3 Reasons To Think Twice About That Energy Drink

There are many reasons why drinking energy drinks is a bad idea and if you are one of the millions the rely on these sugary drinks to provide you with extra energy, then perhaps you should think twice about taking another sip.

One of the big problems with energy drinks is that they are labeled as dietary supplements and so are not well-regulated by the FDA.

In fact, these energy drinks are often promoted as natural sports drinks that will keep you awake and focused. These chemical-filled drinks are sold in bright, attractive cans and bottles and endorsed by celebrities, athletes and sexy models. They are targeted to a younger generation of adolescents and young adults. It would be nearly impossible to walk through a college campus, high school or gym without spotting a variety of brands of energy drinks.

What they don’t promote is the unwanted side effects and health concerns. While there may be a lot of natural ingredients in some of the top energy drinks, there are still artificial flavors, sweeteners and other chemicals that are added.

What Makes Energy Drinks Dangerous?

Most people assume these energy drinks are full of caffeine and that is what causes the issues…too much caffeine…

But this isn’t really the whole story.

Although some energy drinks have more caffeine in them than others, for the most part, most of the major brands have less than a Grande Starbucks Coffee [1]. While Starbucks probably isn’t the healthiest choice for your morning stop, it isn’t known for sending people to the hospital or having scary side effects.

If you look at the list of ingredients found in most energy drinks, you would think they are things you would be ok consuming, or would even want to have. But the combination of so many different types of stimulants, such as ginseng, guarana extract, taurine, B-vitamins, amino acids, and herbal stimulants (just to name a few), combined with the sugar and artificial ingredients, make this drink dangerous, especially if you have several over a short period of time [2].

These ingredients may be ok for you, or even good for you, on their own, but consuming so much at once, combined with the effects of caffeine and high amounts of sugar can lead to outcomes that are less than desirable.

Individuals consuming large quantities of energy drinks have led to some disastrous outcomes, including caffeine overdose. In fact, energy drink consumption has been linked to over 20,000 ER visits per year, anxiety, heart palpitations, nervousness, dehydration, and even death [3].

3 Reasons You Should Rethink That Energy Drink

1). Possible health issues, which include low blood pressure, headaches, heart palpitations, nervousness and dehydrations. There have been many reported cases linked back to the consumption of energy drinks, especially in those who are younger. For kids and teens, it can be especially dangers and there have been cases of cardiac arrest [4].

2). Can cause stress and anxiety. Because of the mix of so many high level stimulants, energy drinks put a lot of stress on your body and can cause panic and anxiety attacks. In fact, they can cause your body to do into fight or flight mode. A recent study in JAMA showed the consuming energy drinks can change norepinephrine level, the stress hormone that controls your fight or flight response, by 73% [4].

3). Energy drinks have a negative effect on weight loss and can make you gain weight. Most energy drinks have a high amount of sugar and a high amount of calories that are not friendly to the waistline. This can also lead to a sugar crash, leaving you more exhausted than you were before you drank your energy drink. However, going for a diet or a low calorie energy drink doesn’t do you any better, as these contain artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and this can be worse for you than sugar. Excess sugar and artificial sweeteners can have adverse health effects and lead to metabolic disease [5].

Energy Drink Alternatives

These are our top reasons why energy drinks are not worth the risk that they bring. We understand that we all need a pick me up from time to time and caffeine definitely has its benefits. In fact, it can be useful when trying to lose weight or even as a pre-workout.

The best alternative to energy drinks is to drink black coffee. You’ll get more caffeine, which will give you energy and make you feel more awake, and it isn’t full of so many other stimulants that it becomes dangerous.

To help you make the switch, and encourage you to stop drinking energy drinks, check out Grind, Michael’s favorite coffee that he drinks everyday and uses as his pre-workout. In fact, you can even get a free bag to help you make the switch by clicking here.