Energy Drinks Bad?

[xsarahxsx]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

i don't see whats wrong with drinking energy drinks everyday in the morning tbh as its not like your drinking loads per day which is bad for you.but then soon you won't be able to go a day without drinking energy drinks as your mind will be telling you that you have to drink it.

[customstuff]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

I <3 Monsters! I don't see whats so bad about them, I think they're great!

[angelofthedead]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

I love monster. They really give you a quick energy boost. I wake up at 5am for school every day, so it's helpful for those days I just can't get up.

[gardyloo]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

i don't see whats wrong with drinking energy drinks everyday in the morning tbh as its not like your drinking loads per day which is bad for you.but then soon you won't be able to go a day without drinking energy drinks as your mind will be telling you that you have to drink it.

Drinking an energy drink in the morning is just like drinking a few cups of coffee or any other caffeinated beverage. Caffeine, however, isn't the only thing in these drinks. The drink makers will claim that they have many "natural ingredients," which make the drink supposedly more healthy for you or give you that extra boost. Taurine, found in Red Bull, is still under dispute by the scientific community as to how exactly it works. While I haven't read any studies that have proved that taurine and caffeine have effects on cognitive performance, taurine plays a key role in modulating contractile functions of skeletal muscles. As it is produced naturally in the body, I'm sure that use over time will decrease your natural production and form a dependency on the drink. Caffeine dependency is a no brainer, I shouldn't have to tell you why drinking a caffeinated drink every morning is not beneficial. The idea that these caffeinated sugar pumped drinks are energy boosters, and that they will help with athletic performance, is not the smartest thing either. Caffeine is a diuretic, and sugar slows the absorbtion of water into the body- needless to say something you don't want to experience when you're exercising is dehydration, and these drinks (along with similar sodas) will do the same thing. Drink ingredients vary from product to product, but look out for any with ephedrine. In 1998 a man suffered a heart attack and permanent brain damage after drinking Ripped Force and then lifting weights. He sued the company and a jury declined to award him damages because the drink had a warning label that he ignored. You'll find that almost all energy drinks have a warning label of some kind. I've never seen a warning label on water. Of course even too much water is bad for you, moderation is key, and that should be kept in mind when using any drugs. Yes, caffeine is a drug.
It seems that these drinks are not aimed at athletes, and should not be used by them. Flashy cans and enticing names lead many to believe that these drinks are mainly aimed at partygoers. There are many, many, many studies that show combining energy drinks with alcohol is just not a good idea (as if swamping your body with poison is). If you're going to drink alcohol and energy drinks, do not drive no matter how sober you think you are. It's always smart to have a designated driver, walking home may not be the best idea all the time, especially if the party is far away (though it can lead to some great stories). If you are simply trying to stay awake, caffeine will do the trick. Try not to abuse it.

[devonin]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

Drinking an energy drink in the morning is just like drinking a few cups of coffee or any other caffeinated beverage. Caffeine, however, isn't the only thing in these drinks.

The drink makers will claim that they have many "natural ingredients," which make the drink supposedly more healthy for you or give you that extra boost. Taurine, found in Red Bull, is still under dispute by the scientific community as to how exactly it works.

While I haven't read any studies that have proved that taurine and caffeine have effects on cognitive performance, taurine plays a key role in modulating contractile functions of skeletal muscles. As it is produced naturally in the body, I'm sure that use over time will decrease your natural production and form a dependency on the drink.

Caffeine dependency is a no brainer, I shouldn't have to tell you why drinking a caffeinated drink every morning is not beneficial. The idea that these caffeinated sugar pumped drinks are energy boosters, and that they will help with athletic performance, is not the smartest thing either. Caffeine is a diuretic, and sugar slows the absorbtion of water into the body- needless to say something you don't want to experience when you're exercising is dehydration, and these drinks (along with similar sodas) will do the same thing.

Drink ingredients vary from product to product, but look out for any with ephedrine. In 1998 a man suffered a heart attack and permanent brain damage after drinking Ripped Force and then lifting weights. He sued the company and a jury declined to award him damages because the drink had a warning label that he ignored. You'll find that almost all energy drinks have a warning label of some kind. I've never seen a warning label on water. Of course even too much water is bad for you, moderation is key, and that should be kept in mind when using any drugs.

