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Dissecting Common Ingredients of Energy Drinks

So many people are turning to energy drinks these days as their get up for the morning or if they need something to amp them up before a work out.

Energy drinks like Red Bull have been very common for drinking with alcohol (making them doubly dangerous) and 5 hour energy shots are waking more and more people up everyday.

The thing is though - how do you tell the good ones from the bad ones? A lot of energy drinks have a lot of the same ingredients.

All energy drinks provide energy, but not all of them provide them in the same way. Let's take a look at the common types of ingredients of energy drinks and see what they do for you.

B Vitamins

B vitamins are supposed to jump-start your body. They do this by increasing the rate of metabolism, but that is not all that they do. They also maintain healthy skin and muscle tone, make your nervous system and immune system work better, help prevent pancreatic cancer, and promote cell growth and cell division.

Caffeine

Is without any doubt the most common ingredient in energy drinks and can be found in popular drinks like sodas, tea, and coffee. It is a psychoactive stimulant, and an amazing 90% of adults in North America consume it daily. It acts on the central nervous system, making you less tired and restoring your alertness.

Guarana

Guarana is known to have caffeine in it, but it has some other stimulants as well that make it act slightly different to caffeine. It acts in your body like a more natural caffeine.

Taurine

This sulfonic acid naturally occurs in the body at safe levels that your body needs. It helps maintain energy levels, as well as provide many health benefits like reducing stress and has been connected to helping to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Ginseng

This stimulant doesn't have quite the effects of some of the other energizing-ingredients but it is a very natural one. It comes from a plant that grows in North East Asia and can also be used for the treatment of type II diabetes and as well as for sexual dysfunction in men.

Ginkgo Biloba

This ingredient is very similar to Ginseng as it also comes from a plant. It is associated with helping to reduce stress levels and also helping your concentration, memory, and blood circulation.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are famous for preventing all sorts of diseases and all sorts of cancers because they protect your cells from oxidative damage (hence the name "antioxidants"). They do this by killing free radicals, and can be found in many fruit juices as well as energy drinks.

Sugars

Sugars usually give you the "crash and burn" effects after you have been hyper for a while. Some energy drinks are full of them and you should try to eat more natural sugars that can be found in things like fruit. They are the body's main source of fuel.

L-Carnitine

Too much of this can speed your heart of pretty quickly, which is not a good thing. It is naturally made in your body in the kidney and livers and helps to promote and regulate your metabolism and energy levels.

Healthy VS Unhealthy Energy Drinks

Healthy

Healthy energy drinks are rare but can be found. The drinks that fall in this category are usually high in antioxidants, ginseng, B vitamins, and other naturally occurring elements.

Caffeine isn't necessarily bad for you, but you should try to stick to caffeine free energy drinks or at least ones with low amounts. Drinks that are rich in polyphenols, like Monavie, are also good choices when choosing energy drinks.

Unhealthy

Drinks like Red Bull, Monster, and other energy drinks that are overloaded with sugars and caffeine have proven to be not only unhealthy, but actually dangerous.

People looking for "quick pick-me-ups" are at a high risk of becoming addicted to such drinks. The sugars in them are usually converted to fat, making it so that you gain weight quickly, and the acids in them are bad for your teeth.

Energy drinks that are very high in these types of ingredients should be avoided and you should substitute other foods or drinks that provide you energy instead.

This article was written by Philip Rudy. Philip helps to run and maintain www.Mmun.com, which is a company that provides healthy energy drinks.

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There is 1 comment
Elizabeth

I drink an occasional energy drink, but it is always sugar free...I am sure that water is better for me, but other than sugar is the other stuff that is in energy drinks somewhat healthy?

March 05, 2012



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