Watch Out For Those Energy Drinks

I have to admit that I go to energy drinks when I need a pick-me-up. I know it's bad, but this story might help me kick the habit.

According to the British Medical Journal, For three weeks, a Florida construction worker drank four or five energy drinks per day to help keep up with his intense workload. Then his body went crazy.

The 50-year-old man started gulping down energy drinks on the job but suddenly began vomiting after about three weeks. Soon, his skin turned yellow, but it wasn't the caffeine or even the sugar that was the problem. It turned out to be liver damage and a biopsy confirmed he had acute hepatitis, believed to have been brought on by high intake of vitamin B3, or niacin, found in his energy drink of choice.

Just one actually contained 200% of the daily recommended dose! In safe quantities, niacin -- also found in green vegetables, meat, and eggs -- can improve cholesterol levels and liver function and lower cardiovascular risk. But it also wreaks havoc on the body if too much is consumed.

Though the man's daily intake of 160 to 200 milligrams was below the toxic level, the accumulation of niacin over three weeks was enough to do serious damage. Luckily, the guy recovered and was told to avoid similar niacin-rich products in the future. But "as the energy drink market continues to rapidly expand, consumers should be aware of the potential risks of their various ingredients," doctors say.

[via: British Medical Journal]