Yes, caffeine is a drug. It seems that these drinks are not aimed at athletes, and should not be used by them. Flashy cans and enticing names lead many to believe that these drinks are mainly aimed at partygoers. There are many, many, many studies that show combining energy drinks with alcohol is just not a good idea (as if swamping your body with poison is). If you're going to drink alcohol and energy drinks, do not drive no matter how sober you think you are. It's always smart to have a designated driver, walking home may not be the best idea all the time, especially if the party is far away (though it can lead to some great stories). If you are simply trying to stay awake, caffeine will do the trick. Try not to abuse it.

Welcome to Critical Thinking. Excellent post, thuogh as you can see from my edited version here, breaking up the "wall'o'text" makes it a lot easier to read, understand and be responded to.

[panphil]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

i dont think so . If there bad well cofee is bad . Monsters are the best!!

[archbishopjabber]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

Energy drinks are loaded with so many chemicals and various substances that should never go into your body. Tea and Coffee is the way to go if you want a healthy choice that will provide you with caffeine. Tea is most definitely the healthiest but doesn't pack the punch that coffee does. So long as you limit it to only a cup or two a day studies have shown that it may actually have some very positive health effects such as lowering your risks of liver and bowl cancer.

Caffeine itself is harmless so long as you keep the amount low. If you consume extreme amounts (IE: 300mg or more on a daily basis) it can eventually lead to wearing out your heart. I knew two people who had severe caffeine addictions, one developed a serious heart disorder and almost died. Avoid caffeine pills, such as No Doze at all costs and whatever you do, do not insufflate them. I knew someone who developed a serious addiction from doing such. Avoid energy drinks and soda's if at all possible primarily due to increased risks of diabetes and cancer.

Also note, energy drinks from other countries, IE: Mexico and China do not only contain caffeine but also contain nicotine, making them the equivalent of a caffeine pill and a pack of ciggarettes.

[Relambrien]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

Looks like this thread could do with a bit of a topic change. I think most of what can be said on the topic of energy drinks has been said, so I have another idea.

There are some energy drinks that are alcoholic. What I don't understand is the purpose behind them. Alcohol dulls your reactions and judgment, things an energy drink are supposed to strengthen. It just seems useless having an alcoholic energy drink, since they would get you drunk and any temporary positive effects from the "energy drink" portion would be nullified by the alcohol.

Anyway, discuss.

[lord_carbo]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

making them the equivalent of a caffeine pill and a pack of ciggarettes.

I'd exercise caution in throwing that around.

Anyway, to everyone: living and eating healthy is about so much more than just living a long life. Hell, that may not even happen. You could die from cancer at the age of 60 after living healthy and some unhealthy guy could live to 90 and die of a stroke.

I used to be pretty unhealthy but I got into healthy living stuff and now I live healthy and I feel so much better. I can sleep for 6 hours on a not-especially-comfortable spring mattress and strut around the house like it's 3:00 PM when I wake up.

Living healthy is about living and enjoyable life:

- Don't binge on sugary snacks or sugary drinks, and try to avoid them almost completely. Buy sugarless gum instead (I personally prefer Stride Spearmint gum). You'll have more energy in the day without the unnoticeable yet occurring crashes too much sucrose causes. Sugar is not bad (at least glucose and fructose), too much of it is. If you avoid snacks and sugary drinks and fast food while ignoring how much sugar is in what you eat, you'll eat just enough sugar.

- For God's sake avoid making soda and energy drinks something you drink regularly, and when you drink it, swallow it quickly. Not only for reasons discussed in this thread about caffeine, but because it's liquid sugar. Soda is death for teeth. I used to take care of my teeth really horribly and I ate lots of sugary snacks, yet I have never had a cavity. Why? I rarely drank soda. My teeth are kinda yellowish, but so long as I bug my parents for Crest white strips on a regular basis, they'll get treated (not like they won't buy them... my mom buys them for herself much like how she buys everything for herself (took me forever to convince her to buy me gum even though it saves her money) >__>).

