# Can energy drinks lead to Hyperthyroidism?



## Jarnhamar (10 Jun 2012)

I figured I'd throw this in the physical training area since my question stems from energy drinks and pre-work out drinks taken before work outs.

Has there been any correlation between someone taking energy drinks (say an irresponsible amount, 1 or 2 'double' cans a day plus a preworkout drink HyperFX or N.OXplode) and developing hyperthyroidism?   

I'm doing research on google but not coming across energy drinks as being a possible cause.

I'm trying to research if an enlarged thyroid can be caused by too much caffeine/taurine.

I've read this about taurine


> Taurine might also improve heart failure because it seems to lower blood pressure and calm the sympathetic nervous system, which is often too active in people with high blood pressure and CHF. The sympathetic nervous system is the part of the nervous system that responds to stress.



That could explain why someones ((cough cough)) blood pressure could go from an average of 165/131 down to 127/78? 

But could all the righteous energy floating around someones system also throw their thyroid into overdrive making them develop a goiter?  My theory is that the thyroid can't handle all the energy and like bruce banner taking too much gamma rays, the thyroid decides to turn into the hulk from being over exposed.


Hyperthyroidism
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001396/


> Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone. The condition is often referred to as an "overactive thyroid."
> Causes, incidence, and risk factors
> 
> The thyroid gland is an important organ of the endocrine system. It is located in the front of the neck just below the voice box. The gland produces the hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which control the way every cell in the body uses energy. This process is called your metabolism.
> ...


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## JoBo (10 Jun 2012)

Let me start by saying I am not a doctor, but I find this topic interesting and have done my own research on caffeine as I like to know what I put in my body. Here is my perspective as an everyday laymen.

Millions of Americans drink 2-3 cups of coffee per day. Often containing anywhere from 30-120mg of caffeine per beverage depending on size. That's roughly 90-360mg per day, everyday for years. I think if there was a correlation between Hyperthyroidism at these amounts, we would have seen it become a major problem in North America in general. This would lead me to believe that it could only be a problem if one were to consume a gross amount of caffeine on a regular basis.

Here is a quote from health Canada via http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/caffeine-eng.php#is
"The general population of healthy adults is not at risk for potential adverse effects from caffeine if they limit their caffeine intake to 400mg per day"

400mg a day means I could drink TWO large energy drinks and still be under 400mg. Or I could drink a Red Bull (90mg), have a small coffee (30mg) and a full dose of Hyper FX (280mg) and still be at exactly 400mg. This would cause me to doubt the theory that it could be a potential problem in most responsible adults. It does not seem to be a problem the majority of the population of caffeine drinkers or users needs to be worried about. Only those that abuse caffeine.

I would imagine if someone abused caffeine by having over 500mg on a regular basis they could potentially cause hyperthyroidism, but that's just the opinion of an everyday person using common sense with no medical background. I think the better question to ask is "Can the ABUSE of caffeine on a regular basis cause Hyperthyroidism?" You had postulated this yourself when you wrote that irresponsible amounts of energy drinks may be dangerous. I think you are correct.

I would be interested in learning the long terms effects of taking taurine. It hasn't been studied well enough in my opinion.

An interesting topic. I hope those with more knowledge then me can weigh in on this.


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## cupper (10 Jun 2012)

Try here for some fairly good info on thyroid issues:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/thyroiddiseases.html

My wife's endocrinologist recommended it when she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism.

But it is probably doubtful that the excess intake of energy drinks can cause hyperthyroidism, and definitely not the cause of the goiter. 

However there is reason to be cautious and keep consumption in moderation. Excessive consumption of energy drinks and caffeine does cause side effects such as elevated heart rate, increase in blood pressure, increased urination, shakes, etc. Not to mention the "crash" that occurs after they start to wear off. 

As with everything in life, moderation is the key.


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## Jarnhamar (10 Jun 2012)

I'm learning more towards taurines effects.

I've read 500mg of taurine is the limit of what someone should take in a day.  An average sized can of redbul (250ml, smaller than a can of coke) has 1000 mg of it. A can of rockstar has 2000mg of taurine. People maytake 2 or 3 of those a day.
So even with 2 rockstars a day thats 3500mgs over the ideal limit.


