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Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

Are Energy Drinks Bad for You?

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

Energy drinks are not necessarily good for you. They have become very popular amongst the young generation since the past few years. Lot of myths have been created about the energy drinks as being natural alternatives which can improve performance and concentration and this has made the younger generation to pick them up.

Popular drinks such as Red Bull and Venom contain excessive amounts of sugar and caffeine. The FDA limit on caffeine in soft drinks is currently 65 mg per 12 fluid ounces. Most energy drinks exceed this limit. Some even have more than 80 mg of caffeine, the amount fo caffeine found in one cup of coffee. However, the levels are perfectly legal as the FDA at this time does not regulate energy beverages.

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.

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.

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.

monsterenergydrinksreview.com

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