- Avoid fast food. ESPECIALLY for breakfast. Eat fast food for lunch and dinner all you want if you're forced to, but the last thing you need is half of your recommended daily intake of sodium satisfied in the first two hours of waking up (the bacon egg and cheese biscuit at McDonald's will do just that). I'd rather not eat breakfast at all than have to eat that crap for it, despite how important any sort of breakfast is. Oh, and fast food salad does not equate to less fat or sugar.

- Eat vegetables. Corn is not a vegetable, nor does it totally resemble one nutritionally. It is a grain. May I suggest steamed vegetables? They're still really rich in nutrients and they have only a faint flavor, save for (at least in my partially limited experience) steamed cauliflower which still has that weird taste, just to a point where it's tolerable.

- Eat less if you tend to eat a lot (thx chrissi). The less you eat, the less you need to eat. And do what Chrissi does and eat small meals when you're hungry, not on a schedule. That's truly regulating your body. I mean, you don't pee at certain times of the day. As musical theater reminds us, this can be disastrous.

Enjoy a happy, healthy, energy-enriched life.

[Chrissi]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

- Eat vegetables. Corn is not a vegetable, nor does it totally resemble one nutritionally. It is a grain. May I suggest steamed vegetables? They're still really rich in nutrients and they have only a faint flavor, save for (at least in my partially limited experience) steamed cauliflower which still has that weird taste, just to a point where it's tolerable.

Corn is as much a vegetable as a tomato is. Which is to say, it's not one at all, but people like to call it one. It's fine. We eat corn as a vegetable, and it's plenty nutritious. Eat all the corn you want. But corn is not corn syrup. Corn syrup's bad for you.

Also, I don't know what you're saying about vegetables and being steamed having a "mild taste" like that's a good thing. I like how vegetables taste.

Many people would be surprised at how good potatoes taste without anything added. Try a boiled/microwaved potato sometime. No salt. No butter. No sour cream. It has a nice sweet potatoey taste. Potatoes are freaking delicious.

I don't agree with the "eat less" comment. Eat less at one sitting, yes... but eating a lot isn't necessarily a bad thing. It all depends WHAT you're eating. I like to eat a lot.

[lord_carbo]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

Many people don't like how vegetables taste, like me. I suggest steamed vegetables for those people. Obviously people who like the taste of vegetables will object and, of course, eat vegetables, so a comment to promote eating vegetables would naturally not be directed at them in the first place.

Corn is nutritious in the sense that it's not bad to eat it. I eat corn once in awhile and I would certainly not avoid it. But there are so many more vegetables much healthier than corn.

And I probably should have been more clear on eating less. If you eat a lot, eat less.

[Relambrien]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

Living healthy is about living and enjoyable life:

Unfortunately, doing the things you suggest makes my life completely miserable.

- Don't binge on sugary snacks or sugary drinks, and try to avoid them almost completely. Buy sugarless gum instead (I personally prefer Stride Spearmint gum). You'll have more energy in the day without the unnoticeable yet occurring crashes too much sucrose causes. Sugar is not bad (at least glucose and fructose), too much of it is. If you avoid snacks and sugary drinks and fast food while ignoring how much sugar is in what you eat, you'll eat just enough sugar.

In other words, drink something tasteless and displeasing (water), don't eat snacks, and ignore what's in your meals and you'll have just enough sugar? I'd rather have more sugar than I'm supposed to and not be miserable, thanks.

- For God's sake avoid making soda and energy drinks something you drink regularly, and when you drink it, swallow it quickly. Not only for reasons discussed in this thread about caffeine, but because it's liquid sugar. Soda is death for teeth. I used to take care of my teeth really horribly and I ate lots of sugary snacks, yet I have never had a cavity. Why? I rarely drank soda. My teeth are kinda yellowish, but so long as I bug my parents for Crest white strips on a regular basis, they'll get treated (not like they won't buy them... my mom buys them for herself much like how she buys everything for herself (took me forever to convince her to buy me gum even though it saves her money) >__>).

I have never had any dental problems, and I drink soda regularly and have for years. I almost never brush my teeth. I completely ignore them and they do fine.

