How Energy Drinks can be Disastrous to One’s Health

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Our lives have become so hectic that some people have thought of making energy drinks. According to manufacturers of the said drink, it aims to give people a boost of their energy levels to keep them alert and on the go. These energy drinks have caught the public’s interest which explains why they are sold at almost everywhere—from supermarkets to clubs, bars, convenience stores and even schools. But the question now is, are they really safe to drink? So far, health experts are not quite positive as to how it can be good for the health.

What are Energy Drinks?

Energy drinks are well-known beverages that are marketed as energy enhancers. They contain ingredients similar to sodas such as caffeine and are carbonated along with other kinds of stimulants such as ginseng and tea extracts.

What are Energy Drinks for?

People take energy drinks for various reasons, some would drink it in order to improve on their athletic performance, other for losing weight and some need the energy they need to do things that are way beyond the energy levels that they need for that day. Some people consume energy drinks as an alternative to foods or drinks that are high in caloric content. Others would drink it to manage their appetite while some for boosting their metabolism.

energy drink

But regularly drinking and excessive consumption of energy drinks can be disastrous to our health. Although energy drinks happen to contain lesser amounts of calories and sugar compared to other beverages, it still imposes dangerous health risks.

What Energy Drinks are Mostly Made of:

Energy drinks happen to have caffeine, B vitamins and herbs. It also has other commonly used ingredients such as yerba mate, acai, taurine, carbonated water, guarana, ginseng, ginkgo biloba and other chemicals. There are energy drinks that happen to have high levels of sugar while other brands offer the “diet” version where artificial sweeteners are added in. Perhaps of all ingredients what really makes this drink get the name “energy drink” is because caffeine is its main ingredient. Caffeine is something that we can find in tea, some sodas and coffee and is a stimulant. But compared to these beverages, energy drinks have really high level of caffeine. In fact, a certain brand of soda contains 35mg of caffeine whereas a certain brand of energy drink contains 120 mg of caffeine. From here, we can definitely say that energy drinks will keep you active because of the sugar rush it can give to your body.

Common Ingredients in Energy Drinks:

To get a better idea of how energy drinks really work is by taking a look at the ingredients that it is commonly made-up of and they are as follows:

• Ginseng: Ginseng is a root that is said to help in lowering the levels of stress but increasing the energy levels.

• Carnitine: This is a kind of amino acid that helps in the metabolizing fatty acids.

• Gingko biloba: Gingko biloba are actually seeds from the gingko biloba tree and is used in many products for its positive health effects and one of which is for enhancing the memory.

• Taurine: This amino acid is something that our body produces. It has a vital function because it aids in regulating normal heart-beats and for muscle contraction too but how it functions for us when used as an additive to a drink still does not have a vivid explanation.

• Inositol: The inositol is a member of the b-complex vitamin and is needed in order for our cells to be able to send a message to one another but it alone is not a vitamin.

• Guarana Seed: Commonly found in Venezuela and Brazil, the guarana seed contains high amounts of caffeine.

Negative Effects of Energy Drinks:

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Now that we know what energy drinks are made of, we may think that drinking it couldn’t be that bad. Well, if it is consumed in moderation then maybe not but our bodies work differently from each other so if you think that the energy drink is way too overloaded with stimulants, better not go for it. Listed below are the possible effects of drinking this energy drink when it is often drunk in the long run.

• Some people have become so used to drinking it that other people are unaware that they already have an addiction for that energy drink.

• These energy drinks have not stated whether drinking it will react with any medication or will cause an effect to people who are currently faced with a medical condition.

• Because some of the ingredients used in making this energy drink have functions affecting muscles and heartbeat, it can affect how they function when large amounts are taken in regularly.

• Energy drinks are not the answer to dehydration, instead they only make things worse because of that fact that it contains caffeine and caffeine has a dehydrating effect thus using it for exercise is not recommended.

• Do not drink the energy drink together with other alcoholic drinks because energy drinks are stimulants and alcoholic drinks are depressants—it’s mind boggling how can our bodies cope up when they are drank together.

More effects of Energy Drinks in our Body:

• Energy drinks can affect our emotion.

There was a study that once showed how energy drinks actually have a negative effect on a person’s emotional health for it can increase levels of restlessness, anxiety and irritability. Because we have various levels of caffeine sensitivity, there are individuals whose moods may not change when drinking while some people feel the effect shortly after drinking it. For people who are diagnosed with psychological disorders, it would not be recommended for them to drink energy drinks.

• It can affect Cognitive functions and Cause Sleep Problems.

Because energy drinks are stimulants and contains high amounts of caffeine, it can actually affect even our cognitive functions and makes it hard for us to perform tasks. A study done by the National Sleep Foundation showed that although caffeine can keep our energy levels up, its effect is only temporary in our body and does not make up for the rest we were not able to get from lack of sleep. People who also drink too much energy drinks will eventually suffer from insomnia or having problems with being able to sleep.

Drinking energy drinks once in a while is not a problem at all but we should remember to take precaution when it comes to drinking them a little way too much. We should not forget that energy drinks are stimulants and contains ingredients that can affect our physiologic function both positively and negatively.

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