Extricating Truths from Propaganda with Energy Drinks and Food Bars
January 27th, 2012
It’s hard to know what’s healthy nowadays, whether you’re looking at energy drinks and food bars, foods or supplements on the market or even debt relief programs. Every week we hear about why this or that product may be dangerous. It really comes down to getting a good look at all the products you buy, thinking about the ingredients that are in it and the effect it really has on you. Does your energy drink bought with a free grocery coupon actually bestow energy upon you or does it just give you the jitters? The upcoming study of energy drinks and food bars will bestow upon you some rules pertaining to these products. One reason that many people today consume too many energy drinks is that they’re sleep deprived. Not a single product, not even coffee, energy drinks or vitamins, which can act as a proxy for sleep deprivation. It’s one thing to have an occasional energy drink to give you extra alertness when you need it, but it’s something else if you use these drinks as a sleep substitute. Researchers are finding that there are many risks associated with not getting enough sleep, from the obvious ones like fatigue to obesity and heart problems. So if you’re tired because you aren’t sleeping enough, the solution is to change your habits, not more energy drinks. Many of these drinks claim to be “fortified” with herbs and vitamins or amino acids in addition to the sugar and caffeine we already know exists in most of them. You may find ingredients like B vitamins, Gingko Biloba, and Taurine among those listed in the ingredients. Allot of these supplements are generally known to be good for you but there are some who’s status is really unknown as to overall health risk. Stimulants like ginseng and guarana, when combined with sugar and caffeine can have some nasty side effects if you overdo it which is easy to do. Avoid the potential side effects by isolating each stimulant and using them wisely in varying forms rather than all at once.