- Avoid fast food. ESPECIALLY for breakfast. Eat fast food for lunch and dinner all you want if you're forced to, but the last thing you need is half of your recommended daily intake of sodium satisfied in the first two hours of waking up (the bacon egg and cheese biscuit at McDonald's will do just that). I'd rather not eat breakfast at all than have to eat that crap for it, despite how important any sort of breakfast is. Oh, and fast food salad does not equate to less fat or sugar.

Try not being able to eat at all in the first two hours of being awake without throwing it right back up. I have never been able to regularly eat breakfast because of this, and likely never will. I can only eat it on the odd occasion I get up extremely early.

- Eat vegetables. Corn is not a vegetable, nor does it totally resemble one nutritionally. It is a grain. May I suggest steamed vegetables? They're still really rich in nutrients and they have only a faint flavor, save for (at least in my partially limited experience) steamed cauliflower which still has that weird taste, just to a point where it's tolerable.

My parents have been trying to feed me vegetables ever since I was an infant. I've thrown up or gagged on every single one I've ever been fed, no matter how it was cooked.

- Eat less if you tend to eat a lot (thx chrissi). The less you eat, the less you need to eat. And do what Chrissi does and eat small meals when you're hungry, not on a schedule. That's truly regulating your body. I mean, you don't pee at certain times of the day. As musical theater reminds us, this can be disastrous.

This directly contradicts what you said earlier about avoiding snacks. And yes, I do pee at certain times of the day. As soon as I wake up (which is at 5 AM starting soon), around 6 PM, and around 10 PM.

I don't care whether or not you believe what I've written, but it is the complete truth.

[Chrissi]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

So let's see, you get sick if you eat breakfast, and yet you continue to do unhealthy things like consume massive quantities of soda, and won't eat any vegetables?

Seriously, if you drink water for awhile, you'll start to enjoy it. Or try drinking something healthier, like real fruit juice (not water + sugar + flavourings)... orange juice, apple juice, grapefruit juice, grape juice - these are all quite delicious and are not bad for you.

Your reply, especially the "I get sick in the morning" thing concerns me. That shouldn't be happening. Maybe you should rethink your diet.

Oh, and eating more meals is not the same thing as eating snacks. I'm sure by avoiding snacks (I didn't actually notice him say this, but I'd assume) he meant that you should not eat unhealthy things like chips, candy, and other "snacks".

I just can't see how you'd jump from eating more meals a day to being equivalent to eating snacks.

Edit: Now that I've reviewed your reply, I'm really very discouraged. Posts like this shouldn't be in Critical Thinking. Were you just not thinking at all when you posted that?

Also I'd just like to mention something that is healthy for you and someting that most people can't pass up: smoothies! They're sweet and yummy and require no sugar or terrible things. You can buy a stick blender for about $20 and all you do is grab your favourite fruit (preferably frozen, but they don't have to be), fruit juice and/or milk, and some yogurt or silken tofu if you like. If you need to sweeten it, add a bit of honey. Blend together. Most people like these and they are highly nutritious. If you have had a bad smoothie, it's PROBABLY because it was fruit that you didn't like or just bad fruit in general. Use things you like. Most people like bananas? Berries? Mango? Orange? Kiwi? Sounds good, now I want one

My personal favourite smoothie is made with frozen strawberries and mangoes, toss in a banana, and fill it up with orange juice and/or milk, and if I have some yogurt lying around I put that in too.

A good simple one if you don't have much around is just use a few bananas, and add orange juice. If you don't like orange juice or don't have any, you can use milk.

Just ideas.

I really like smoothies.

[Relambrien]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

EDIT: Dang it, you edited your post while I was responding to the original. Great, this is gonna take some work to fix.

So let's see, you get sick if you eat breakfast, and yet you continue to do unhealthy things like consume massive quantities of soda, and won't eat any vegetables?

It's been like that ever since I was an infant. And like I said, it's not that I choose not to eat vegetables, but that I gag or throw up whenever I try to consume one. Once again, it's always been like that. Though from what I've been told, I handle vegetables much better now than I used to. I can handle extremely small portions with mild stomach discomfort, and slightly larger portions without throwing up. In the past, any made me throw up pretty quickly. I still can't eat a full portion, though.

