Think Your Drink
Red Bull, Rockstar, Monster Hitman, No Fear, Wired, Magnum 357, Cheetah Power Surge, Blood Energy Potion, Raw, Full Throttle...
The names and ads for energy drinks imply that drinking them transforms you into a super-hero. But the reality is these high caffeine drinks often start an addictive jolt-and-crash cycle that leaves you feeling sub-human, not super-human.
Energy drinks are basically made of sugar, caffeine and marketing. Most of the "special" ingredients in them-- gingko, ginsneg, amino acids,etc.--are in amounts too small to have much effect.
It’s common for people to become addicted to the caffeine in energy drinks. Drinking too many can be dangerous and has prompted calls to Poison Control Centers and visits to emergency rooms when people have had one too many. Symptoms reported include extreme anxiety, inability to sleep, vomiting, dizziness, tremors, abnormal heart beats and numbness in hands in feet.
The American College of Sports Medicine warns high school athletes to stay away from energy drinks because the caffeine can cause dehydration. High schools in Fairfax County, Va., removed energy drinks from its vending machines after student athletes complained of headaches and nausea after drinking them at practice.
If you're drinking energy drinks because you're often tired or run-down, consider a better way to boost your energy. Get some sleep, be active and eat a healthy diet. This will not only increase your energy in the short run, but also help you be healthy in the long run.
Don’t be a sucker and pay $3.00 for a 15¢ drink that promises superpower but leaves you feeling crashed and burned.
And don’t believe the rumors. Red Bull does not contain bull urine.
