Content 1. The Real Truth About Energy Drinks 2. Energy Drinks - Are They Safe? 3. Energy Drinks Dangerous to Drink 4. Why Sports Energy Drinks Are a Waste of Money and Potentially Dangerous 5. Five Reasons Why Energy Drinks Are the Worst Focus and Energy Supplements
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1. The Real Truth About Energy Drinks Energy drinks have been a hot topic recently. With our busy lifestyles and lack of sleep, the promise of an instant energy burst becomes very tempting. The question is though, what is the price we have to pay for it? There has been a lot of debate recently about whether energy drinks are safe and about their possible side effects. We went on a quest to find out more about it and here is what we learned. Energy drinks are usually non-alcoholic beverages containing vitamins and natural stimulants. Different companies produce energy drinks with different ingredients, however the one thing most of them have in common is caffeine. This is the ingredient that inspires your body to go into performance mode. The amount of caffeine in different brands of energy drinks varies from 80 to 150 mg per liter in each can (250 ml). Provided that the average daily dose of caffeine without any harm to your body is 300 mg, having two energy drinks a day pretty much uses up that limit. That sounds reasonable, but unfortunately we all know that we just don't stop at 2 cans, especially since we also consume other products containing caffeine throughout the day such as tea and soda. The energy boost and the thought clarity effects do not last for too long. Right after feeling energized comes the collapse, which we usually try to compensate for with another energy drink, thus creating a vicious cycle. So what are the side effects of having too much caffeine? According to some studies, the excessive caffeine intake can lead to increased blood pressure, anxiety attacks, insomnia, and heartaches. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< If you read the list of ingredients in energy drinks, you may assume that you are holding a vitamin cocktail. Guarana extract, ginseng root, ginkgo biloba extract, mateine, folic acid... It sounds very
healthy and tempting, and most importantly when you drink the bright red liquid you feel like you are supplying your body with natural substances necessary for its functioning. In reality each ingredient is a great stimulant if taken separately. For instance ginseng effectively overcomes fatigue, depression and stress; mateine, found in South American tea-mate, helps overcome the feeling of hunger and helps lose weight; folic acid also known as vitamin B9 plays an important role in metabolism and synthesis of amino and nucleic acids, thus improving the brain function; guarana is famous for removing lactic acid from muscle tissues thus reducing the pain after intensive physical activities plus it contains lots of energizing caffeine in its leaves. Unfortunately, laboratory examinations prove that the amount of those substances in energy drinks is very minimal, and the rest is the chemical mix of caffeine and other components stimulating the nervous system. Therefore, it is useless to count on energy drinks to make you healthier. To gain at least somewhat noticeable effect you would have to drink them by the bucket, which as we discussed previously is in fact harmful for your health. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< The main two ingredients of energy drinks are caffeine and taurine. These are the key elements that are supposed to "energize" our brain and body according to the plan of energy drinks creators. But practice shows different. The French scientists studied the composition and effects of energy drinks and came to the conclusion that the main ingredients of tonics do not go together and cause ambiguous body reactions. For instance, taurine amino acid, which is responsible for the immune system, is very dangerous for the heart muscle if combined with any dose of caffeine exceeding 90 mg. So the first component of energy drinks abruptly relaxes the nervous
system and lowers the blood pressure, while the second one on the contrary increases it thus creating the oxygen lack due to the blood vessels constriction. As the result, you achieve the effect similar if you take a shower and alternate extremely hot water with extremely cold. This dangerous excited and agitated condition is exactly what we take for briskness and energy. Because of this ingredients incompatibility energy drinks are sold only at drugs stores by prescription in Norway, Denmark, and France. They are only sold to those who don't have any contra-indications such as heart illness, hypertension, insomnia, or diabetes. Energy drinks are also banned for children under 14, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. For a contrast, here in America a 12-year-old could freely buy and consume any brand of energy drink. We all remember the incident with a teenage boy who had over 10 energy drinks before his baseball game and had a heart attack. It was actually proven that his death was caused by those energy drinks he consumed. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< Caffeine contained in guarana causes addiction and you are tempted to consume energy drinks in large quantities. Besides, as mentioned before, energy drinks put us in an energy trap. We feel like the energy necessary to complete that final task is in that can, but in reality it is only a key to the door of inner resources of the nervous system. In other words energy drinks don't provide us with energy, they suck it out of us. We all know that the first several hours after having an energy drink we don't feel tired at all, our mood improves and we feel a burst of energy, but afterwards we feel the decline of the same duration, and our body applies huge efforts to restore its normal state. This happens for a very simple reason. Ginseng and guarana free up the energy from the untouchable reserves stored in liver, muscles and fat deposits for a rainy day. By drinking energy
drinks we artificially increase the metabolism carelessly wasting what our body has been storing up for years and what we would normally use in a stress situation. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< There are other much healthier ways of charging up your body with energy. Don't sleep too long on the weekends. If you get out of your usual schedule you confuse your body. Go to sleep the same time you would normally do during weekdays. Good sleep is the enemy of fatigue. Eat a healthy breakfast. If you don't have breakfast at all, in just a few hours you will feel sleepy. Eat something filling and low in calories like an oatmeal or cereal for breakfast every day. Try to eat more of the "brighter" foods. Red and orange fruit such as tomatoes, oranges, carrots and so on, will provide your body with a much healthier form of energy. And finally drink more water. It plays a vital role in metabolism. A couple of glasses of water per day will make sure that you still have energy, even later in the day.