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## Fishbone Jones (11 Jun 2012)

If you're worried about what this shit will do to you, maybe you shouldn't be taking it.

There's you your first fucking hint right there.


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## Jarnhamar (11 Jun 2012)

recceguy said:
			
		

> If you're worried about what this shit will do to you, maybe you shouldn't be taking it.
> 
> There's you your first fucking hint right there.




For sure, I haven't had any in over a month.

I'd like to know what they were doing with bull testicles to discover taurine there in the first place..


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## PMedMoe (11 Jun 2012)

recceguy said:
			
		

> If you're worried about what this shit will do to you, maybe you shouldn't be taking it.
> 
> There's you your first fucking hint right there.



 :ditto:



			
				ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> I'd like to know what they were doing with bull testicles to discover taurine there in the first place..



Reporductive reseearch?    :dunno:


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## medicineman (11 Jun 2012)

I doubt your goitre is caused by your energy drinks and I doubt it would lead to hyperthyroidism...most hormones in the body work on negative feedback, so intuitively, you'd become HYPOthyroid if your metabolic needs were being met by the energy drink...which they likely aren't.  Any number of things cause thyroid disease, from lack of idodine, to autoimmune issues to viruses.  If you're cutting out your salt - your iodine levels might be low.  You might have had a cold and you're going through a period of subacute thyroiditis, where things ramp down, then ramp back up, then normalize.  Who knows - you're not in front of me and I'm not going any further than this. 

In the end, if you think you're having issues with your thyroid, see someone about it.

MM


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## Jarnhamar (14 Jun 2012)

medicineman said:
			
		

> I doubt your goitre is caused by your energy drinks and I doubt it would lead to hyperthyroidism...most hormones in the body work on negative feedback, so intuitively, you'd become HYPOthyroid if your metabolic needs were being met by the energy drink...which they likely aren't.


That makes sense, and makes me feel a lot better. Look your good medicine is working already!



> In the end, if you think you're having issues with your thyroid, see someone about it.


Already done, just waiting for the appointment doing some research in the mean time.


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## medicineman (14 Jun 2012)

Cool - just need to try that out at work more now, lol.
MM


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## Bluebulldog (14 Jun 2012)

More on Taurine:

_Taurine is named after the Latin taurus (a cognate of the Greek ταύρος) which means bull or ox, as it was first isolated from ox bile in 1827 by German scientists Friedrich Tiedemann and Leopold Gmelin_

_Taurine is a derivative of cysteine, an amino acid which contains a sulfhydryl group. Taurine is one of the few known naturally occurring sulfonic acids. In the strict sense, it is not an amino acid, as it lacks a carboxyl group_

_Taurine is regularly used as an ingredient in energy drinks, with many containing 1000 mg per serving,[13] and some as much as 2000 mg.[14] A 2003 study by the European Food Safety Authority found no adverse effects for up to 1,000 mg of taurine per kilogram of body weight per day.[15]

A review published in 2008 found no documented reports of negative or positive health effects associated with the amount of taurine used in energy drinks, concluding that "The amounts of guarana, taurine, and ginseng found in popular energy drinks are far below the amounts expected to deliver either therapeutic benefits or adverse events
_

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurine

.....doesn't look too harmful. But then again, when you isolate anything, the results are far different that if you combine them with other elements / chemicals.


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## medicineman (14 Jun 2012)

All substances are poisons...the dose is what determines cure or death.


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## Devo3733 (31 Aug 2012)

I would expect worse effects from the ungodly amount of sugar in energy drinks more than the caffeine and Taurine, that being said I tried N.O Xplode a few times and was shivering and sweating before I even got to the gym, so that was a pretty hefty hint to never touch pre-workout supplements again, maybe a cup or two of strong, black coffee, but that's it.

Goiters are generally iodine related, so can't see that being an issue, however I could certainly wrap my head around the massive bursts of sugar and caffeine wreaking havoc on your metabolism, which DOES have something to do with the thyroid, and the problems stem from that moreso than an individual chemical.

As people have said, a proper doctor and some testing will tell you far more than internet self diagnosis ever could, so keep away from the stuff and just wait it out.

Good luck


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