How Do Energy Drinks Impact Your Body

For many people, nothing beats starting the day with a fresh cup of coffee or a caffeine substance of your choice. As the day goes on, many people need a second boost of energy and turn to energy drinks to meet that need. However, not all energy drinks are created equal - in fact, that boost of energy might actually be more detrimental to your health than you realize. As a knowledgeable consumer, you should be careful when you select your energy drinks. A healthy alternative are natural energy drinks, which still give you that boost of energy without the negative effects to your body and health.

How Do Energy Drinks Impact Your Body?

The majority of non-natural energy drinks contain large amounts of caffeine, B vitamins, added sugars, legal stimulants (like guarana), taurine (an amino acid found in fish and meat), and L-carnitine which helps turn fat into energy.  While none of these ingredients are necessarily bad, combining them into a caffeine rich cocktail may enhance the negative effects of these ingredients. Energy drinks are already bad for people under the age of 18, pregnant women, people who are caffeine sensitive, and people who are taking certain medications. If you’ve drank energy drinks before you may have noticed that your heart begins to beat rapidly after you’ve consumer the drink. This heart rate increase could be due to how the caffeine reacts with other ingredients, like taurine. High amounts of caffeine not only affect your heart, but your brain as well. If you consume doses of caffeine over 200 milligrams then you may experience caffeine intoxication, which can include insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, and gastrointestinal irritation. Like with all things, it’s important to consume energy drinks in moderation, or to look for healthier alternatives if you are experiencing uncomfortable side effects.

The Difference Between Natural Energy Drinks and Non-Natural:

Natural energy drinks do not contain any artificial chemicals. Instead, the caffeine in natural energy drinks comes from green tea, coffee, or guarana, and the sugar used in these drinks is from a more natural state; the sugar is not as heavily processed as it is in non-natural energy drinks. There are even some natural energy drinks that use no sugar at all, if that is something you wish to be careful about consuming. Additionally, these natural, organic energy drinks are free from pesticides and other chemical residues! They are non-GMO and contain no gluten, dairy, soy, artificial colors, artificial flavors, or soy. Natural no calorie sweeteners are substituted for the more potentially harmful artificial ones, so you still get the flavor without the downsides. The juices in these natural energy drinks are also natural, and natural colors are used rather than artificial dyes and food colorings. So, if you still need that extra shot of energy, consider switching to natural energy drinks for the healthier version of your much-needed energy kick.