Energy drinks and health in the same sentence? They are usually loaded with caffeine, artificial sweeteners (Aspartame Controversy, Taurine and to make everything seem OK, artificial vitamins. This cocktail is toxic and has already started to cause serious health problems.
More and more people that consume the traditional energy drink regularly or even daily have already or are destined to eventually suffer from stomach, kidney, liver or heart problems. Not to mention the effects these chemical cocktails can have on one's teeth (premature enamel degradation) or skin (dehydration related blotching).
This generation is graduating into adulthood without the previous generations' coffee addiction, but with a more potent daily stimulant: the energy drink. Many spend hours surfing the net or watching TV, instead of playing sports, which compounds the problem with soft drinks, increasing the incidence of diabetes and other diet-related diseases.
Why should we be concerned about this new variety of mental stimulant? A cup or two of coffee every day has never caused serious health effects. The big difference relates to where the buzz comes from: natural coffee beans vs. laboratory produced 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 newly concocted energy drinks, the caffeine is produced in sleek factories, usually in Europe or Southeast Asia. This synthetic caffeine is definitely much better than natural caffeine in one regard: it is much more potent. All of the organic substances that come with the coffee or Guarana or tea do not exist with factory produced caffeine. Artificial caffeine is also less expensive to make than natural caffeine, another great thing for the large corporations that make it. Unfortunately for consumers, this highly potent and toxic caffeine is absorbed into our body as soon as it hits the digestive system.
Natural products like Guarana or tea, on the other hand, are absorbed more slowly by the body. They are also less concentrated and therefore less poisonous than the white powdered caffeine. There are a few advantages with the natural versions of caffeine (whether it be in coffee, tea or Guarana). Firstly, the duration of the increased mental clarity will be longer. Instead of the instant buzz you get from most energy drinks and then the inevitable crash, you get a prolonged feeling of alertness for a several hours and the effect eventually wears off gradually.
Advantage #2 has to do with the jitters. Concentrated exposure to potent artificial caffeine tends to over saturate one's nervous system. If overexposure is repeated, nervous system goes haywire. Nature's way of saying: Enough! Hands shake, nervous tics develop; our body shows the same signs as it would under sustained stress and anxiety. Not a good thing.
With natural caffeine or guaranine, the body can more easily flush out the excess quantities and not overtax the nervous system. But even with natural caffeine, one must use moderation. It is best to stick with one regular cup of coffee or tea (not the large Starbucks which is really like 6 coffees) or one 12 oz can of a natural energy drink or unsweetened cold tea.
Organic coffee doesn't have any of the artificial additives found in industrial agricultural operations. Whole Foods Markets has many of these types of coffees.
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.
More and more people that consume the traditional energy drink regularly or even daily have already or are destined to eventually suffer from stomach, kidney, liver or heart problems. Not to mention the effects these chemical cocktails can have on one's teeth (premature enamel degradation) or skin (dehydration related blotching).
This generation is graduating into adulthood without the previous generations' coffee addiction, but with a more potent daily stimulant: the energy drink. Many spend hours surfing the net or watching TV, instead of playing sports, which compounds the problem with soft drinks, increasing the incidence of diabetes and other diet-related diseases.
Why should we be concerned about this new variety of mental stimulant? A cup or two of coffee every day has never caused serious health effects. The big difference relates to where the buzz comes from: natural coffee beans vs. laboratory produced 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 newly concocted energy drinks, the caffeine is produced in sleek factories, usually in Europe or Southeast Asia. This synthetic caffeine is definitely much better than natural caffeine in one regard: it is much more potent. All of the organic substances that come with the coffee or Guarana or tea do not exist with factory produced caffeine. Artificial caffeine is also less expensive to make than natural caffeine, another great thing for the large corporations that make it. Unfortunately for consumers, this highly potent and toxic caffeine is absorbed into our body as soon as it hits the digestive system.
Natural products like Guarana or tea, on the other hand, are absorbed more slowly by the body. They are also less concentrated and therefore less poisonous than the white powdered caffeine. There are a few advantages with the natural versions of caffeine (whether it be in coffee, tea or Guarana). Firstly, the duration of the increased mental clarity will be longer. Instead of the instant buzz you get from most energy drinks and then the inevitable crash, you get a prolonged feeling of alertness for a several hours and the effect eventually wears off gradually.
Advantage #2 has to do with the jitters. Concentrated exposure to potent artificial caffeine tends to over saturate one's nervous system. If overexposure is repeated, nervous system goes haywire. Nature's way of saying: Enough! Hands shake, nervous tics develop; our body shows the same signs as it would under sustained stress and anxiety. Not a good thing.
With natural caffeine or guaranine, the body can more easily flush out the excess quantities and not overtax the nervous system. But even with natural caffeine, one must use moderation. It is best to stick with one regular cup of coffee or tea (not the large Starbucks which is really like 6 coffees) or one 12 oz can of a natural energy drink or unsweetened cold tea.
Organic coffee doesn't have any of the artificial additives found in industrial agricultural operations. Whole Foods Markets has many of these types of coffees.
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.
About the Author:
Dr. Jones is an expert in matters of financial matters and organic food. 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
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