Dangerous Energy Drink Effects You Need to Know About

by: Dr. Craig A. Maxwell

For the past 5 years or so energy drinks have become one of the most popular drinks consumed by the 30-and-under crowd. With catchy names like “Monster”, “Hyperdrive”, and “Nightburner”, it’s obvious the kind of demographic these companies are targeting.

Energy drinks claim they use only a combination of caffeine and natural vitamins to give you that boost of energy. Unfortunately, there are certain ingredients in energy drinks that can do serious damage to your health. Once you understand energy drink dangers,

you’ll be less likely to want to use them to stay awake.

Why Energy Drinks are Bad for You

   Energy drinks may claim they contain as much caffeine as a cup of coffee and that’s true … if your cup is big enough to hold in two hands. The average cup of coffee contains about 80 milligrams of caffeine. Some energy drinks contain 300 milligrams of caffeine per serving.

That’s like belting back almost 4 cups of coffee in under an hour!

In addition to an excessive amount of caffeine, energy drinks also contain dangerous additives and preservatives that can do serious damage to your health.

These ingredients include:

• Guarana

When I see energy drinks that say, “caffeine with guarana”, I can’t take it seriously. Guarana is just another name for high-potency caffeine so it would make more sense to just say, “caffeine with caffeine”.

• Synthetic Sweeteners

Synthetic sweeteners are one of the worst things you can put into your body. Aspartame is a powerful neurotoxin with over 92 different symptoms associated with it. High fructose corn syrup has been proven to a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. Sucralose (Splenda) may claim to “taste like sugar because it’s made from sugar” but it’s actually a chemical created in a laboratory.

• Ginseng 

Ginseng is fine on its own but when this herbal stimulant is paired with caffeine, guarana, and other stimulants in energy drinks, it can be seriously hazardous to your health.

• Taurine 

Taurine is a sedative and when combined with the stimulants in energy drinks, it confuses the nervous and cardiovascular system. This leaves you at risk for developing permanent health problems, especially if energy drinks are consumed regularly.

• Yohimbe

Commonly used as a natural male enhancement supplement, yohimbe is yet another stimulant that’s just adding more fuel to the fire.

• Sodium Benzoate

This common preservative has been snuck into some foods you might even consider healthy. When combined with vitamin C, sodium benzoate turns into a carcinogen called benzene.

• Phenylalanine

This excitotoxin over-stimulates the brain cells and leads to premature cellular death.

Side Effects Associated with Energy Drinks 

Energy drinks are very bad for you because they are absolutely loaded with stimulants.

Side effects of energy drinks include:

• Racing Heartbeat
• Tremors/Shaking
• Anxiety
• Sleeplessness
• Migraine Headaches
• Dry Mouth
• Kidney Stones
• Kidney Failure
• Stomach Ulcers
• Irritability
• Mood Swings
• Psychosis

Energy Drinks Only Make Chronic Fatigue Worse

One of the major reasons energy drinks have risen in popularity is that people are tired. Not just tired but exhausted. Millions of people suffer from chronic fatigue and adrenal burnout and are desperate to get their energy back so they can make it through the day.

The problem with using energy drinks to increase energy is it only makes chronic fatigue and adrenal fatigue much worse. It over-stimulates every cell in the body and pushes it further and further toward the brink of collapse.

Natural Ways to Increase Your Energy

There are plenty of natural ways to increase your energy without the need to rely on dangerous energy drinks.

How to boost your energy naturally:

• Dietary Changes

Good health begins with a good diet. To get more energy, you need to cut down on processed foods. This means trading your fast foods, frozen foods, and canned foods for whole food fare. Choose organic vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seed, legumes, organic meat, poultry, fish, and healthy fats. The healthier your diet, the healthier and more energetic you feel.

• Exercise

You may think that exercise when you’re already feeling chronically exhausted will make things worse but it can actually help you feel better. To improve your energy levels naturally, take a brisk 30-minute walk each day or at least 3 times per week. Walking is an easy, low-impact way to improve your circulation, boost your immune system, and keep you feeling more energetic.

• Sleep
  

  

If you’re relying on energy drinks to get through the day, you need sleep and lots of it. Most adults need 7-9 hours per night to function at their best. People with chronic fatigue and adrenal fatigue need much more. Ten or more hours of sleep per night is ideal to allow time for your body to heal.

• Natural Supplements

Poor diet, poor soil quality, and low stomach acid has lead to a wide-spread epidemic of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. This is why I recommend all my patients use high quality supplements to increase their energy and heal from chronic fatigue.

Diamond Nutritionals’ Foundation Vitamins

Many store-bought multivitamins contain unnecessary additives and chemicals. This is why I recommend Diamond Nutritionals’ Foundation Vitamins. It is a professional grade vitamin and mineral supplement designed for maximum absorption.

Foundation’s ingredients include:

• Vitamin A – 7,500 IU
• Vitamin C – 500 mg
• Vitamin D3 – 500 IU
• Vitamin E – 100 IU
• Vitamin K – 50 mcg
• Thiamine – 25 mg
• Riboflavin – 25 mg
• Niacin – 25 mg
• Vitamin B6 – 38 mg
• Folic Acid – 400 mcg
• Vitamin B12 – 500 mcg
• Biotin – 200 mcg
• Panthothenic Acid – 150 mg
• Calcium – 100 mg
• Iodine – 113 mcg
• Magnesium – 200 mg
• Zinc – 10 mg
• Selenium – 100 mcg
• Copper – 1 mg
• Manganese – 2.5 mg
• Chromium – 200 mcg
• Molybdenum – 25 mcg
• Potassium – 50 mg
• Choline Bitartrate USP – 50 mg
• Inositol – 50 mg
• Mixed Tocopherols – 50 mg
• Lipoic Acid – 25 mg
• N-Acetyl-Cysteine USP – 25 mg
• Rutin – 25 mg
• Lutein – 3 mg
• Boron – 1.5 mg
• Lycopene – 1 mg
• Vanadyl Sulfate Hydrate – 1 mg

Diamond Nutritionals’ Adrenal Support Formula

For my patients struggling with adrenal fatigue, I recommend my Diamond Nutritionals’ Adrenal Support Formula. It contains a synergistic blend of nutrients designed to support your taxed adrenals and improve the health of your immune system.

This formula contains:

• Vitamin A, C, and E – Provides antioxidant support
• Niacin – Reduces anxiety and improves sleep
• Vitamin B6, and B12 – Helps the body better cope with everyday stress
• Pantothenic Acid – Eases nervous system stress
• Adrenal Concentrate (Bovine) – Supports taxed adrenals and speeds the healing process
• Siberian Ginseng – Improves the body’s response to stress, increases energy levels, and provides immune system support
• Rhodiola Rose Root Extract – Supports energy while improving mental clarity and memory
• Schizandra Berry Extract – Alleviates stress, improves mental clarity, and promotes emotional wellness
• Licorice Root Extract – Blocks the breakdown of hydrocortisone in the liver so your adrenal glands are able to rest

You don’t have to be tired and sick all the time and you don’t have to rely on energy drinks to get you through the day. When you use natural methods to boost your energy, you’re making healthy lifestyle choices that will serve you well for the rest of your life.