In the mornings, you may feel like you’re still a little tired. The first thing you reach for is an energy drink. Sales of energy drinks have skyrocketed in the past year, especially when young adults are buying them more often. You may not believe that energy drinks could really harm your health, but you’re mistaken. Energy drinks of all kinds can cause many health problems. Here are just a few.

Caffeine Overdose
If you drink enough caffeine in the right amount of time, it could seriously harm your health. Caffeine only takes about 30 minutes to affect your whole nervous system. It can boost your adrenaline which causes your blood pressure and heart rate to rise. Small amounts of caffeine in moderation will not be harmful, but energy drinks contain 5-6 times more than the average that consumers should have. The average caffeine intake is 400 milligrams.

Too Much Sugar
A cup of coffee may have a teaspoon or two added to make it less bitter. An energy drink on the other hand, has 7-14 teaspoons per can. This can lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Although there are sugar free options, there are many other ingredients that are bad for your health. Most energy drink consumers don’t only drink them on occasion, its every day.

You Can Become Addicted
Once you consume caffeine for a long period of time at a frequent level, your body may become dependent. You know the people that “can’t function without coffee?” It’s not coffee they can’t function without, it’s caffeine. The headache you get when you haven’t drunk a caffeinated pop for a day or so? That is your body wanting the caffeine it has become dependent on.

All in all, be wary of the things you consume. Try and be safe when you drink an energy drink, by doing it less frequently and only in small amounts. Maybe try an energy tea or black coffee instead.