Health

Energy Drinks Are ‘Like Cocaine,’ Says Cardiologist

Just don't.
Just don’t. Photo: Jan-Philipp Strobel/dpa/Corbis

We know by now that Monster, Rockstar, and Red Bull are dangerous — but just how dangerous? A recent study shows that people who consume energy drinks have longer QT intervals, which means that it takes longer for the heart’s electrical wave to reset before the next beat. In human lingo: These drinks can seriously fuck with your heartbeat and cause sudden cardiac arrest. Cardiologist Stephen Green says that energy drinks are even riskier for people who have a history of heart palpitations, a classification that may have applied to the 14-year-old girl who died after drinking Monster. The girl’s family is now suing Monster, and one of the company’s pieces of defensive evidence is that she frequently consumed energy drinks without incident. But Green says that energy drinks are, “like cocaine — you can take it for years and not have a problem, but then take it once and you could have a major problem.” If you’re going to self-destruct, stick to soda. [Earlier, HuffPo]

Energy Drinks Are ‘Like Cocaine,’ Says Cardiologist