Can Energy Drinks Cause Kidney Problems? Let’s Find Out!

Are you someone who occasionally relies upon energy drinks on days when you are extremely tired, overworked, or stressed? Are energy drinks a part of your workout routine?

Are energy drinks something that helps you get out of bed in the morning or a way to energize your evenings after a lazy afternoon? 

If you have said yes to any of those, you also must have googled, “can energy drinks cause kidney damage?” or “does red bull cause kidney problems?”

In that case, we have news for you! Today, we will take a look at some evidence to see whether energy drinks have any damaging effects on your kidneys. 

1. Some Kidney Facts To Know 

Kidneys are the bean-shaped, fist-sized organs on both sides of your spine, located at its bottom. 

They perform the main function in the human excretory system such as filtering and eliminating waste products, removing impurities from the blood, and regulating urinary health.

They also work to regulate blood pressure and control the production of red blood cells. 

 

Image source: Go Imaging

If not properly taken care of, kidney diseases can cause problems like high blood pressure, heart diseases, kidney failure, anemia, and a lot more. 

This explains the importance of kidney health well enough as it is responsible for the general well-being of a functional body.

 

2. Six Ways To Keep Your Kidneys Healthy

 

Drink water, but not too much. 

To avoid kidney problems, the usual health advice for a functional body starts with drinking lots of water. Keeping yourself hydrated is the best thing you can do but only as long as it is kept within limits.

Drinking more than 3-4 liters of water is not going to help your kidneys at all. 

Energy drinks? You can even try lemon water  as an alternative for drinking water at regular intervals. A pinch of lemon is all that it takes to nourish and hydrate your body with a citrusy punch.

Recommended reading: Lemon water for kidney detox

 

Image Credits: Unsplash

 

Stay active

Regular exercise is helpful in a lot of ways, one of which is keeping your kidney health in check.
It can regulate blood pressure and maintain good heart health which lowers the risk of kidney diseases.

The good news is, that you don't have to go overboard with the extensive workout routine. You can do just fine with simple walking, running, cycling, or stretching on an everyday basis.

 

Image Credits: Unsplash

 

Keep your intake of OTC pills in check 

If you take over-the-counter medications very frequently, you might be putting your kidney health at risk. You should always consult your doctor before trusting your regular painkillers like ibuprofen if you’re taking it too often. 

 

Image source: National Kidney Foundation

 

Quit smoking 

Apart from the fact that smoking is injurious to health in general, it is especially important to know that smoking damages the body's blood vessels which directly impacts your kidneys. 

 

Image Credits: Unsplash

 

Monitor your weight and blood pressure 

People who are obese are usually at risk of developing serious health conditions and kidney problems could be one of them.
Similarly, high blood pressure can cause disturbance to the kidneys if paired with conditions like diabetes or heart disease. It is best to monitor them regularly and visit the doctor if needed. 

 

Image Credits: Unsplash

 

Recognize your symptoms early and get tested

If you are experiencing unusual pains or other symptoms in the body, you should definitely not wait for things to get worse before checking with a doctor!

 

3. Energy Drinks And Kidneys: How Are They Related?

Let us first understand how energy drinks work.

Apart from coffee, which is consumed in massive amounts, coca-cola is one of the oldest and most popular energy drinks. Other energy drinks like RedBull, 5-hour Energy, and Monster energy drinks are also produced and consumed in bulk. 

As the name suggests, Energy drinks are specifically made to increase energy and mental performance.
It contains high caffeine content which acts as a stimulant for the brain and sugar which refuels the body cells to help you stay active longer.

Additionally,  it also contains some taurine and vitamin supplements. (1)

 

Image Credits: Unsplash

 

Here are some facts for you: 

• It takes 12 hours for kidneys to remove one energy drink completely from the body, that’s 12 hours of overtime work for your kidneys to manage fluid balance! 
  
  
• It has been proven time and again that energy drinks cause kidney problems like kidney stones, infection, chronic kidney disease (CKD), or even acute kidney failure.
  These stones are often too painful and take a lot of time to pass from the body. (5)
  
  
• Many energy drink manufacturers do not even mention their “caffeine content” on the product. 

Caffeine and coffee are known to cause kidney pain in multiple scenarios. Such cases proved that it is the caffeine content that might be causing kidney pain in patients.

