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.

Caffeine is not directly associated with serious health risks, but everyone reacts differently to caffeine, and energy drinks should be treated carefully because of how much caffeine they contain. The caffeine in energy drinks will likely boost the heart rate, raise blood pressure and possibly even dehydrate the body. Keep in mind that because energy drinks contain such high levels of caffeine, it would be smart not to use them as a fitness drink while exercising. The combination of fluid loss from sweating and the diuretic (a substance that promotes fluid loss) quality of the caffeine may leave you severely dehydrated.

Not only do some brands of energy drinks contain sugar and caffeine, they may also contain legal stimulants, such as guarana and ginseng. An energy booster, guarana has twice the amount of caffeine as found in coffee. Guarana may have some positive effects on the body such as increased memory and physical endurance. Ginseng can be a useful dietary supplement that enhances mental acuity, physical fitness, endocrine gland functions and memory. Current studies continue to assess the potential health benefits of these two dietary supplements.

In conclusion, although energy drinks are not absolutely bad for you, they are not beneficial to you either. If you are drinking them, make sure you drink enough water to stay hydrated all the time. Be careful of advertisements like “improved performance and concentration”, because they can be misleading. They are generally just short-term energy boosters containing high amounts of caffeine. Know what is in the drinks and how they affect you.

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