You Are What You Drink – Part 2

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Energy Drinks and Shots

When you turn over an energy drink, the nutrition label is absent and replaced with a supplement facts panel. These two labels look very similar, and to consumers, there may seem like there is no difference at all. Sadly, this isn’t the case.

U.S. News recognizes that while nutrition labels are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the supplement industry does not have to follow the same regulation. They have little oversight as to what they must disclose about their products. Many energy drinks don’t actually disclose the variety of stimulants that go into the product and will often list them as a “proprietary blend.”

This means that it is possible you could be drinking dangerous amounts of stimulants, or even stimulants that interact with your current medications and not even know it.

These drinks contain, among other ingredients, lots of caffeine, guarana, ginseng, taurine, ginkgo biloba, glucuronolactone, and sugar.

The Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration reports that emergency room visits connected to energy drinks doubled in numbers from 10,068 visits in 2007 to 20,783 visits in 2011.

Adverse Effects Related To Energy Drinks:

• Individuals may experience symptoms that include abnormal heart rhythms or other cardiac problems after consuming only two energy beverages according to a study done by the American Heart Association. The amount of caffeine in most energy drinks can cause heart problems like atrial fibrillation and increased blood pressure. There are warnings on most energy drinks not to consume more than one energy drink a day, and those warnings stem from the increased number of cardiac cases seen due to the consumption of energy drinks. According to Medicaldaily.com when people consume energy drinks in excess physicians who see unexplained altered cardiac patterns should look to energy drinks as the source of the problem.
• One sad and very unfortunate effect of the increased use of energy drink consumption is the higher rates of late miscarriages, stillbirths, and low birth-weight babies.
• Energy drinks can change the awareness of fatigue and pain, which means that a person might try to push themselves past their natural healthy limits.
• Marked hypocalcaemia (low calcium levels in the blood serum)
• An increased risk of arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes in adults, which reduces Insulin sensitivity
• Extreme amounts of caffeine can have real negative effects on the neurological and cardiovascular systems in teens and kids, which can cause physical dependence and addiction.
• Tachycardia, agitation, irritability, nervousness, and insomnia are seen with high doses of caffeine. Caffeine toxicity can be compared to a lot of the symptoms that go along with amphetamine poisoning, which can include cardiac arrhythmias, seizures, and psychosis.

The World Health Organization reports plenty of research that shows drinking energy drinks, with high-risk behavior, such as combining them with alcohol, is dangerous. One study of US College students discovered that the combination of alcohol and energy drinks resulted in a higher probability of adverse reactions as compared to drinking alcohol only.

Better Option: Natural caffeine sources, coffee, green tea and black tea.

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks are used to replenish electrolytes lost during exercise or sporting activities, but the problem is most come with unhealthy ingredients: sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and lots of sodium. 8 Ounce Serving Contains:

• 35 grams of sugar
• High-fructose corn syrup listed as a top ingredient
• 270mg of sodium

Better Option: Natural Electrolytes Blends

Electrolytes balance bodily fluids and hydrate the body to greatly boost energy and you can skip the high sugar sports drinks with these naturally low sugar electrolyte boosters.

Natural Electrolyte Nutrients

• Sodium
• Potassium
• Calcium
• Chloride
• Magnesium

Natural Electrolyte Foods

• All plant foods but especially red, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables – high in potassium and magnesium
• Beets
• Oranges
• Bell peppers
• Green leafy vegetables are high in calcium, magnesium and potassium – kale, chard and spinach
• Bananas – high in potassium
• Natural sodium foods – celery, beets, bok choy and bell peppers
• Sunflower and sesame seeds – high in calcium and magnesium

Drink It- Any of these ingredients can be blended into smoothies or juices. Add a teaspoon of salt to water to make a quick natural electrolyte boosting drink.

Read Part 3 of this Post

source https://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/you-are-what-you-drink-part-2/