In a world filled with chemicals, toxins, processed food, and an incredible amount of media overload and stress, physical and mental exhaustion have become an epidemic. So what have the brilliant executives of processed food corporations come up with as a solution?
Energy drinks!
Yes, folks. For the low, low price of just under $3.00 American, you too can push down those important warning symptoms of critical exhaustion with a mind-altering amount of caffeine mixed with a bunch of synthetic vitamins that have no business being in the same room together, let alone in your body.
Here at Health Scams Exposed, we completely understand the desperation of having 10 hours worth of work to do with only 2 hours of energy to do it in. However, if you’re slugging back energy drink after energy drink just to get through the day, you’re setting yourself up for some very serious health problems.
In 2010 alone, a staggering 4 billion cans of Red Bull Energy Drink were sold around the world. This is a product brand that was virtually unknown less than 10 years ago! Between 2002 and 2007 alone, total retail sales of energy drinks increased an incredible 440 percent.
That’s $6.6 billion dollars in profits for corporations that make money on the understanding that no matter how many symptoms people develop, they aren’t going to slow down. Unfortunately, if you keep pounding energy drinks, you may not have a choice.
What’s in Energy Drinks?
- Caffeine
Most people think that an energy drink is the same thing as a cup of coffee. Not even close. An average cup of caffeinated coffee contains around 80 milligrams per 8-ounce serving. An energy drink jolts into your body with over 300 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce serving.
Since most people purchase and gulp a 16-ounce energy drink, this means drinking 600 milligrams of caffeine in one serving. That’s like drinking over six cups of high-test coffee in the span of 10 or 15 minutes!
- Guarana
This South American plant is the exact same thing as caffeine. When your energy drink says, “Caffeine with Guarana”, it might as well say, “Caffeine with more Caffeine”.
- Sugar
As if the excessive caffeine content wasn’t bad enough, the incredible amount of sugar they can pack into these things should almost be illegal. Energy drinks contain anywhere from 21 grams to 34 grams of sugar per 8-ounce serving and this sugar can be anything from dangerous table sugar to high fructose corn syrup to sucralose.
Just two to three energy drinks per day and you’re going way over the RDA for any type of sweetener.
- Taurine
This sulfur-containing amino acid has been known to improve fat metabolism when consumed in small doses such as 100 milligrams per day. However, energy drinks contain over 1,000 milligrams, which can cause serious side effects.
Taurine, despite the fact that it’s in an energy drink, actually acts as a sedative in the body.
Mixing sedatives with stimulants is very risky for your health because it confuses your nervous and cardiovascular system. As it gets mixed messages from the energy drinks you’re consuming, it doesn’t know how to respond and can easily overload.
- Ginseng
Ginseng, when used as a supplement, can help boost energy and increase alertness but it is a strong stimulant that should be used with caution. Since the FDA does not regulate the amount of supplements and herbs in an energy drink, you never know how much of the stuff you’re actually taking into your body. When combined with caffeine and sugar, ginseng can send your body into overload.
- B Vitamins
Here’s the thing about B vitamins; yes, they can give you energy but not in the way those slick advertising campaigns lead you to believe. B vitamins work by helping your body better unlock the energy in foods. So if you’re the type of person who lives on energy drinks and fast food, those B vitamins will be nothing but a waste. Plus, a large majority of these vitamins are synthetic, which means your body cannot easily absorb them anyway.
- Yohimbe
Yohimbe is commonly used as a natural male enhancement herb to boost libido and mood. Adding yohimbe to an energy drink is like adding gasoline to an already-roaring fire. You’re going to end up burning the house down. Also, people who suffer from peptic ulcers, kidney disease or any mental health disorders should not consume yohimbe or other herbal stimulants.
Energy Drink Dangers You Need to Know
- Allergic Reaction
If you’re sensitive to any of the many herbal ingredients in your energy drink, you could have a severe allergic reaction. Hives, welts, swelling, and breathing problems are common allergic reactions that make energy drinks a bad choice.
