sleeplessness – Bliss Returned

Trendy world, trendy people & trendy drink that is what energy drinks become in today’s life style. In the current scenario energy drinks are just like a trendy beverage & we can get the evidence of its popularity by entering in any of the store where lots of energy drink cans may be found easily. Young people are fond of it but lots of kids also use them like sodas. I knew that now there must be a question in your mind that is it just a harmless craze, or there is some real health concerns with energy drinks? Energy drinks can have a drawback if they won’t be drunk properly. You all might be aware that energy drink can do so much for you. As they not just help in increasing your level of enthusiasm in your work but your confidence. In these stressful times you might feel that your energy needs a boost and be tempted to try one of the energy drinks that seem to be taking over the soft drinks shelves in the supermarkets. In spite of hard times globally sales of caffeine energy drinks have apparently overtaken bottled water sales.

Energy drinks are simple beverages that contain some form of vitamins & other chemicals which boosts your energy for very short span. You might be thinking they could be good for you when they also contain herbs like Ginseng, Green Tea, Echinacea, Ginkgo Biloba, St. John’s Wort, Kava Kava, Damiana, Mate and Schizandra. But besides caffeine energy drinks frequently contain other legal stimulants such as ephedrine, and guarana.

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Beware of the stimulants in energy drinks

Ephedrine, a chemical cousin of amphetamine, stimulates the central nervous system, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, sometimes to dangerous levels. Besides heart attack and stroke and risk of seizures, it can cause nervousness, heart muscle damage, and irregular heartbeat Guarana and ginseng are often added to energy beverages and can enhance the effects of caffeine, often 80 mg and the equivalent of a cup of filter coffee.

Adverse effects associated with caffeine consumption include nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, increased urination, abnormal heart rhythms, (arrhythmia), decreased bone density levels, and stomach upset.

People who are used to energy drink say that it’s very effective. But you should be aware about the effect & consequences of the product. This is true because once you make use of it or take it in a wrong manner you can face some health problems. There are short and long-term effects of energy drinks though

The long-term effects of energy drink ingredients are that you may be addicted of this drink & addiction of any thing is harmful.
In these types of drinks it has not been mention any where that whether any medical conditions or related prescription medication will react with them.
Energy drinks must be taken properly because the ingredients used in it are powerful enough to affect your system & body.
Ingredients used in these drinks can affect your heartbeat and blood pressure. This arouses awareness from medical specialists who have conducted studies about the effects of energy drinks.
However it doesn’t means that harmful effects of these types of drinks can’t be prevented. The problem is only how to drink & in what amount that can be easily digested.
Don’t ever try to make energy drink an alternative for the lost water in the system while doing exercise because the caffeine in the energy drink can leave a dehydrating effect on your body. You should prefer to have something natural during exercises.
The most important point is that you should never combine energy drinks with alcohol because energy drink is a stimulant while alcohol is a depressant. You can imagine yourself the contrasting effect that this combination can bring in your system

Not good for your heart or circulation

Researchers are finding that energy drinks may give you more than an energy boost. They may also boost heart rates and blood pressure levels and increase the danger of blood clots. These results could be significant in people with any heart problems or those taking drugs to lower heart rate or blood pressure.

Many energy drinks are high in sodium and sugar but researchers have found that the sugar-free version of Red Bull could increase the risk of heart attacks or strokes.

Many sugar free energy drinks contain the artificial sweetener Aspartame which has been shown to have multiple neurotoxic, metabolic, allergenic, fetal, and carcinogenic effects.

The toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) is used to make the linings of drink and food cans and there have been concerns over the effects of this chemical for some time. New published research has linked this to increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. High body levels of the chemical can damage the liver.

Don’t mix your drinks

Mixed with alcohol energy drinks may be even more lethal. Since energy drinks are stimulants and alcohol is a depressant, the combination of effects may be dangerous. Both energy drinks and alcohol are very dehydrating. Dehydration can hinder your body’s ability to metabolize alcohol and will increase the toxicity, and therefore the hangover, the next day.

