How can energy drinks be healthy? They are usually full of artificial caffeine, HFCS (ref: Double Danger of HFCS), Taurine and of course, to somehow validate everything, Synthetically produced vitamins. This cocktail of chemicals will eventually kill people. It already has.
Many of today's 18-30 year olds consume energy drink daily. Some are starting to suffer from skin, liver, pancreas or digestive tract problems. This is besides the effect these chemical cocktails can have on one's heart (increased and irregular heartbeats) or skin (dehydration).
An entire new generation is coming into adulthood without their parents' coffee routine, but with a morning, afternoon or evening energy drink. Sometimes all three. Many spend hours online gaming, instead of exercising, which accentuates the problem with energy drinks, introducing type 2 diabetes and other sedentary diseases.
Why should we worry about this new breed of stimulants? One could say that a cup or two of coffee every day has never caused serious health effects. This is because coffee gets its buzz from natural coffee beans. Not from the chemical laboratories that produce synthetic caffeine.
Just like with any other product found in nature, the caffeine in the coffee beans comes with many by-products which are not easily separated from the pure caffeine elements. natural caffeine comes with fibers and other organic substances which reduce the absorption of the caffeine into the bloodstream.
With these new drinks, the caffeine is produced in a laboratory, usually in Eastern Europe or Asia. This chemical has one big plus over natural caffeine: it is extremely powerful, perhaps too much so. All of the natural elements that come within the coffee beans or Guarana seeds or tea leaves are eliminated in factory produced caffeine. Synthetic caffeine is also easier to produce than natural caffeine, another advantage from the producer's point of view. Unfortunately, for us consumers, this potent and purely chemical caffeine shot is absorbed into our circulatory system as soon as it hits the first part of the intestine.
Natural caffeine, on the other hand, is more gradually absorbed into the body. It is also less potent and therefore less toxic than artificial caffeine. There are two distinct advantages that come from a more natural stimulant (whether it be tea, coffee or Guarana). The first is that the period of heightened alertness will be longer. Instead of the huge instantaneous rush you get from energy drinks and then the commensurate crash an hour later, you get a sustained feeling of alertness for a few hours and the effect tends to wear off just as gradually.
Secondly, continuous exposure to synthetic caffeine over saturates our nervous system. If this excessive exposure continues, our nerves go haywire. This is Mother Nature's way of telling us to be careful. Our hands may quiver, nervous habits develop; our body starts to show signs of stress not different from those related to anxiety or depression. Not recommended for anyone.
With guaranine or tea or natural coffee beans, our digestive and circulatory system can easily eliminate the excess quantities without unduly affecting the nervous system. But even with natural stimulants, they must be used carefully and not in excessive amounts. It is best to stick with one cup per day; of coffee (not the grande which is really like 6 coffees) or one 12 oz can of a natural energy drink or unsweetened cold tea.
Organic coffees don't contain any of the chemicals used in large farming operations. Whole Foods Markets has a wide variety of these.
Some natural energy drinks that I like are GURU Energy Drinks and Syzmo. They are both made with natural caffeine from Guarana and/or coffee. What I like about GURU is that it is entirely natural, has not artificial sweeteners or vitamins. Sysmo is made from good ingredients but is more costly, and is not a usual taste. GURU has a low-calorie drink sweetened with Stevia called (GURU Lite), which is also a favorite of mine (see my post on Benefits of Stevia: (ref: For Dollars (will) Authorize (FDA)). Both of these are available on the respective companies' website and at Whole Foods Markets.
With cold teas; naturally brewed products provide anti-oxidants in addition to the natural caffeine. A brand I like is ITOEN. They have some unsweetened products with a unique taste that grows on you after a while. Teas Teas. - 16004
Many of today's 18-30 year olds consume energy drink daily. Some are starting to suffer from skin, liver, pancreas or digestive tract problems. This is besides the effect these chemical cocktails can have on one's heart (increased and irregular heartbeats) or skin (dehydration).
An entire new generation is coming into adulthood without their parents' coffee routine, but with a morning, afternoon or evening energy drink. Sometimes all three. Many spend hours online gaming, instead of exercising, which accentuates the problem with energy drinks, introducing type 2 diabetes and other sedentary diseases.
Why should we worry about this new breed of stimulants? One could say that a cup or two of coffee every day has never caused serious health effects. This is because coffee gets its buzz from natural coffee beans. Not from the chemical laboratories that produce synthetic caffeine.
Just like with any other product found in nature, the caffeine in the coffee beans comes with many by-products which are not easily separated from the pure caffeine elements. natural caffeine comes with fibers and other organic substances which reduce the absorption of the caffeine into the bloodstream.
With these new drinks, the caffeine is produced in a laboratory, usually in Eastern Europe or Asia. This chemical has one big plus over natural caffeine: it is extremely powerful, perhaps too much so. All of the natural elements that come within the coffee beans or Guarana seeds or tea leaves are eliminated in factory produced caffeine. Synthetic caffeine is also easier to produce than natural caffeine, another advantage from the producer's point of view. Unfortunately, for us consumers, this potent and purely chemical caffeine shot is absorbed into our circulatory system as soon as it hits the first part of the intestine.
Natural caffeine, on the other hand, is more gradually absorbed into the body. It is also less potent and therefore less toxic than artificial caffeine. There are two distinct advantages that come from a more natural stimulant (whether it be tea, coffee or Guarana). The first is that the period of heightened alertness will be longer. Instead of the huge instantaneous rush you get from energy drinks and then the commensurate crash an hour later, you get a sustained feeling of alertness for a few hours and the effect tends to wear off just as gradually.
Secondly, continuous exposure to synthetic caffeine over saturates our nervous system. If this excessive exposure continues, our nerves go haywire. This is Mother Nature's way of telling us to be careful. Our hands may quiver, nervous habits develop; our body starts to show signs of stress not different from those related to anxiety or depression. Not recommended for anyone.
With guaranine or tea or natural coffee beans, our digestive and circulatory system can easily eliminate the excess quantities without unduly affecting the nervous system. But even with natural stimulants, they must be used carefully and not in excessive amounts. It is best to stick with one cup per day; of coffee (not the grande which is really like 6 coffees) or one 12 oz can of a natural energy drink or unsweetened cold tea.
Organic coffees don't contain any of the chemicals used in large farming operations. Whole Foods Markets has a wide variety of these.
Some natural energy drinks that I like are GURU Energy Drinks and Syzmo. They are both made with natural caffeine from Guarana and/or coffee. What I like about GURU is that it is entirely natural, has not artificial sweeteners or vitamins. Sysmo is made from good ingredients but is more costly, and is not a usual taste. GURU has a low-calorie drink sweetened with Stevia called (GURU Lite), which is also a favorite of mine (see my post on Benefits of Stevia: (ref: For Dollars (will) Authorize (FDA)). Both of these are available on the respective companies' website and at Whole Foods Markets.
With cold teas; naturally brewed products provide anti-oxidants in addition to the natural caffeine. A brand I like is ITOEN. They have some unsweetened products with a unique taste that grows on you after a while. Teas Teas. - 16004
About the Author:
Dr. Jones is an authority in health and alternative medicine issues. He workswith a variety of organizations with a presence in the Natural Foods sector. For more, read his blog on Squidoo at Natural Foods & Drinks
