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"The use of energy drinks is very dangerous as there is a very high content of caffeine in a small volume,". Dr. Khan, the health minister of Trinidad & Tobago, told the Trinidad Express Newspaper in an interview.

The journal reports that a person died of a heart attack from caffeine toxicity after drinking two cans of some energy drink.

I'm skeptical of this claim because I use to drink these energy drinks and I feel very good, so I wonder if there is evidence to support it.

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  • How do you define "very dangerous?" What dangers does Dr. Khan say can come from high caffeine content in a small volume?
    – Flimzy
    Nov 17, 2012 at 18:20
  • @Flimzy, yes, you are right: it need to clarify what "very dangerous" means. Let us premise that the claim is a reported speach, I guess Dr Khan though that energy drinks reduce heart rate variability, potentially increasing the risk of a heart attack. By the way, read the news article I linked to.
    – Carlo Alterego
    Nov 17, 2012 at 18:33
  • @Rory Not really. Trinidad Express Newspaper reported that such Anais Fournier died of a heart attack from caffeine toxicity after drinking two cans of some energy drinks.
    – Carlo Alterego
    Nov 17, 2012 at 18:54
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    Why the down votes? This is actually a pretty interesting question, worthy of examination.
    – Carlo Alterego
    Nov 17, 2012 at 20:16

2 Answers 2

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Yes it can cause heart attacks.

In 1989, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limited the amount of caffeine in OTC products to a maximum of 200 mg/dose. The ingestion of such concentrated sources of caffeine is the general cause of acute caffeine toxicity.

Caffeine has differing CNS, cardiovascular, and metabolic effects based on the quantity ingested. Average doses of caffeine (85-250 mg, the equivalent of 1-3 cups of coffee) may result in feelings of alertness, decreased fatigue, and eased flow of thought. High doses (250-500 mg) can result in restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, and tremors. In high doses, caffeine can cause a hyperadrenergic syndrome resulting in seizures and cardiovascular instability.

Because caffeine overdoses, intentional or unintentional, are relatively common in the United States, physicians and other medical personnel must be aware of caffeine toxicity to recognize and treat it appropriately.

The 14-yo girl you mention drank, on consecutive days within 24 hours, two 710 ml cans of Monster Energy (Described as "vicious" and "killer" on the site.) at 34 mg/100 ml caffeine, totaling 480 milligrams of caffeine. And she had a genetic vein issue that affects 1 in 20 Americans.

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  • 5
    480 mg of caffeine is about five mugs of instant coffee or three and half mugs of filter coffee. I suggest that many people routinely drink that quantity a day.
    – RedGrittyBrick
    Nov 18, 2012 at 12:00
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    Quite so. I suppose the issue is whether the minister is justified in singling out energy drinks as "very dangerous" by comparison with, say, drinking brewed coffee, crossing the road, using electrical appliances or any number of commonplace risks of death which the parents of many 14 year-old girls accept daily without concern.
    – RedGrittyBrick
    Nov 18, 2012 at 15:56
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    @RedGrittyBrick: we would need stats on how many 14 year old girls die after drinking that energy drink vs how many die by crossing the road.
    – nico
    Nov 18, 2012 at 16:29
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    Also, but why just energy drinks? You could just as easily overdose by picking up a bag of chocolate covered coffee beans from the bulk food store. My local pharmacy also sells sleep meds (nytol etc.) or things like Gravol to kids as long as they have the money. According to my cousin, taking a whole box of Gravol can mess you up. I'm sure things like this could have much more effect on the body than energy drinks.
    – Kibbee
    Nov 18, 2012 at 20:47
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    Crossing roads does not have a healthier alternative (i.e. water and enough sleep vs. caffeine), and energy drinks are pushed on teens, daring them to "pound it down".
    – Cees Timmerman
    Nov 19, 2012 at 10:44
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Two cans of a "normal" energy drink is less dangerous than a cup of brewed coffee of 350 ml (12oz) - in terms of caffeine.

According to Medscape

Caffeine has differing CNS, cardiovascular, and metabolic effects based on the quantity ingested. Average doses of caffeine (85-250 mg, the equivalent of 1-3 cups of coffee) may result in feelings of alertness, decreased fatigue, and eased flow of thought. High doses (250-500 mg) can result in restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, and tremors. In high doses, caffeine can cause a hyperadrenergic syndrome resulting in seizures and cardiovascular instability.

According to Wikipedia referencing Factors Affecting Caffeine Toxicity

The LD50 of caffeine in humans is dependent on individual sensitivity, but is estimated to be about 150 to 200 milligrams per kilogram of body mass or roughly 80 to 100 cups of coffee for an average adult

According to The BBC

Use this guide for the amounts of caffeine in products:

  • One mug of instant coffee: 100mg
  • One mug of filter coffee: 140mg
  • One mug of tea: 75mg
  • One can of cola: 40mg
  • One can of energy drink: 80mg
  • One 50g bar of plain (dark) chocolate: around 50mg
  • One 50g bar of milk chocolate: around 25mg

If the above is correct, two cans of energy drink is a lot less than a lethal dose.

Given an average body weight of 80 Kg, the LD50 is 12000 to 16000 mg which is 150 to 200 cans of the above Energy drink.

(Update:) A girl aged 14 might weigh only 50 Kg, a thin girl maybe only 40 Kg. Therefore LD50 = only 6000 to 8000 mg which is 25 to 33 cans of an unusually strong 240mg/can drink. So 2 cans is a lot but not a lethal dose for most thin 14 year-old girls.

Obviously some people are more sensitive than others and will have complicating factors such as high blood pressure or other existing medical conditions.

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  • I'm quite surprised the LD50 is that high. I would have thought the caffeine in 80 cups of coffee would kill a vast majority of people.
    – Oddthinking ♦
    Nov 18, 2012 at 13:01
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    @Cees's answer suggests these cans of energy drink have 240 mg, rather than 80 mg.
    – Oddthinking ♦
    Nov 18, 2012 at 13:02
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    Still, many energy drinks recommend drinking only half a can, and not exceed 2 cans daily. (examples here and here). Furthermore caffeine is not the only thing in energy drinks. Do you have any information on the LD50 of caffeine in the presence of taurine, citicoline, phenylalanine etc etc.? Some of these drinks have ingredients that stimulate adrenaline release, what is the interaction of those with caffeine?
    – nico
    Nov 18, 2012 at 16:27
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    I'd be careful with using the LD50 alone, as it doesn't reflect non-lethal harm caffeine could cause.
    – Mad Scientist ♦
    Nov 18, 2012 at 16:53
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    LD50 (the median lethal dose) isn't the important measure. What matters for safety is LDLO, the minimum lethal dose.
    – Mark
    Nov 8, 2014 at 0:32

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