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2. Energy Drinks - Are They Safe? Energy drinks have become the "rage" over the last few years. More than 500 brands are now on the market, and it is estimated that it is now a five-billion dollar a year industry in the US. Furthermore, many of the most ardent fans of the drink are teenagers, and much of the advertising is directed at them. According to a recent survey, almost half (43%) of teenagers have tried the drinks, and many of them use them regularly. There's no question about it: everyone needs a lift once in a while, and most people turn to coffee. In increasing numbers, however, people are turning to energy drinks, particularly younger people. Students are using them to stay awake while they cram for exams, and young athletes are using them in hopes of improving their athletic performance. And they are frequently coupled with energy (food) bars, to get even more of a boost. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< Do they work? There's no doubt that they do -- sometimes too well. As many people have found after using them late at night, it's very difficult to get to sleep after they go to bed. And if they are used to cram for an exam, the sleep you missed may be as critical as the cramming. Numerous studies have shown that you lose a considerable amount of cognitive power when you lose sleep. So what are they? To give you a boost, they have to do two things: produce more glucose and get it to your cells as quickly as possible, and stimulate your nervous system. And energy drinks do both well. They are made up mostly of sugar and caffeine; the sugar supplies the glucose and the caffeine stimulates your nerves. But they contain
many other things along with the sugar and caffeine, and some of them worry health experts. Even though energy drinks work well, they come at some cost. They increase your energy quickly (sugar is turned into glucose almost immediately) and they make you feel great, but this high is relatively short-lived. As the sugar enters your blood stream you get a "blast" of energy, but a half an hour or so later you undergo a "crash" (when all the glucose is used up). You begin to feel weak and dizzy, and as a result, many of you reach for another drink. This brings us to the question: are they safe? Most health experts agree that they are relatively safe if used in moderation. After all, you get the same stimulation from coffee, and there's no evidence that coffee, if used in moderation, is unsafe. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< As in coffee, the main problem for energy drinks is the caffeine. Several studies have shown that for most healthy adults, up to about 400 milligrams (mgs) per day is safe. Over that, however, it can have a number of side-effects: it is a diuretic, and can cause fluid loss, and in excess it can cause jitters, upset stomach, headaches, and sleeping problems. So how much caffeine is in these drinks? Let's begin by looking at a cup of regular coffee; it has an average of about 100 mgs (but it can range from about 72 to 175). And it's well-known that for most people, more than about 5 or 6 cups of coffee a day can cause problems. We'll assume that the same thing applies to energy drinks. So, how much caffeine is there in energy drinks? In a single serving it ranges from about 72 to 150 mgs, which doesn't sound like too much. One of the problems, however, is that many energy drink containers contain two or three servings. Some of these "supersized" drinks therefore contain as much as 294 mgs, which is a lot.
