You’ve heard their promises of keeping you alert with no afternoon crash, improving performance and reaction speed, and increasing concentration. They are marketed to all of us who dream of being rock stars or super athletes. Energy drinks are the newest health concern to avoid FDA insight and infect the shelves of every grocery store, corner market, and gas station in the country. So what’s wrong with a little pick-me-up in the afternoon to help get us through the day? Well, those little pick-me-ups are really more like a toxic chemical hurricane wreaking havoc on your brain chemistry, adrenal glands, liver, heart, immune system, and blood pressure.
The deleterious effects processed sugar poses to our health are well documented: It contributes to weight gain and obesity, feeds cancer cells, alters brain chemistry and nerve function, depletes the immune system, creates addiction, taxes the pancreas and insulin production which can create conditions favorable to diabetes, and contributes to chronic adrenal fatigue. Rockstar carries 62g of sugar/16 oz can; the same amount of sugar found in 6 Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnuts. Wow!
Next on the list is caffeine. Consumers of energy drinks, looking for an instant high, may not realize it but the zap of caffeine found inside that aluminum can is the beginning of a rollercoaster ride of jittery peaks and fatigue filled valleys. Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands to turn on and produce adrenaline. Adrenaline gears our body up to face great stress by raising our heart rate, increasing respiration, dilating the pupils, slowing down digestion and allowing our muscles to contract. Adrenaline makes our heart pound when we hear skidding tires or a fire alarm. It brainwashes the passer-by to run into a burning building and rescue a trapped child. All of these changes in our normal physical state prepare us to face danger head-on…which is completely useless while we’re just sitting at a desk. This adrenaline high is short lived as the body discovers that there is no real danger. It quickly wears off leaving us with a headache, confusion, or irritability. Prolonged abuse of the adrenal glands can create chronic fatigue syndrome.
Caffeine is a diuretic. Using energy drinks as a pre-workout ritual will not replace vital electrolytes lost through sweating but will further enhance dehydration. Excess caffeine consumption can create an irregular heartbeat, insomnia, agitation, panic attacks, elevated blood pressure, irritability, and seizures.
The average cup of coffee has approximately 100 milligrams of caffeine, compared to 160 milligrams in a 16-ounce energy drink. Ounce-for-ounce, the caffeine in 5-Hour Energy is 9 times as concentrated as in coffee. Rockstar Punched carries an inconceivable 360mg of caffeine in their 24 oz. can!
If that caffeine wasn’t enough, guarana is also added to these drinks. Guarana seeds are one of the richest sources of caffeine, containing up to three times the amount as coffee beans. The amount of caffeine in guarana doesn't have to be listed on energy drinks so its contribution to the jitters is above and beyond the stated amount of caffeine on the can.
Like other stimulants, guarana may negatively affect the cardiovascular system. The high levels of caffeine in guarana can increase blood pressure and cause abnormal heart rhythms. The fatal dose of guarana is estimated to be 100 g, or roughly 10 g of pure caffeine. Young kids may be at an increased risk for overdose due to their small body weight.
Taurine is our next target. It is an amino acid found naturally in foods and also manufactured in the body from the amino acid cysteine. Since taurine is created naturally in the body, a good diet supplies all you need. The taurine in energy drinks is synthetic which makes it incompatible with the human body. It was initially thought that taurine was a stimulant but new research would suggest that instead of being a pick-me-up, the taurine actually would have more of a sedative effect on the brain. As science is still debating on the effects of taurine, do we trust it as an additive of any kind?
Studies have implicated synthetic taurine in illnesses ranging from high blood pressure to strokes and seizures to heart disease. Now, if I am claiming that these energy drinks are not the best choice to supplement our “down time,” what else can we do? Fresh, filtered, clean water with a lemon wedge squeezed into it will do more for to boost our energy and supplement our health than any chemically laden, adreno-toxic beverage will ever do. A tablespoon of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar in 6 ounces of water will give a kick to the system as well. Green leafy vegetables will produce natural healthy energy so go eat a salad. Chiropractic adjustments are also an accomplice in providing energy. Drop the synthetic chemicals and try natural health. You’ll be glad you did.
The deleterious effects processed sugar poses to our health are well documented: It contributes to weight gain and obesity, feeds cancer cells, alters brain chemistry and nerve function, depletes the immune system, creates addiction, taxes the pancreas and insulin production which can create conditions favorable to diabetes, and contributes to chronic adrenal fatigue. Rockstar carries 62g of sugar/16 oz can; the same amount of sugar found in 6 Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnuts. Wow!
Next on the list is caffeine. Consumers of energy drinks, looking for an instant high, may not realize it but the zap of caffeine found inside that aluminum can is the beginning of a rollercoaster ride of jittery peaks and fatigue filled valleys. Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands to turn on and produce adrenaline. Adrenaline gears our body up to face great stress by raising our heart rate, increasing respiration, dilating the pupils, slowing down digestion and allowing our muscles to contract. Adrenaline makes our heart pound when we hear skidding tires or a fire alarm. It brainwashes the passer-by to run into a burning building and rescue a trapped child. All of these changes in our normal physical state prepare us to face danger head-on…which is completely useless while we’re just sitting at a desk. This adrenaline high is short lived as the body discovers that there is no real danger. It quickly wears off leaving us with a headache, confusion, or irritability. Prolonged abuse of the adrenal glands can create chronic fatigue syndrome.
Caffeine is a diuretic. Using energy drinks as a pre-workout ritual will not replace vital electrolytes lost through sweating but will further enhance dehydration. Excess caffeine consumption can create an irregular heartbeat, insomnia, agitation, panic attacks, elevated blood pressure, irritability, and seizures.
The average cup of coffee has approximately 100 milligrams of caffeine, compared to 160 milligrams in a 16-ounce energy drink. Ounce-for-ounce, the caffeine in 5-Hour Energy is 9 times as concentrated as in coffee. Rockstar Punched carries an inconceivable 360mg of caffeine in their 24 oz. can!
If that caffeine wasn’t enough, guarana is also added to these drinks. Guarana seeds are one of the richest sources of caffeine, containing up to three times the amount as coffee beans. The amount of caffeine in guarana doesn't have to be listed on energy drinks so its contribution to the jitters is above and beyond the stated amount of caffeine on the can.
Like other stimulants, guarana may negatively affect the cardiovascular system. The high levels of caffeine in guarana can increase blood pressure and cause abnormal heart rhythms. The fatal dose of guarana is estimated to be 100 g, or roughly 10 g of pure caffeine. Young kids may be at an increased risk for overdose due to their small body weight.
Taurine is our next target. It is an amino acid found naturally in foods and also manufactured in the body from the amino acid cysteine. Since taurine is created naturally in the body, a good diet supplies all you need. The taurine in energy drinks is synthetic which makes it incompatible with the human body. It was initially thought that taurine was a stimulant but new research would suggest that instead of being a pick-me-up, the taurine actually would have more of a sedative effect on the brain. As science is still debating on the effects of taurine, do we trust it as an additive of any kind?
Studies have implicated synthetic taurine in illnesses ranging from high blood pressure to strokes and seizures to heart disease. Now, if I am claiming that these energy drinks are not the best choice to supplement our “down time,” what else can we do? Fresh, filtered, clean water with a lemon wedge squeezed into it will do more for to boost our energy and supplement our health than any chemically laden, adreno-toxic beverage will ever do. A tablespoon of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar in 6 ounces of water will give a kick to the system as well. Green leafy vegetables will produce natural healthy energy so go eat a salad. Chiropractic adjustments are also an accomplice in providing energy. Drop the synthetic chemicals and try natural health. You’ll be glad you did.