Seriously, if you drink water for awhile, you'll start to enjoy it. Or try drinking something healthier, like real fruit juice (not water + sugar + flavourings)... orange juice, apple juice, grapefruit juice, grape juice - these are all quite delicious and are not bad for you.

Apple juice is alright. The rest I've tried and experienced the same thing as with water. They tasted either bland or had a faint negative taste. Nothing like "I'm going to throw up" bad but more like a bad that makes you grimace slightly.

Your reply, especially the "I get sick in the morning" thing concerns me. That shouldn't be happening. Maybe you should rethink your diet.

Once again, it's been like this since I was an infant. And I only get a problem if I eat, otherwise I feel perfectly fine (well, not perfectly fine, but I've grown accustomed to the feeling enough that I don't even notice it anymore unless I think about it).

Actually, let me elaborate on that. I first noticed this problem around third grade, when I stopped waking up two hours before everyone else in my family. I started waking up with the others and eating soon after getting dressed, and I found that I threw it back up fairly quickly, or had stomach pains for an hour or so.

I asked my parents what could be causing it and they said they didn't know, but that I had difficulty eating soon after waking ever since I was a baby. For the remainder of elementary school, then, I continued to wake up earlier than everyone else.

Then middle school came around and I started having to wake up at 6 AM, even earlier than when I woke up two hours before everyone else in elementary school. I noticed I would have similar stomach pains as to when I ate early in the morning, though they were minor most of the time. I tried to find some connection between the two, when I realized that I was cold. Only it wasn't a shivering cold, it was more like an internal cold, like sleeping with no blanket and the window open on a 55 degree night. I started trying to notice when I experienced this sensation, and as it turns out, I experience it every morning when I wake up for an hour or two. Through experimentation, I found out that I cannot eat while experiencing this sensation, lest the aforementioned problems occur.

Adding further evidence to my theory was that my middle school bus had no driver's window. So in the middle of winter the air inside the bus would be quite cold, and enough exposure created that same sensation as directly after I wake up, but much stronger. This sensation resulted in stomach pains identical to the ones I experienced before.

Then I found a way to fight it. If I warm myself in front of the family fireplace for about 15 minutes in the morning, the sensation disappears and I can eat. Unfortunately, I rarely have that kind of time anymore. I haven't regularly eaten breakfast since elementary school because of that. Ironically, all we ever hear anymore during testing is "Eat breakfast or you won't do well in school!" and yet I'm number one in my class.

So while I still don't know what's wrong, I know the situations that cause the problem, and I have a way of eliminating the problem temporarily when absolutely necessary.

Oh, and eating more meals is not the same thing as eating snacks. I'm sure by avoiding snacks (I didn't actually notice him say this, but I'd assume) he meant that you should not eat unhealthy things like chips, candy, and other "snacks".

I just can't see how you'd jump from eating more meals a day to being equivalent to eating snacks.

Well, this is probably a question of definitions of words. For me, a "snack" is basically a miniature meal, or one part of a meal. Therefore by suggesting eating smaller meals whenever you get hungry, it's pretty much the same as saying "Eat snacks when you get hungry, just don't go for full-out meals very often."

Example. A sandwich along with an accompanying side, dessert, and drink is a meal. The sandwich alone is a snack.

So yeah, just different definitions of words.

Now, for replies to the edits:

Edit: Now that I've reviewed your reply, I'm really very discouraged. Posts like this shouldn't be in Critical Thinking. Were you just not thinking at all when you posted that?

Like I said, I don't really care if you believe me; I've given up on people doing that. It's so outlandish and far-fetched that I'd be surprised if anyone believed me anymore. I just wanted to offer what I know is the truth, on something that really bothers me. In all honesty, I'm trying hard to try and be able to eat vegetables and drink more water and the like, but it just seems like my body won't let me. Hopefully I'll find a way to subdue my body's reactions of gagging or throwing up. I'd like to think more exposure to the foods themselves would help, and from what I've been told, I'm a lot better now than I was when I was younger. Hopefully by the time I graduate high school I'll be able to do the things you suggest. I actually do want to, after all.

