Q: Can I safely take 5-Hour Energy drink without having a negative effect on my BP?
A: You need to discuss the safety of consuming a 5-hour energy drink with your doctor. This type of drink typically contains caffeine, vitamins, and other supplements. Regular consumption could have a negative effect on your blood pressure depending on how well your blood pressure is controlled, what other drugs and supplements you take, and the status of your overall health.
Further Reading:
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/03/26/Energy-drinks-may-raise-blood-pressure/UPI-56891238078982/
Taking sports drinks by virtue of the fructose it contains (50% of the sugar) is a major cause of chronic hypertension. Fructose is only metabolized by the liver (like alcohol)and one of the products produced is uric acid (yes the gout forming uric acid). Uric acid inhibits the production of nitric oxide, which controls relaxation of the blood vessels. While you may not see an effect over 5 hours, the long term ingestion of concentrated fructose will over time cause cause hypertension. The only people for who drinking sports drinks is beneficial, are people seriously exercising to point of considerable glycogen depletion. (eg 2 hours at 85% max heart rate.) For the rest of us fructose should be limited to 25 grms per day, and for the hypertense under 15 grams per day and always as whole fruit and vegetables and not as juice or refined sugar.
I would commend people to access Dr Mercola’s web site where there is a plethora of health information and some brilliant lectures on the effects of fructose on the metabolic system. The ingestion of concentrated fructose is the single most important factor in causing cellular insulin resistance, leading to an epidemic of high blood pressure, obesity, arterial disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. (syndrome X)
I know someone that was drinking that 5 hour drink and they went into a seizure. It’s not safe to drink.