Effects of chronic energy drink consumption on the glycemic, histopathologic, and inflammatory responses in Wistar rats

Energy drinks with excessive amounts of caffeine are frequently used among adolescents and young people to boost their physical performance and mental concentration. Parallel to their increasing popularity, many health concerns are associated with these beverage intakes. Herein, the impacts of chronic consumption of the energy drink, Red Bull, on the glycemic, histopathologic and inflammatory responses were examined.

Twelve male Wistar rats (5 weeks old) with an average weight of 75 g were used. After 7 days of acclimatization, animals were divided into two equal groups (six rats each). The untreated group was given only water and a standard diet and the treated group was given the Red Bull for 140 days of treatment. After completion of the treatment protocol, the rats were sacrificed and glycosylated hemoglobin level, histopathological sections of the liver and pancreas, and interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein concentrations were determined.

The present results showed that rats maintained on energy drinks exhibited a significant body weight loss compared to the control rats. Surprisingly, animals treated with energy drinks were hyperglycemic since the blood levels of glycosylated hemoglobin were significantly increased. Also, significant histopathological alterations in both the liver and pancreas and high serum level elevations in inflammatory markers including interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein were observed in rats maintained on energy drinks.

The present data suggest that chronic consumption of energy drinks negatively affects the glycemic, histopathologic, and inflammatory responses. These detrimental effects might be due to their excessive contents of caffeine, artificial sweeteners, taurine, and other components.