Also I'd just like to mention something that is healthy for you and someting that most people can't pass up: smoothies! They're sweet and yummy and require no sugar or terrible things. You can buy a stick blender for about $20 and all you do is grab your favourite fruit (preferably frozen, but they don't have to be), fruit juice and/or milk, and some yogurt or silken tofu if you like. If you need to sweeten it, add a bit of honey. Blend together. Most people like these and they are highly nutritious. If you have had a bad smoothie, it's PROBABLY because it was fruit that you didn't like or just bad fruit in general. Use things you like. Most people like bananas? Berries? Mango? Orange? Kiwi? Sounds good, now I want one

My personal favourite smoothie is made with frozen strawberries and mangoes, toss in a banana, and fill it up with orange juice and/or milk, and if I have some yogurt lying around I put that in too.

A good simple one if you don't have much around is just use a few bananas, and add orange juice. If you don't like orange juice or don't have any, you can use milk.

Just ideas.

I really like smoothies.

Smoothies I actually don't mind, since fruit is orders of magnitude more tolerable to me than vegetables are. I have them when I get the chance to.

[Chrissi]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

Once again, it's been like this since I was an infant. And I only get a problem if I eat, otherwise I feel perfectly fine (well, not perfectly fine, but I've grown accustomed to the feeling enough that I don't even notice it anymore unless I think about it).

Actually, let me elaborate on that. I first noticed this problem around third grade, when I stopped waking up two hours before everyone else in my family. I started waking up with the others and eating soon after getting dressed, and I found that I threw it back up fairly quickly, or had stomach pains for an hour or so.

I asked my parents what could be causing it and they said they didn't know, but that I had difficulty eating soon after waking ever since I was a baby. For the remainder of elementary school, then, I continued to wake up earlier than everyone else.

Then middle school came around and I started having to wake up at 6 AM, even earlier than when I woke up two hours before everyone else in elementary school. I noticed I would have similar stomach pains as to when I ate early in the morning, though they were minor most of the time. I tried to find some connection between the two, when I realized that I was cold. Only it wasn't a shivering cold, it was more like an internal cold, like sleeping with no blanket and the window open on a 55 degree night. I started trying to notice when I experienced this sensation, and as it turns out, I experience it every morning when I wake up for an hour or two. Through experimentation, I found out that I cannot eat while experiencing this sensation, lest the aforementioned problems occur.

Adding further evidence to my theory was that my middle school bus had no driver's window. So in the middle of winter the air inside the bus would be quite cold, and enough exposure created that same sensation as directly after I wake up, but much stronger. This sensation resulted in stomach pains identical to the ones I experienced before.

Then I found a way to fight it. If I warm myself in front of the family fireplace for about 15 minutes in the morning, the sensation disappears and I can eat. Unfortunately, I rarely have that kind of time anymore. I haven't regularly eaten breakfast since elementary school because of that. Ironically, all we ever hear anymore during testing is "Eat breakfast or you won't do well in school!" and yet I'm number one in my class.

So while I still don't know what's wrong, I know the situations that cause the problem, and I have a way of eliminating the problem temporarily when absolutely necessary.

I'm probably fairly biased here, but coming from a psychological background, it sounds very much to me like this is a mental problem. I'm not saying you're crazy or anything. But you'd be surprised how commonly people will hold beliefs like this, and firmly trust that there is a physical cause to the discomfort, simply because of the physical result - but people don't seem to understand that physical discomfort can very easily be caused by a mental process that you should not be having. Physical symptoms can often indicate a mental problem.

If I'm right, and it's a mental set problem, it will be far more difficult to fix than any normal stomachache. You would basically have to rework your thinking about the world - develop a new schema.

Sorry, that's sort of taking us off track, but your responses are really worrying me. It sounds psychologically rooted to me, since there is actually no biological process that I can think of that would bring that result around - and psychological problems often result in the sort of thought processes that you seem to be explaining here.

In case you're wondering, I'm a university student studying psychology and sexuality. I'm no authority, but I know more than the average person on mental proceses.

I also have a real problem with your definition of a meal vs a snack. Does this mean that breakfast and lunch are not meals (since they are not typically accompanied by dessert), and juice isn't a snack?