Energy drinks . . . are they safe?

[Ivan Kipling]

http://health.yahoo.com/news/168263

Interesting article. I'll stick to black coffee.

 

[Bradford]

I read this article and the message I got was, in moderation, they are fine.

I don't like coffee, so my Monster each morning should not be a big deal, but even on the can it says to not drink more than 3 a day.

Obviously, if you abuse any substance, be it energy drinks, Starbucks or whatever, it is going to be a problem.

These kids ingesting massive amounts of energy drinks with No-Doz pills are just stupid, but it's no surprise. Every generation pushes the envelope.

 

[Ivan Kipling]

Well said. I tried an energy drink at a Quixtar meeting. Couldn't handle it. Coffee, for me. Black and strong.

 

[Thomas]

I gave a speech a month or so ago about how things like energy drinks tend to eat away at your pocketbook, and used a colleague's daily routine (1 Starbucks, 1 Red Bull, 1 Monster, 1 Sonic fountain beverage) to illustrate how the dollars tend to pile up. From a health perspective, the sugar and caffeine can be troubling in large doses, but - gee whiz - the companies are raking it in ($$$) and that's bad news for the kids who are getting hooked.

What was most telling was this - a day before speaking, I casually asked a few folks for their empty cans. From my small office, I got a shopping bag full of empties that afternoon.

 

[Young Scrappy]

Originally Posted by Ivan Kipling

Well said. I tried an energy drink at a Quixtar meeting. Couldn't handle it. Coffee, for me. Black and strong.

I'd quit quixtar first.


"Cocaine looks so freaking tight. I NEED THIS STUFF. Next weekend, me and 3 friends are going to take a 6 hour roadtrip to NYC just to get our hands on this stuff.

Hahahaha, it must be peruvian

 

[hopkins_student]

Originally Posted by Young Scrappy

"Cocaine looks so freaking tight. I NEED THIS STUFF. Next weekend, me and 3 friends are going to take a 6 hour roadtrip to NYC just to get our hands on this stuff.

Anybody that uses the word "tight" in that context should consume twenty energy drinks in the span of an hour. That should solve that problem.

 

[Ivan Kipling]

Originally Posted by Young Scrappy

I'd quit quixtar first.


"Cocaine looks so freaking tight. I NEED THIS STUFF. Next weekend, me and 3 friends are going to take a 6 hour roadtrip to NYC just to get our hands on this stuff.

Hahahaha, it must be peruvian

Oh, give me a break. I attended a meeting, to help out a friend. Wouldn't join that circus, for all the energy this side of Manhattan Island.

 

[tiecollector]

Energy drinks with all those carbs and sugar are just going to make you fat and get you hooked. If you want one every now and then cuz you like the taste, then do it, otherwise stick to water and exercise.

If you are in search of some real energy though, I have heard some great things about this cocktail:
http://www.ei-resource.org/Articles/cfs-art20.asp

The d-ribose in particular is quite expensive. Probably cost you $100/month but I hear good things. I take some this stuff already but you need to take all too see the full benefit.

 

[whodini]

I'll stick to my double espresso.

 

[MCsommerreid]

I've been basically living off energy drinks during college. The good ones are a great way to get a swift wakeup kick to the pants.

Biggest downside in the short term is that some of them taste like absolute crap.

 

[hopkins_student]

Originally Posted by MCsommerreid

Biggest downside in the short term is that some of them taste like absolute crap.

So does coffee.

 

[tiecollector]

Originally Posted by MCsommerreid

I've been basically living off energy drinks during college. The good ones are a great way to get a swift wakeup kick to the pants.

Biggest downside in the short term is that some of them taste like absolute crap.


I just "Do the Dew". mmmmmm. Bad for me, but so worth it.

 

[Liberty Ship]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

Energy drinks with all those carbs and sugar are just going to make you fat and get you hooked. If you want one every now and then cuz you like the taste, then do it, otherwise stick to water and exercise.

