The Study
Evaluation of the Effects of Different Energy Drinks and Coffee on Endothelial Function.
This study gave different drinks to a small group of young people and measured how their blood vessels reacted right after. It found that some drinks made blood vessels work better for a little while — but that doesn’t mean they’re healthy overall.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested four drinks to see which ones made blood vessels work better right after drinking them.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 554 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1These changes were statistically significant and happened within 4 hours, but it's unclear if they last or matter for long-term health.
- 2Red Bull and 5-hour Energy made blood flow improve by 63% and 82%, respectively.
- 3NOS and coffee didn't change blood flow at all.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The American journal of cardiology
Year
2015
Authors
J. Molnar, J. Somberg
Related Content
Claims (3)
Coffee consumption is linked to neuroprotective effects, but energy drinks do not necessarily produce the same effects.
In healthy young adults, drinking Red Bull or 5-hour Energy increases a measure of blood vessel function by about 60-80% four hours later, while drinking NOS or coffee with similar or higher caffeine levels does not change this measure.
Energy drinks with less caffeine sometimes improve blood vessel function more than drinks with more caffeine, meaning caffeine alone does not determine the effect on blood vessel response.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.