Like any quick energy boost when the effect wears off you’ll start feeling lethargic again and will want another can to boost your energy once again.

The new soft drink Cocaine is advertised as not causing the jitters or sugar crash associated with other energy drinks but contains 280 milligrams of caffeine and reputed to be 350 percent stronger than Red Bull! Bad news if you value your health.

No nutrients

Energy drinks are supposed to help boost energy levels substantially and keep individuals alert and active for longer periods of time than usual. The drinks are targeted largely at teenagers and young adults and are readily available in grocery stores, convenience stores, and a variety of other places. Many drink the products under the illusion that it will help them sustain higher energy levels without interfering with their weight loss goals in the way other energy boosters can. While the products are often promoted as relatively harmless drinks, in reality, energy drinks can be quite harmful when consumed regularly. Studies have shown that consumption of energy drinks over an extended period of time can result in problems such as elevated blood pressure, increased anxiety levels, insomnia and heart palpitations

Energy drinks like other carbonated beverages offer little value to your body. They may contain traces of Vitamin B and the amino acid taurine but this does not make up for the detrimental effects of the caffeine, other stimulants, sugar or artificial sweeteners.

If you would love to boost your energy levels energy drinks aren’t the answer. It is far wiser to address the underlying reasons why you do not have as much energy as you would like.

Generally it’s best to avoid all specialty and soft drinks that contain sugar as they could have an enormous influence on your long-term health. They will raise your insulin levels and contribute to a host of diseases and accelerate your aging process.

The problems are caused by the ingredients that go into an energy drink. Many energy drinks contain nutritional supplements such as Gingko Biloba, which is supposed to enhance memory, Taurine, a natural amino acid that regulates heart-beats and the Guarana seed, a natural stimulant. However, most energy drinks also contain extremely high levels of caffeine. On average, an 8.5 ounce can of an energy booster contains at least 80 to 100 mg of caffeine which is well more than double the legal amount of caffeine permitted in a soft drink can. Studies have shown some brands of energy drink to contain more than 200 mg of caffeine in an single can, which is a staggering amount by any standard. Caffeine is not only addictive, it is also a diuretic. When consumed in excessive amounts, it can trigger severe dehydration. This becomes even more of a problem when energy drinks are combined with alcohol, which is the manner in which it is frequently consumed. Energy drinks also often contain excessive amounts of sugar, which is also known to be harmful to the body.

In addition, makers of energy drinks are under no legal obligation to disclose the source of any natural supplement that might be used in the product. As a result, consumers have no way of knowing whether the herbs and other natural supplements that are used in energy boosters have been contaminated by pesticides, irradiated or contaminated in any other manner. Without further research, it is hard to know what kind of toxins might be present in energy drinks. Also, while natural Taurine is good for the body, the synthetic version, which is what is used in energy drinks, has been known to cause illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes.

According to the Mayo Clinic, any boost provided by energy drinks is often short-lived and comes at a steep price in terms of health. The excessive sugar in energy drinks for instance, can lead to weight gain. Meanwhile, the abundance of caffeine that is present in energy drinks has been shown to result in increased nervousness, sleeplessness, irritability, rapid heart beat and increased blood pressure. The problems can be exacerbated when energy drinks are mixed with alcohol. Energy drinks have a way of masking the effects of alcohol and may lead to heavier drinking and higher exposure to alcohol related injuries and health problems.

The health issues raised by energy drinks are not always life-threatening but they should not be overlooked either. Until further research becomes available, consumers should be wary of energy drinks according to doctors and researchers.

“Vitamin water” sounds like a health drink, doesn’t it? Try a whopping 33g of sugar + other synthetic stuff. Coca-Cola (oooo, that’s a surprise, a water that has the sugar content of a soda made by a soda maker) is actually being sued by a non-profit org for their misleading name & ads. Their defense? A Coca-Cola lawyer said: “no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking vitamin water was a healthy beverage.” You’re the consumer, what do you think?

How to Increase Your Energy Without Energy Drinks

Lack of energy is a common complaint of modern day living and stressful lifestyles but is not normal.
If you lack energy it is likely to be due to a combination of factors including: