Adding calcium, minerals to energy drinks may help protect tooth enamel: study

Canada’s energy drinks market is projected to reach approximately US$4.4 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3 per cent starting in 2024.

While the United States is expected to lead the global market by 2030, Mexico is projected to be the fastest-growing market in North America, with revenues forecast to reach US$2.99 billion by the end of the decade, as figures by Grand View Research show.

But as consumption rises across the continent, so do concerns about the impact of these beverages on dental health.

A new in vitro study published in June 2025 by Erik Jácome and colleagues at the State University of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil explored whether modifying energy drinks with calcium-based formulations could reduce their erosive effects on dental enamel.

“The addition of calcium formulations to the energy drink effectively reduced its erosive potential at all concentrations, with the calcium/phosphorus/potassium complex demonstrating the greatest protective effect,” the study concluded.

The study builds on earlier research showing that dental enamel begins to erode when exposed to liquids with a pH below 5.5, a threshold that most energy drinks fall well beneath.

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Study design

The research tested 60 dental enamel specimens, divided into two groups:

• Group 1: Red Bull energy drink modified with three concentrations each of:
  • Calcium/phosphorus/potassium complex (0.71 g, 1.43 g, 2.15 g)
  • Dicalcium malate (0.83 g, 1.66 g, 2.50 g)
  • Calcium citrate malate (1.26 g, 2.53 g, 3.80 g)
• Group 2: Unmodified Red Bull (control group)

Methodology

1. Enamel specimens were exposed to the drinks for two minutes.
2. The pH of each drink was measured using a pH meter.
3. Surface roughness and microhardness were assessed before and after exposure using a rugosimeter and a Vickers microhardness tester.

Key Findings

• The calcium/phosphorus/potassium complex increased the drink’s pH in proportion to the concentration added.
• Drinks modified with 2.50 g of dicalcium malate and 2.15 g of the calcium/phosphorus/potassium complex significantly preserved enamel microhardness (p < 0.004) compared to the unmodified version.
• All modified drinks showed less enamel surface microhardness loss than the control group, with the exception of deionized water.

The findings suggest that fortifying energy drinks with calcium compounds could be a promising strategy to reduce their erosive potential on teeth.