Liver Damage In Your 20s? Experts Link It To Frequent Energy Drink Consumption

Liver disease is becoming a growing health concern that is affecting people in their 20s. Young Indians are becoming increasingly reliant on energy drinks to sustain their energy levels, alertness, focus, and attention spans, as well as give them deeply satisfying drinks to instantly tantalise their taste buds. But what lies in the composition of these energy drinks is where the silent danger to their liver actually starts. The liver is a vital organ that affects how major processes in the body function; it even plays an active role in regulating metabolism.

This is why energy drinks that you chug on a daily basis need to be taken into consideration, as they are silently accumulating fat on the healthy tissue of the liver and chipping away at its normal functioning. When frequent energy drinks are combined with the occasional alcoholic indulgence or lifestyle-linked liver injury, the liver struggles to function in a healthy manner.

Why Energy Drink Consumption Is So High Among Indians In Their 20s

Energy drink consumption is at an all-time high among people in their 20s, as it is influenced by the need to stay awake for long hours, either studying or for those who are working in corporate settings. The demanding and fast-paced nature of energy drink consumption is becoming a driving factor of potential liver injury.

• When it comes to young Indians who are working night shifts or have long working hours, energy consumption becomes second nature, which is increasing the liver disease burden.
• Another section of young Indians who have a high energy drink consumption are fit, or those who are influenced by pre-workout trends.
• Energy drinks are also common among young people who are gamers, streamers, or have late-night food consumption habits.
• This is further fuelled by the easy availability of energy drinks near educational institutions and offices, which makes their consumption second nature.

What's Really Inside Energy Drinks?

Each energy drink that is manufactured has a different and unique blend of ingredients that each function to perform a desired function. Be it caffeine, B vitamins, sugar, taurine, green tea extract, ginkgo extract, carnitine, and many more, it depends on where the energy drinks are manufactured and their intended purpose. Here is how each of the ingredients in the energy drinks and their respective health risks are that you need to know if you have ever consumed energy drinks:

• High caffeine doses, which are common in energy drinks, can pose harm, as Indians need 300 mg of caffeine per day.
• Taurine is a natural amino acid that is naturally present in your body in the brain, eyes, heart, and muscles. But it should only be consumed when people are stressed or ill.
• Sugar or artificial sweeteners, which are proven to spike blood sugar levels.
• B-vitamins in excess can cause problems with normal organ functioning that can initially start out as mild digestive upset.
• Herbal stimulants are used in energy drinks to supplement the sudden rise and fall from excess caffeine levels.

Note: So, you need to flip the energy drink in your hand and read the food label to read the exact caffeine dose in the energy drink that you are drinking. Make sure that the caffeine levels are within the established dietary guidelines put in place by medical researchers at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).

In addition, a review from the Cosmetics Journal highlights that caffeine in small doses is harmless to those who benefit from it. Despite the antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of caffeine from energy drinks, their excessive consumption among teenagers can cause disorders like high systolic blood pressure, agitation, nausea, anxiety, osteoporosis, heart palpitations, poor sleep quality, and stomach ulcers.

When the health risks related to frequent energy drink consumption need to be analysed, the exact combination and frequency, not one ingredient alone, is the culprit behind issues.

Also Read: Doctor Explains How Supplements And High-Protein Diets Can Impact Liver Health

How Energy Drinks Can Stress And Damage The Liver

NDTV spoke to Dr Abhideep Chaudhary, President, Liver Transplantation Society of India (LTSI), New Delhi, who says, "Three major contributors to liver dysfunction are energy drinks, alcohol, and high-sugar beverages. Alcohol continues to be a leading cause of liver disease, and sugary drinks contribute to fatty liver disease."

Here is exactly how:

• The liver processes caffeine, flavours, and additives through its healthy tissue, and the excess overload can lead to serious health issues.
• If you repeatedly overload your liver by consuming multiple cans or bottles of energy drinks, then you give your liver very little recovery time and worsen its functioning.
• Oxidative stress and inflammation, which can worsen liver functioning, compound the effect after drinking multiple energy drinks over a prolonged time period.
• When excess fats accumulate in the liver, it causes changes in liver cells, ultimately changing your healthy liver into a fatty liver.

Why Young Indian Livers May Be At Higher Risk

The liver of young Indians may be at a higher risk than most young people assume that their bodies will be able to handle whatever is thrown at them. But the reality is that people underestimate how much their daily consumption of energy drinks can damage their liver over time. Dr Saurabh Sethi, Gastroenterologist; AIIMS-trained, Harvard and Stanford University alumnus, says, "Sugary drinks are liquid liver poison. Sodas, packaged fruit juices, energy drinks, and sweet teas. Liquid sugar goes straight to the liver-no fibre, no breaks." Here are some additional reasons this risk gets further increased:

• Regular and persistent use of energy drinks increases the baseline risk of fatty liver.
• Combined with a sedentary lifestyle and carb-heavy diets, the liver works overtime.
• Weekend binge drinking mixed with energy drinks is a potent combination that can worsen the liver and give it a hard time functioning in a normal manner.
• Low awareness of "non-alcoholic" liver damage, despite high rates of non-alcoholic liver disease in India, is a leading cause of why people tend to take their liver health for granted.

Early Warning Signs Your Liver May Be Struggling

There are early warning signs that you need to know; they may indicate that your liver is struggling. Here are some of them, and you need to consult a specialist if you experience them, as NAFLD progresses silently and worsens your health, so timely intervention is key:

• Persistent fatigue
• Bloating or discomfort
• Loss of appetite
• Brain fog
• Abnormal liver enzymes on routine tests

Note: There may be underlying medical conditions that may be related to these symptoms, so medical advice is key to making the distinction.

Also Read: Experts Explain How Sugarcane Juice Is Beneficial For Liver Health

Is The Damage Reversible?

Only grade-1 fatty liver is reversible, but if the fatty liver progresses as people tend to ignore the symptoms, then the problem gets even worse.

The key to having a healthy liver is to control your energy drink consumption. If you are someone who is consuming a can or bottle every day, then reducing its consumption is essential.

A lifestyle reset and medical evaluation are needed if you are experiencing symptoms and taking time to look at your lifestyle habits that are worsening your liver health.

Healthier Ways To Boost Energy Without Harming The Liver

The liver is a vital organ, and you need to shift your lifestyle habits that are damaging it. Here are some of the healthy swaps that you need to make to boost your energy levels without harming your liver:

• Sleep timing and light exposure are vital to boost your liver's health.
• Regular meals are necessary, as a delay in eating at the right time puts undue stress on the liver.
• Hydration is necessary to ensure that your liver functions properly for a long time.
• Physical activity is needed to boost the overall liver functioning, as when the complete body receives its desired activity level, then nutrient absorption happens in the right manner.
• Medical check-ups for fatigue are needed, as there may be underlying medical issues that may be causing it.

When To See A Doctor

Frequent energy drinks can warrant a visit to the doctor if certain criteria are met:

• Persistent fatigue
• Abdominal pain
• Abnormal blood tests
• History of heavy energy drink use

Energy drinks are disguised, liver-damaging liquids in a bottle or a can that are colourfully marketed to you as a way to boost your energy levels. But you are silently damaging healthy liver tissue by chugging a can or bottle of the attractive-looking energy drink, unknowingly ruining the liver health that will cost you a lot to repair the damage while you suffer in the meantime.

Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.