Another problem is that although 400 mgs per day is safe for adults, it is not necessarily safe for children and adolescents. Furthermore, coffee is hot and most people sip it slowly; energy drinks are cold and are usually downed fairly fast. The major problem with caffeine, however, is that it dehydrates your body, and this dehydration can be serious -- it can even kill you. After drinking several energy drinks, people begin to feel thirsty (the first sign of dehydration) and they therefore drink more to relieve their thirst, which only makes them more dehydrated. In addition, caffeine is addictive, and as you drink more and more, you need more and more to give you a high. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< Next we have the problem of the sugar. Although there are a few sugar-free energy drinks on the market, most are full of sugar, some containing as much as 30 grams per serving. To give you a better feel for 30 grams, it is approximately 4 teaspoons full, with each teaspoon containing about 15 calories. The total calories for the serving is therefore about 120, which isn't too bad, but as I mentioned earlier, many energy drink containers now contain 2 and 3 servings, so you could get 700 calories in a container. With the obesity problem, particularly among children, an extra 700 calories is something they could do without. If it is added to their regular (balanced) diet, it could add a pound of weight in a week. Let's look now at the other things in energy drinks. They vary from drink to drink, but some of the more common ones are given in the following list: Guarana: It is a source of caffeine Taurine (an amino acid): It is added to enhance the caffeine's effect.
Glucuronlactone: Effects are generally unknown, but it may assist in excreting toxins. Inositol: Effects are generally unknown, but some may be positive. Vitamin B: No problems. Carnitine and ginseng: Generally considered to be safe. Ephedrine: When mixed with alcohol it is hard on the heart. Pyruvate: Added as a "performance" booster, but in large amounts it can make you sick. Glutamine and argenine: Amino acids, no danger. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< The biggest problem with these extra ingredients is that, in some cases, the long-term effect of them is not known. Most are safe if used in moderation, but others are questionable. This brings us to the question: Who is most at risk? Because of the danger of dehydration, people with high blood pressure and heart problems are definitely at risk. Furthermore, children and even adolescents should be careful, and limit their use. Athletes also have to be careful; they should not use them during competition because of the danger of dehydration. But many people will say, "I thought sports drinks were good for athletes." And indeed, they are, but it's important to distinguish sports drinks such as Gatorade from energy drinks. They are quite different. Sports drinks are designed to overcome dehydration; energy drinks cause dehydration. In particular, sports drinks replace electrolytes that are lost during perspiration, and these electrolytes, in turn, maintain the salt and potassium balance in the body.
I've left the major problem to the end. Many people mix energy drinks with alcohol, and it's now well-known that this can spell disaster. Mixing energy drinks with alcohol gives a person the feeling that he (or she) is not intoxicated. But in reality, he is; he cannot perform the usual test tasks for intoxication any better than a person who drank only alcohol. Furthermore, because he doesn't feel intoxicated, he thinks he can drink more -- and usually does. And he may end up very drunk without realizing it. So, although energy drinks are generally considered safe if used in moderation, you have to be careful.
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3. Energy Drinks Dangerous to Drink I would consider energy drinks dangerous to drink until you get to hear all the facts, and are sure under what conditions they are safe for you, or the kids. Although downing an energy drink or two may seem like a safe and innocent way to help you keep up the hectic pace of this hurry up world we live in, it could be doing you more harm than good. You should also not consider an energy drink as a "special treat" for your child. There have been studies done on energy drinks which show that the most common ingredients like sugar, sodium, and caffeine are very dangerous when taken in high dosages for diabetics and for people with low or high blood sugar levels. And it is not always 100% clear how much caffeine or sugar you are consuming from the ingredients on the can. The small 8 oz. can, has about 80 mg of caffeine, the amount found in an instant cup of coffee. But drink a 16 oz. can, or two, and you're getting around 150 mg. per/can. Add a Snickers candy bar in the mix, and without a second thought you are about to go through the roof on a sugar/caffeine overload! >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< We've seen where the average person consuming the average energy drink that's high in sugar can feel like they're trapped in a speeding, out-of-control elevator that's crashing to the ground when the sudden drop in insulin levels kicks in. Now think about the effects it would have on a person with a heart condition. At times the energy drinks can also boost the heart rate and blood pressure, to the point of palpitations. So, when you ask are energy drinks dangerous? The answer is yes, they certainly can be dangerous!
