Energy drinks are what people go to when they need recharging what with the fast-paced world people live in nowadays. However, a new study found that more and more teenagers and adults in Australia are chugging down the energy drinks for recreational use. With energy drink now becoming one of the country's choice of beverage, it begs the question: what are the risks of drinking energy drinks?

According to the research from the University of Sydney and the New South Wales Poisonous Information Centre, the number of calls made to the NSW Poisonous helpline about energy drinks rose from 12 in 2004 to 65 in 2010, with 128 people requiring hospital treatment. So with the number of people getting sick or hospitalized steadily increasing, what are the dangers energy drinks present?

Energy drinks are infamous for its caffeine content, having three to five times more than a regular soda; its other ingredients are usually a plant extract that also contains caffeine called guarana, taurine, L-carnitine, ginseng, and yohimbine. According to reports, United States' Food and Drug Administration said that although taurine and guarana are generally considered safe, the other ingredients have been linked with adverse effects in high doses.

At high doses caffeine can cause nervousness and anxiety, while its combination with L-carnatine and ginseng can cause stomach problems, diarrhea, and adverse vascular effects, NHS.uk reported. The lead author of the study about Australia's problem with energy drinks, Naren Gunaj, noted that in an overdose, caffeine toxicity can mimic amphetamine poisoning and can lead to psychosis, cardiac arrhythmias, and on some rare occasions, death.

When it is all bottled up or packed in a can, the energy drink can cause heart palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, and headaches, in addition to greater risks of acquiring heart complications. But aside from this, energy drinks' unknown and artificial ingredients may also have some very harmful side effects to a person's health, Energydrink-Facts.com reported.

What are the Alternatives?

With all the adverse effects that energy drinks may have, what can people drink to get that boost of energy instead? Though it might sound odd or off-putting to others, some energy-boosting alternatives to energy drinks are coffee, tea, soda, and sleep, according to LiveStrong.com.

An average of an 8-ounce cup of black coffee, the choice of those who have no time for breakfast, contains 95 to 200 mg of caffeine, and can give that kick of energy that people need in addition to some health benefits it has to offer. While some prefer tea because of their antioxidants, there's good news as an 8-ounce cup of black tea, which contains around 120 mg of caffeine, can also give a person energy.

Since black coffee and tea are most probably served hot, people who like it cold can resort to sodas as its average caffeinated 12-oz drink can contain anywhere between 20 and 60 mg of caffeine.

And for those who prefer not drinking anything at all, medical professionals say that sleeping for at least seven to eight hours each night can give the person the energy he or she needs all throughout the day.

But probably the best advice almost anyone can give you when it comes to drinks that can give energy, and probably even sleep, is to have them in moderation.