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best sports energy drinks guide |
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The Hidden Dangers Of Energy Drinks
By Roberto Bell
Are good for you? Are there any dangers?
First of all, these are important questions. But let's not assume the answer is simple! Simple answers are usually not true, or not complete answers. So let's completely answer these questions.
It's important not to make a blanket generalization about the term because not all are created equal. Most of them have one thing in common - they aim to give an extra boost of energy to the person who consumes them. However, the way each particular energy drink goes about achieving that boost varies widely. Some are more effective at boosting energy than others, and that is also a subjective issue that varies from person to person.
What is in an energy drink? First of all, there are actually some that are nothing but soda pop with a little extra caffeine added in. This particular energy drink is no worse for you than drinking coffee and soda. In fact, most have less caffeine in them than a cup of coffee! A cup of coffee will usually have about 200mg of caffeine. Look at your favorite energy drink and compare - it's usually less! And oftentimes, it's a LOT less.
With that said, if an energy drink is simply soda with a little extra caffeine, it may be better for you than coffee, at least in terms of limiting caffeine intake. Caffeine is considered by most people to be somewhat bad for the body. It depletes the body of necessary nutrients such as calcium and others. It also uses up the energy your body extracts from food more quickly than is natural. This results in a crash later on, where you feel more tired than normal, sometimes even sick or depressed!
Moderate caffeine intake, however, has been linked to a metabolism boost, possible weight loss, and even mood enhancement. For this reason, some individuals may opt not to avoid caffeine altogether.
But we cannot judge health dangers simply on the basis of caffeine alone, since most soft drinks have caffeine and people have been consuming caffeine for centuries without it being life-threatening. (There is evidence that caffeine may have a negative effect
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on the heart, blood pressure, and other conditions, though.)
Other ingredients in some may play a role in whether they are good for you or not. Common ingredients found in include: multi-vitamin supplements (such as Vitamins B, C, Potassium, etc.) and energy-oriented herbs (like taurine, ginko, ginseng, etc.). Well, there is no question that the vitamins are good for you. Thus, this is evidence that an energy drink is healthier for you than a regular soda or a cup of coffee, at least in terms of nutritional content.
However, more research may be needed on the health dangers (or lack thereof) surrounding the herbs like taurine, ginko, and ginseng. Thus, the dangers of containing such ingredients will depend on whether these herbs are considered to be good or bad for one's health. And this is highly debatable.
It is also important to note that many do have more sugar which can cause rapid weight gain and destroy your diet. It is also bad for your health in general to consume too many simple carbohydrates (sugars).
So yes, there are genuine dangers to consuming too many very regularly. However, depending on the individual, consuming one energy drink once a week or less is usually fine. Check with your doctor. Also, check what is IN the energy drink you are consuming, and HOW MUCH of each thing is in there. If you must drink energy drinks, ones that are lower in things like caffeine and herbs and higher in vitamins are recommended. Lo-carb or sugar-free selections are ideal.
A final thought is this: do have a bigger crash than other caffeinated drinks? The answer is generally yes. This alone is evidence enough to support not drinking them. It is also not recommended for children under a certain age (often age 12) to drink energy drinks. It not only can keep them up late, it can also do damage to their bodies as they grow. The main problem with consuming anything that will force your body to use up its natural energy and nutrition too quickly is that your body will then have that crash and this can make you physically ill and could hinder your immune system.
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