption: This approach refers to detoxing energy drinks by reducing your intake slowly until you can quit them completely. Although it takes time, it can help you avoid withdrawal symptoms. Overall, both methods have their own pros and cons, so it's best to choose the one that best suits your current lifestyle and personality. If you are struggling to detox from energy drinks, you can seek the help of healthcare professionals.

6. How to manage energy drink withdrawal symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms are the main reason why it's so hard to quit drugs. They often manifest when you cannot access a substance, such as energy drinks, and are more likely to occur when you quit suddenly.
Some of the withdrawal symptoms you may experience with an energy drink addiction include headaches, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and depressed mood. Usually, these symptoms are related to caffeine withdrawal and they can last from 2 to 9 days.
If you are having a hard time managing your energy drink withdrawal symptoms, you should seek help from healthcare professionals to get advice and find the right remedy best for you.

7. Some Alternatives to Energy Drinks

Sometimes, the simplest way to combat an energy drink addiction is to replace it with another similar drink. Here are some healthier alternatives that contain no or very little of caffeine, sugar and artificial sweeteners, including:
Decaf Coffee (decaffeinated) Water mixed with your favorite fruit Sugar-free carbonated water Green tea, including bottled versions Herbal or fruit teas Kombucha or fermented teas

8. Other lifestyle tips

In addition to the above drink alternatives, you can also make a few more lifestyle changes to successfully detox from energy drinks, including:
Change your mind: If you are If you suddenly have an energy drink craving, try to distract your thoughts or do some other activity that won't come to mind, such as going for a walk or cleaning the house. Don't leave energy drinks in the house: You need to make sure that you do not leave or store any energy drinks in your home, bedroom or anywhere you have easy access to them to reduce the temptation. coax and suppress cravings. Get support from a loved one: Getting through anything on your own can really be difficult. At this point, you should confide in the person closest to you that you are trying to quit energy drinks. They can be a companion or help you stay on track in your detox. Manage stress: Stress can create cravings for food or drink, so you should try to control factors that can cause your stress, such as regular yoga, exercise. , meditation, mindfulness and deep breathing. Addiction to energy drinks can lead to addictive symptoms related to brain and nervous system functions, among other health problems. Therefore, you should implement detoxification methods by changing your lifestyle, choosing healthier, healthier drinks.

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Reference source: healthline.com