I don't think anyone necessarily thought that energy drinks were great for you - there are a hell of a lot of sugar and chemicals listed on the label, the names of which we'd all struggle to pronounce, which probably means you should think twice before putting copious amounts of them into your body.

But one guy has found out that they're much worse for you than you might have thought. In a bid to warn others of the dangers of the drinks, he shared photos of his tongue after it had been 'eaten away'.

The teacher's tongue had been 'eaten away'. Credit: Facebook/Dan Royals

A teacher, who goes by the name Dan Royals, took to Facebook after a visit to his doctor revealed it was most likely the chemicals in the energy drinks that had caused the damage to his tongue.

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He wrote: "Who drinks energy drinks? Addicted to them? May wanna think again.

"Have a look at the 2nd pic ..... That's what that shit does to your tongue, imagine what's it like on your internals?

"Up until recently when this started to occur I was drinking at least 5-6 a day (lack of energy teaching kids usually) and I brush daily, went to the doctor and boom! Found out it's the chemicals in these drinks that are causing it... It literally eats away at your tongue."

Dan went on to say that although he smokes, this hasn't contributed to his tongue's condition.

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So be wary guys. Just to make it clear, I actually do care for my oral health but this is purely from these drinks... I do smoke but has nothing to do with the eating away of my tongue."

Each energy drink can have up to 16 spoons of sugar. Credit: PA

Researchers for the World Health Organisation told the Metro: "A study in the US showed that dental cavities can result from the acidic pH and high-sugar content of products such as energy drinks.

"Another study showed that consumption of energy drinks can cause erosion and smear layer removal in the teeth, leading to cervical dentin hypersensitivity."

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Reports say that people can become actually addicted to energy drinks, or more likely the sugar and caffeine in them. When the effects wear off, it can make people feel like they need another - when in fact some healthy food would probably do the trick.

Given the list of side effects of drinking energy drinks, it's no wonder the government banned selling them to under-16s last year.

Not only can they cause damage to the tongue, they are pretty bad for your teeth. One man's teeth actually snapped off after becoming decayed from the ingredients in the drinks. Having become 'hooked', smashing at least six cans of Monster a day, Vinnie Pyner's teeth got so bad that it hurt to eat, and claimed he had struggled to find work as a result.

Vinnie Pyner's teeth decayed from drinking energy drinks. Credit: SWNS

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According to the NHS, other side effects and risks include caffeine overdose (which can lead to a number of symptoms, including palpitations, high blood pressure, nausea and vomiting, convulsions and, in some cases, even death), type 2 diabetes, miscarriages, stillbirths in pregnant women and use or dependence on other harmful substances.