The True Health Monster: Energy Drinks

Written By Molly Kaplan '26

Photo by Unsplash

In the early 2000s, energy drinks such as Red Bull and Monster became overwhelmingly popular. They have been advertised as healthy alternatives to naturally caffeinated drinks such as coffee and tea. This marketing tactic has drawn popularity among athletes and younger populations. However, these highly caffeinated and artificial drinks are the complete opposite of the health supplement they are perceived as.

The average cup of coffee has around 90 milligrams of caffeine. Contrarily, some energy drinks such as Red Line Extreme, Bang, and Rockstar have 200-316 mg of caffeine. While the daily recommended amount of caffeine is 400 mg, many people who consume caffeinated products have more than 1 beverage a day. Another difference between energy drinks and coffee and tea is that the latter’s caffeine is natural, and is produced in the natural foods. The synthetically-made and highly concentrated caffeine can have a stronger and possibly harmful effect when it is consumed on a regular basis, because they have not been studied as thoroughly. 

This issue has only gotten more rampant in the last 25 years. Energy drinks have been marketed towards teenagers and athletes. Today, some popular brands include Alani, Celcius and Ghost, among countless others. These canned drinks are often designed with bright colors, exciting graphics, and appealing seasonal flavors. When given the choice between a cup of coffee or a carbonated, strawberry lemonade-flavored energy drink, most teenagers are going to choose the more exciting option.

Additionally, the majority of energy drinks are artificially sweetened by sucralose and aspartame which are low-calorie alternatives to refined sugar. However, according to Hopkins Medicine, artificial sweeteners may pose health hazards, anywhere from weight gain to cancer. Since these artificial flavors have not yet been fully tested, the health effects are not entirely understood by health professionals. Teenagers are now becoming the guinea pigs, unknowingly testing the daily  long-term effects of bioengineered ingredients. 

For now, there are the tried-and-true caffeine options that come from natural sources.

Molly Kaplan '26

Molly Kaplan is the Print Editor-in-Chief, and a senior at Notre Dame. She has a profound interest in journalism, which she has deeply explored the last three years. As the EIC, she hopes to inspire the same passion she has for the subject in younger writers, and is excited to watch the group grow! This past summer, she spent four weeks immersed in all types of journalism at the Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute. There, as a cherub, she was involved in broadcasting, audio, writing and film journalism, it was the best summer of her life! In the future, she plans to be a reporter, although she's not sure what she wants to report on, she is ready to keep exploring.

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