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Friday, February 27th, 2009

Are Energy Drinks Bad for You?

Are energy drinks bad for you?
Source: www.nycapollo.org/are-energy-drinks-bad-for-you/

Well, lets just say they are not necessarily good for you. Energy drinks have become all the rage amongst the younger generation over the last few years. Energy drinks have been highly touted as natural alternatives that can improve performance and concentration and this has made them the younger generations pick me up of choice.

The majority of these popular drinks like Red Bull, Venom, and Adrenaline Rush, among others, contain large amounts of caffeine and sugar. Some reports show that the amount of caffeine in an energy drink was higher than 65 mg per 12 ounces, which is higher than the FDA limit set for soft drinks. Many of these drinks contain more than 80 mg of caffeine. To put these caffeine levels into perspective, a regular cup of coffee contains about 80 mg of caffeine, while a Mountain Dew contains around 37 mg.

Energy drinks should be consumed with caution. While studies do not link caffeine with any serious illness, caffeine does produce some side effects. Increased heart rate and blood pressure may occur with increased consumption of caffeine. Dehydration may also happen when a person exercising uses energy drinks as fitness beverages. Continued ingestion of caffeine may result in difficulty sleeping, stomach concerns and anxiety.

Along with caffeine and sugar, some of the energy drinks also contain legal stimulants like guarana and ginseng. Guarana is known as an effective energy booster. It contains almost twice the amount of caffeine found in coffee beans. According to some research studies guarana might have some metabolic effects like increased memory retention and physical endurance. Ginseng is supposed to be a promising dietary supplement while assessing a better quality life. According to some research studies ginseng can stimulate mental as well as physical activity,improve upon the accuracy of work, prevent fatigue, stimulate the endocrine glands, and improve memory. The complete benefits of these natural stimulants are still being studied.

Even though energy drinks may appear to have numerous health benefits, they really are not good for you either. Be sure to drink enough water while consuming these beverages in order to prevent dehydration. Use caution when purchasing energy drinks that make claims of increased performance as most often these beverages have high amounts of caffeine to give you a short term boost.

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