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 The Ugly Side of Energy Drinksby WiredBerries Editors — October 12, 2007Energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, and Full Throttle are more popular than ever, but health experts say that people shouldn't rely on large jolts of caffeine (the main energy-inducing ingredient in most brands) to keep us awake and alert. It can work in the short term, but is usually accompanied by an energy crash leaving you worse off than before. A much healthier alternative to lasting energy comes from maintaining a healthful diet, daily exercise, and adequate sleep. Even so, there are always the seemingly inevitable days when for one reason or another we just need an extra shot of energy. On those days, be aware that most "energy" drinks are not as healthy as they claim to be. Drinks like Red Bull and other brands are loaded with artificial ingredients that are anything but healthy. But fortunately there are some healthier alternatives. Recently, an energy drink called Syzmo--the world's first organic energy drink--has become available. It's made with real ingredients, is 100% synthetic free, has no GMOs, and is sweetened with blue agave nectar, which has the lowest glycemic index of all sweeteners. Although it does contain caffeine, it is naturally derived from coffee unlike its counterpart Red Bull, which relies on artificial ingredients including aspartame. Studies have produced conflicting evidence as to the long-term safety of aspartame. The latest study found that it was safe, but that study also happened to be directly funded and conducted by the company that produces aspartame, which has led to criticism of the conclusions reliability. Countries such as Japan and most of Europe have banned aspartame altogether or at least from children's products, as the artificial sweetener has been linked to developing tumors. In either case, if you're a die-hard energy drink junkie, Syzmo is likely a much healthier alternative for your body. If you have a healthy tip on any products or practices that give you a natural energy boost, please share your tip with the rest of us!
What people are saying...
Coffee puts the system under the strain of metabolizing a deadly acid-forming drug, depositing its insoluble cellulose, which cements the wall of the liver, causing this vital organ to swell to twice its proper size. In addition, coffee is heavily sprayed. (Ninety-two pesticides are applied to its leaves.) Diuretic properties of caffeine cause potassium and other minerals to be flushed from the body. All this fear went away when I quit, and it was a book that inspired me to do it called The Truth About Caffeine by Marina Kushner. There are five things I liked about this book: 1) It details--thoroughly--the ways in which caffeine may damage your health. 2) It reveals the damage that coffee does to the environment. Specifically, coffee was once grown in the shade, so that trees were left in place. Then sun coffee was introduced, allowing greater yields but contributing to the destruction of rain forests. I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else. 3) It explains how best to go off coffee. This is important. If you try cold turkey, as most people probably do, the withdrawal symptoms will likely drive you right back to coffee. 4) Helped me find a great resource for the latest studies at CaffeineAwareness.org 5) Also, if you drink decaf you won't want to miss this special free report on the dangers of decaf available at www.soyfee.com Interesting article, but the statement about Red Bull and aspartame is incorrect. The original Red Bull does not contain aspartame. Only the sugar free version of the product contains this ingredient. Comment on this Post
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