We have all heard about the guy who overdosed after 10 energy drink cocktails at a rave, and considered that an extreme case, that could never happen to you, or anyone you know. But an overdose can be as simple and innocent as a student cramming for a test, pulling an "all nighter" with the help of 4 or more energy drinks. People don't understand that some of the ingredients in that energy drink can be dangerous, when consumed in large amounts over a short period of time. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< We have athletes that will make the mistake of drinking energy drinks before their sports event to help them gain an added edge. But caffeine can have a dehydrating effect on this athlete, and have them desperately needing water. Instead of an energy drink, they should be reaching for a sports drink, like Gatorade, and always water. Watch the sporting events on TV, and you will see what they are drinking. Some of the energy drink dangerous side effects include jitters, infertility, ulcers an irregular heartbeat, excess sweating and anxiousness. Caffeine is known to have both laxative and diuretic effects on the body. This means you often lose the stimulant through excess urination, and you are left dehydrated. It can also reduce your coordination and balance, increase your heart rate and body temperature, and disturb your sleeping patterns. Is it really worth it? On the market place today, there is now a safe alternative to all the popular energy drinks out there. A powder that you mix with water that is safe for you to drink, without any of the high levels of caffeine. It's a natural product you can drink 2 to 3 times a day to enhance your energy levels throughout the day without any of the
health risks. It's safe for children, and cheaper than the energy drinks in a can.
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4. Why Sports Energy Drinks Are a Waste of Money and Potentially Dangerous So you heard about energy drinks. Maybe you are seeking that extra boost in your performance for your next competitive race and want to give one of them try. But are these energy drinks really effective and do they actually boost your energy levels? Energy drinks are essentially soft drinks that are advertised to deliver a larger boost of energy than a normal drink. Energy drinks often claim to deliver an energy boost that will give you superior performance. While there is a scientific basis that the caffeine elements of energy drinks does indeed contribute to mental alertness and physical performance, there remains much controversy regarding the actual effects of these drinks. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< Basic Ingredients The three key components in most energy drinks are Caffeine, Sugars and B Vitamins. The central ingredient in many energy drinks is Caffeine often in the form of guarana or yerba mate. Energy drinks generally have at least as much caffeine as a regular cup of coffee, but may contain many times more than this amount depending on the brand of drink. Energy drinks also generally have lots of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), this is the "energy" component and is basically like refined sugar, but higher in calories!
Effects of Energy Drinks Desirable Effects A variety of physiological and psychological effects attributed to energy drinks and/or their ingredients have not been investigated. However two studies reported significant improvements in mental and cognitive performances as well as subjective alertness. In other words, generally energy drinks WILL make you more alert and feel "pepped" up before a physical performance because of the caffeine, but a regular cup of coffee will have a similar effect. The vitamin B component may be considered desirable in that the body requires a certain amount of vitamin B to obtain it's nutrient requirements, however you will get more than enough of your vitamin B requirements by maintaining a well balanced diet, so the effective benefit from an Energy Drink is negligible. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< Adverse Effects Consumption of a single energy drink is harmless in most cases, however consuming more than one drink in a single day may lead to excessive caffeine consumption. Consumption of caffeine in excess of 400mg in a day can cause undesirable and potentially dangerous effects such as: nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, increased urination, abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia), decreased bone levels and stomach upsets. There is also strong evidence that High Fructose Corn Syrup keeps you from feeling full, so you consume more. Over the long term, excess energy will be stored as fat, which is probably not the desired
effect if you are seeking the peak athletic performance that these drinks promise! The recommended concentration of sugar in sports drink is 6-7% carbohydrate to allow maximum absorption and minimize spikes and crashes in blood sugar. Energy drinks typically have much higher sugar concentrations than this, the result of this is slow fluid absorption into the blood and energy systems increasing the possibility of dehydration. When a high level of sugar is in the blood stream, the body cannot get the water to the cells that need it as the water is now used by the body to dilute the concentration of sugar in the blood stream. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< The Danger of Energy Drinks In the United States, Energy Drink manufacturers are not required to print the caffeine content of a drinks on the product label, unlike drugs. This is because energy drinks are classed as dietary supplements and not food products. There has been very little testing on the effects of energy drinks, each manufacturer has their own unique formula and given that they are not required by law to print caffeine content, there is really no safe way for consumers to know what sort of effect these products will have. In the United States there have been reports of nausea, abnormal heart rhythms and emergency room visits that have been linked to Energy Drinks Recommendations I recommend that you pass on energy drinks.
Despite the inherent dangers of lack of product testing, most these drinks will likely have a negative effect on your performances due to actually increasing dehydration due to excessive sugar content or the spike-and-crash effect. In the long term, consuming large amounts of sugar will result in your body storing the excess calories as FAT - not a performance booster for most sports. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< While these drinks DO provide a boost in terms of mental and cognitive performances, if you are seeking this, I would suggest a regular cup of coffee instead. So you still are in need of energy? Instead of energy drinks, try some natural food combinations such as an apple, peanut butter, crackers with a little bit of cheese, yogurt or cereal with milk. You should generally be able to get all the energy you require in a normal balanced diet. If you still insist on using energy drinks, consider watering it down, this will reduce the sugar and caffeine content of the drink and the adverse effects should be reduced.
