Energy Drinks: Red Bull effect

I've seen people gulping down those energy drinks whenever they feel tired or sleepy. The question is, what will it do to our body? Apart from stimulating our nervous system, does it has any adverse affect to our body? Let's check it out. 

What's your favorite energy drink? Red Bull? Livita? Let me tell you this. Just one serving of Red Bull, can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. The effect was seen in young people. The caffeine-loaded beverage causes blood to become sticky, a pre-cursor to cardiovascular problems such as stroke. One hour after drinking Red Bull, your blood system becomes abnormal, as might be expected from a patient with cardiovascular disease. Red Bull is banned in various countries such as Norway, Uruguay and Denmark because of health risks.

Energy drinks have been popping up all over supermarket and convenience store shelves in recent years, and have overtaken bottled water as the fastest growing category in the beverage business.When you break down the contents of one of those 8 ounce cans, the primary ingredients are caffeine and sugar (in the form of sucrose and glucose). So, the answer is yes, energy drinks will provide you with a quick burst of energy. However, this is not a lasting effect, and drinking several in a row will not turn you into a flying superhero, no matter how hard their  sinister marketing geniuses try to convince you otherwise.

According to most energy drinks manufacturers' claims, benefits include improve performance, increase concentration, endurance and metabolism. However, the effects of this energy drink will be similar to that of drinking a cup of coffee or a can of soda, in that when the effect wears off you'll start feeling lethargic and will likely crave another can  to boost your energy once again. As many of you likely know, it can become a vicious cycle. 

Meanwhile, let's find out the 'health' benefits of energy drinks. Nutritionally speaking, energy drinks are comparable to carbonated beverages like soda in that they offer little of value to your body. Yes, there are traces of B vitamins in energy drinks such as Red Bull, and it contains the amino acid taurine, but this cannot make up for the detrimental effects of caffeine and sugar. Although caffeine can certainly increase short term reaction speed, one major problem is that no one really knows how the combination of ingredients in Red Bull will affect your body. This is especially concerning since energy drinks are marketed toward people under the age of 30, and are especially popular among students and night clubbers who often times drink several cans at a time. 

Who should avoid energy drinks? I would say everyone, especially children. It would be wise to avoid energy drinks if you are lactating or pregnant, sensitive to caffeine, suffer from anxiety, suffer from high stress and chronic fatigue syndrome, have high blood pressure, etc. 

Red Bull can be deadly when combined with stress or high blood pressure, as it can impair proper blood vessel function and raise your risk of blood clots. Mixing energy drinks with alcohol, which is combining a stimulant with a depressant, has become an increasingly popular occurrence at bars. When mixed with alcohol, drinks like Red Bull are instantly morphed into popular club drinks like "Vodka Bulls". The combined effect of these substances is unknown, but overloading your body with heavy stimulants and heavy depressants could lead to heart failure. Countries like France and Denmark banned sales of Red Bull following several reported deaths of people who mixed it with alcohol.

As for alcohol, I don’t recommend drinking it at all. It is well established that alcohol is a neurotoxin, which means it can poison your brain. You also need to be aware that consuming large amounts of alcohol, even wine, will increase your insulin levels, thereby accelerating your risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases.

People ask me, how to increase energy levels without involving stimulants such as caffeine and sugar? Humans are not born to be naturally sluggish or constantly tired. This lethargic state is something that many of us have brought on ourselves. Your lack of energy is likely due to a combination of factors including:

• Poor food choices 
• Low-quality food 
• Stressful lifestyle 
• Negative emotions 
• Lack of sleep 
• Lack of exercise 

And now, below is what you can do, to increase your energy levels.

• Eating right for your nutritional type 
• Increasing your intake of omega-3 fats 
• Eliminating grains and sugars from your diet 
• Releasing emotional stress 
• Sleeping when you’re tired 
• Exercising