RECOMMENDED READING: Can coffee cause kidney pain?

 

These health problems can also further lead to several other problems in the future if not monitored or controlled from the beginning. 

 

4. Do Energy Drinks Cause Kidney Problems? 

Caffeine is a stimulant that can lead to dehydration in the body. It is advised that an average adult should be consuming no more than 400 mg of caffeine in one day.

High amounts of caffeine can cause your blood pressure to increase and reduce the kidney's ability to function properly.

Taurine, which is supposed to act as a protective ingredient, further contributes to kidney damage if consumed in high amounts. (2) 

High sugar levels in these energy drinks can lead to sugar spikes in the body which adds to kidney damage and worsening of other health conditions.  

 

 

Image source: Healthwire

 

We did some research and found some of the most popular energy drinks and their caffeine content to answer your doubts:

 

• Can Red Bull cause kidney problems?

A regular 250 mL can of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine. Studies have shown that excessive RedBull consumption can lead to problems with blood pressure, and heart rate and reduce blood supply to the brain as well. all of which definitely impact your kidney health. (3)

 

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• Are there any 5-hour energy side effects on the kidney?

One regular serving of this drink contains up to 200 mg of caffeine which is totally not an advisable amount of caffeine intake for your body.

According to the Center for Science in Public Interest, most energy drink-related deaths have been linked to consumption of 5-Hour Energy.

 

Image Credits: Unsplash

• Do monster energy drinks cause kidney problems?

This one is yet another drink packed with 160 mg of caffeine per serving and has been sued by netizens for its side effects on kidneys. (4) 

Well, there are endless names on the list and we can go on and on about listing their harmful effects but here’s the point: Energy drinks do put your kidneys at risk, even if taken in moderation!

 

Image Credits: Unsplash

 

5. What Are The Alternatives?

We get it! You need the energy to work on that long project or pull an all-nighter for studying and you must be looking for alternatives. We have done some work for you!

 

• Never skip breakfast!

Breakfast is easily the most important meal of your day if you need a day full of productivity and energy.

Your body rests for 8-10 hours after dinner before having the next meal and by the time you wake up, it needs a balanced mix of carbs, protein, and fats! You can also include a variety of kidney detox juices & kidney cleanse tea. 

If you’re someone who works out on a regular basis, there is a good chance that you might be consuming whey protein as well.

However, what many people don’t know is that whey protein is in fact harmful to your kidneys too. Read our guide to know more about it. 

Recommended Reading: Can whey protein cause kidney pain?

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• Add soy to your meals

Be it soybeans or soy milk, adding soy to your daily life can naturally boost energy levels in your body and also act as a good source of vitamin B and fatty acids. 

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• Green tea as a replacement

What better than a safe and healthy drink packed with antioxidants and vitamins to naturally keep you energized? That’s green tea for you.  

You can also any of the following teas for cleansing your kidney:
1. Dandelion tea
2. Hibiscus tea
3. Corn Silk tea
4. Parsley tea

Image source: Healthgoesup.com

 

RECOMMENDED READING: Kidney cleanse tea recipe

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• Coffee 

Yep, well, all this time we have been telling you about the harmful impacts of caffeine but the point is not to totally eliminate it, it is to cut down to very minimal levels, and coffee is there to help.

One of two small cups of coffee per day is anytime better than any energy drink to serve the purpose

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• Keep yourself hydrated

Water is the ultimate solution to keep you going in the long run. It boosts physical performance and keeps your body active all day long.

Additionally, it makes your kidney’s job easier. 

 

RECOMMENDED READING: Foods To Cleanse Liver And Kidney

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Have more queries about kidney cleanse? Use our guides to the following topics for support:

1. Can Eating Disorders Cause Kidney Problems?

2. Does Tea Cause Kidney Stones?

3. Ginger Side Effects Kidney

4. Benefits Of Watermelon Seeds For Kidney

5. Can Alcohol Cause Kidney Pain?

 

6. The final takeaway

Now that you have your answer to “do energy drinks cause kidney problems?”, we want to leave you with a note that one or two energy drinks occasionally can be okay.

However, its regular consumption over and over, each day, for several days over the months can cause serious problems with your health, as we have seen above. 

The advice is to find natural alternatives to keep you energized without causing the body to suffer.