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5. Five Reasons Why Energy Drinks Are the Worst Focus and Energy Supplements The energy drink business is booming. This extremely lucrative industry features catchy names, colorful cans, extreme advertisements and a variety of bold flavors. Quickly replacing coffee as the go-to drink of choice for teenagers, college students and young adults, these drinks promise hours of improved focus and enhanced energy. However, they provide those effects by using extremely high doses of caffeine and filling them with sugar - both of which can have very negative ramifications to your health. Plus, caffeine and sugar have both been proven to work for a limited period of time, before wearing off and causing crashes and fatigue, which is contrary to the reason you consumed the drink in the first place! Here are five reasons why energy drinks are the worst focus and energy supplement: Too Much Caffeine According to research done by the Mayo Clinic, the average human adult should only ingest a maximum of 300-400 milligrams of caffeine per day. Cola beverages have about 40 mg of caffeine per can, and your typical cup of coffee has about 90-150 mg of caffeine. Your average energy drink, however, has over 150 mg of caffeine PER CAN, with some having as much as 240 milligrams of caffeine in a 16 ounce can! Consuming two cans of energy drinks is roughly the equivalent of drinking 5-7 cups of coffee, which exceeds the recommended daily limit of 400 mg of caffeine. So Sugary Another reason why energy drinks are bad for focus and energy is because of all the added sugar included to hide the bitter taste of the
caffeine. The World Health Organization recommends that adults should only have 25-40 grams of sugar per day maximum, and those sugar grams should be absorbed from natural sources like fruit. An average energy drink has 150-250 of calories from sugar. Research shows that 1 gram of sugar is roughly 4 calories, which means that a typical energy drink can has almost your entire daily maximum sugar intake. That's equivalent to 10 teaspoons of sugar! >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< Don't Even Work The Department of Exercise Science at Creighton University decided to test the claims of the popular energy drink Red Bull, seeing how it worked to enhance athletic performance. This randomized, doubleblind, crossover study of seventeen college-aged men yielded results that suggested there was no improvement or enhancement of their athletic performance. A second double-blind, randomized crossover study by the Utah State University also determined that caffeinebased drinks did NOT enhance the performance of 20 NCAA football players who participated in the experiment. Sleep Slips Away Studies have shown that regular energy drink consumption can disrupt sleep patterns and cause insomnia. The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research analyzed the connection between their use and sleep problems among service members. They found that the 44% of deployed service members who regularly drank at least one energy drink per day were more likely to sleep less than 4 hours per night, as well as be more likely to experience stress, fatigue and depression. The service members felt they needed to compensate for this fatigue
by increasing consumption, which caused a vicious cycle of caffeine abuse because of the harsh effects of caffeine withdrawal. They're Health Supplements, NOT Beverages Energy drinks are not even beverages as we think of them. They are technically defined as dietary supplements, like vitamins, instead of an actual drink, allowing for less regulation on the industry. They were originally intended to be used as a health supplement, with regimented use similar to other focus and energy supplements and vitamins. However, marketing and advertising companies quickly realized the potential to market to teenager and young adult males who were steering away from traditional soda beverages. They are intended to provide an increase in focus and energy, not be a refreshing beverage to quench thirst. >>>For More Information Please Click Here!<<< Energy drinks are an extremely unsustainable way to improve focus and energy, and are not conducive to a healthy lifestyle. They have lots of calories that negate the benefits of exercise, contain extremely high doses of caffeine that can cause health problems, and as research has shown, really don't even work as intended. Many students, athletes and service members have switched to using cognitive supplements to increase their focus and energy. Cognitive supplements are traditional dietary supplements, either in pill or capsule form, that combine natural herbs and vitamins to achieve very powerful improvements in focus, energy and mental performance, without using caffeine or sugar. These energy drink replacements are quickly catching on with mainstream consumers because they provide the positive effects with no calories, negative side effects, or caffeine withdrawal symptoms. If you a focus and
energy product consumer, you may want to consider substituting your beverage for a natural cognitive supplement. Like this article? Check out more on our blog at
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