- Gastrointestinal Problems
Energy drinks are absolutely packed with stimulants that could cause stomach cramping, severe diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
- Irregular Heartbeat
With all the stimulants in energy drinks, the most common side effect of these drinks is heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat. Guarana has triple the amount of caffeine than regular caffeinated drinks, which virtually guarantees cardiovascular problems when consumed over time.
- Dehydration
Energy drinks force every system in your body to work overtime, including your metabolism. The powerful diuretic ingredients in energy drinks ensure you’ll lose water through urination and sweat much faster than usual, so it’s imperative you stay hydrated.
- Kidney Failure
If you become chronically dehydrated due to excessive caffeine consumption, kidney failure can result. According to a study published in Oxford Journals, taurine is the primary culprit in kidney failure related to energy drinks.
- Mental Agitation/Manic Behavior
In people with anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental health problems, energy drink consumption can have dire consequences. Studies have shown that high intake of stimulants greatly enhance the negative effects of these psychiatric disorders.
- Seizures
In addition to the above-mentioned ingredients, some energy drinks contain the synthetic additive, phenylalanine, which is a potent neurotoxin that could lead to sudden life-threatening seizures.
- Anxiety
It goes without saying that consuming an excessive amount of caffeine leads to anxiety.
- Insomnia
If you drink too much of these energy drinks, even during the daytime, it could lead to sleeplessness at night.
Are Your Children Gulping Energy Drinks?
One of the biggest dangers of energy drinks is the fact that children can actually get their hands on them. There is no regulation for these things. If your child has diabetes, epilepsy, anxiety disorder, neurological problems, or any other physical or mental health problem, these seemingly-innocent drinks can send them to the hospital or worse.
Plus, many teenagers experiment with energy drinks by mixing them with alcohol at parties, oftentimes with deadly consequences.
Natural Ways to Boost Your Energy
If you’re feeling tired, exhausted, and achy, your body is trying to tell you something. A cup of coffee or caffeinated tea to get through a really hard day of school or work won’t do any serious harm to your health but pounding down energy drinks without any thought to their ingredients could kill you.
Instead, boost your energy naturally by:
- Sleeping
The average adult needs anywhere from 7 to 9 hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep per night. If you’re not getting it, you’ll feel like you need those energy drinks to get through the day. Resist the temptation to burn the candle at both ends and sleep well.
- Eating Right
The healthier your diet, the less you’ll need energy drinks. Loading up on processed food will only ensure your dependence on caffeine-laced drinks. For more energy, eat plenty of organic produce, whole grains, organic meat, poultry, wild-caught fish, and healthy fats. Healthy fats include butter, coconut oil, and olive oil.
- Exercising
To boost your energy levels naturally, be sure to exercise at least 30 minutes per day, three times per week. This could be something as simple as taking a brisk walk, swimming, hiking, or dancing. Exercising regularly boosts your immune system and releases pent-up anxiety and frustration. Plus those feel-good chemicals give you a natural energy “high”.
Don’t be fooled by the cool colors and sexy-sounding names of energy drinks. They’re anything but healthy for you and can land you in the hospital faster than they’ll wake you up. Stick to coffee or tea and boost your energy naturally through sleep, diet, and regular exercise.
If you’re tired, rest. When you take the time to care for your body instead of just covering up the symptoms that tell you to slow down, you’ll have no need to drink poison to stay awake!
*****Recommended Research*****
Is Sleep Your Biggest Problem?
One of the biggest reasons why energy drinks are so popular is we simply don’t get enough sleep. We’ve all been there before its 3:00 AM, we’re dead tired, and all we can do is continue to look at the ceiling. If we could only get to sleep we wouldn’t need to slam all those harmful energy drinks just to get through the day.
The good news is there are natural and healthy ways to fight insomnia, and get plenty of restful sleep every night.
A great resource we’ve found on this topic was written by Dr. Samantha Hement from the department of neurology in Helsinki, Finland. Through her years of research she’s discovered natural ways to not only fall asleep faster but also increase your levels of deep sleep.
If you’d like to finally be able to fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow… I’d strongly encourage you to check out the Insomnia Cure today.
At last, smoeone who comes to the heart of it all