If you are in search of some real energy though, I have heard some great things about this cocktail:
http://www.ei-resource.org/Articles/cfs-art20.asp

The d-ribose in particular is quite expensive. Probably cost you $100/month but I hear good things. I take some this stuff already but you need to take all too see the full benefit.


That's a great link, thanks. From what I 've seen on the labels, I wouldn't touch an "energy" drink. You're setting yourself up for a crash. Not only blood sugar instability, but you'll blow out your adrenals, and long term, the caffiene will be a drag on your liver. (I was surprised to learn a couple of years ago that caffiene and fried foods are as big a risk to the liver as alcohol.) There will come a point where the "energy drinks" put you into a syndrome of fatigue from which they can not help you recover, even short term.

I was going to recommend CoQ10 in large quantities like 100+mg/day; eleuthero, perhaps Sibergin; a multiple with huge amounts of B complex; and 750mg magnesium/day for starters.

It looks to me like those drinks will cause weight gain, not just because of the calories in the sugar content, but in the fact that they will mess up your glycemic response.

I drink one cup of black coffee each morning and that's it as far as stimulants go. I'm in my 50's and my energy lever is through the roof compared to anyone else I know, including people in their 30's. I work at least 10 hours a day in a high stress job. Minimize caffiene, no refined carbs or sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup, and supplement.

 

[Bradford]

Originally Posted by Liberty Ship

That's a great link, thanks. From what I 've seen on the labels, I wouldn't touch an "energy" drink. You're setting yourself up for a crash. Not only blood sugar instability, but you'll blow out your adrenals, and long term, the caffiene will be a drag on your liver. (I was surprised to learn a couple of years ago that caffiene and fried foods are as big a risk to the liver as alcohol.) There will come a point where the "energy drinks" put you into a syndrome of fatigue from which they can not help you recover, even short term.

I was going to recommend CoQ10 in large quantities like 100+mg/day; eleuthero, perhaps Sibergin; a multiple with huge amounts of B complex; and 750mg magnesium/day for starters.

It looks to me like those drinks will cause weight gain, not just because of the calories in the sugar content, but in the fact that they will mess up your glycemic response.

I drink one cup of black coffee each morning and that's it as far as stimulants go. I'm in my 50's and my energy lever is through the roof compared to anyone else I know, including people in their 30's. I work at least 10 hours a day in a high stress job. Minimize caffiene, no refined carbs or sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup, and supplement.

Hadn't heard that about caffeine and fried foods related to the liver and would like to know more.

I try and steer clear of high fructose corn syrup as well. That's one reason I prefer Monster Energy as it is made with real sugar. Shouldn't mess with the glycemic response like most sodas do - right?

 

[tiecollector]

Originally Posted by Bradford

Hadn't heard that about caffeine and fried foods related to the liver and would like to know more. I try and steer clear of high fructose corn syrup as well. That's one reason I prefer Monster Energy as it is made with real sugar. Shouldn't mess with the glycemic response like most sodas do - right?
Regular sugar is better than high fructose corn syrup, but I would still think that since regular sugar is somewhat refined, it still isn't good for you. I'd think the best is to get your sugars from fruit and other foods. However, monster is better than something like Jolt I'm sure. As for the CoQ10, it is a rather large molecule. I get the really expensive stuff with Q-gel Mega bioavailability technology. It is almost $50 for a 2 month supply. I have read reports though that CoQ10 even in excessive quantities will not cause any side effects. The basic stuff is pretty cheap at Costco. It is a strong anti-oxidant and has been known to put cancer patients back into remission long term. Wish I had read about this stuff when my dog got cancer 2 years ago so I could have maybe given her some. Ever since I started taking vitamins and proper supplements I look younger and my hair grew back. I'm only 25 and I was starting to look 35. It is amazing how much you are what you eat. If you want to cleanse your liver there are some liver cleansing techniques you can use. I have read about home remedies involving lemon juice and a few other simple ingredients. I have not tried them yet. Colonics are supposed to help as well with liver cleansing. I have only had one but plan on going back for another.