Energy Drinks Bad?

[Relambrien]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

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.

That's also quite possible. Actually, I'd say probable. I never said I knew the cause of the problem, only the situations in which it will cause issues. Of course, by steadily exposing myself to more and more of things I currently find impossible to consume, it should help me get accustomed to it. Also, on the topic of eating soon after waking, I find that if I really concentrate on resisting the problems (if it's completely necessary that I do so), I can at least lessen the effect somewhat. Perhaps it would be a good idea to eat closer and closer to my waking time, in a process similar to what I've been doing for foods.

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.

You're probably right. I've been to two physical doctors about the issue (as far as I know; I may have gone earlier in life but if so I can't remember), and neither of them could figure it out. I guess it probably is psychological.

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 never doubted your credentials, but thanks for the info.

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?

It was just an example, don't read too much into it. Since breakfast and lunch, by common definition, do not include dessert, I wouldn't include dessert in determining whether or not they are meals.

Basically, a meal is multiple types of food meant to provide most or all facets of nutrition at once. A snack is one type of food, with similar portion size as if it were in a meal, meant to cover a specific facet. That's my definition. So like I said, if you had a meal consisting of a sandwich, an apple, a drink, and some toast (I just threw that together as an example, it's not to say I actually eat all of those at once), then the sandwich alone, apple alone, drink alone, and toast alone would each be a snack.

Though generally I have a small drink whenever I eat a snack, but nothing big like a meal. To use an example, if I drink a 20oz bottle of water for a meal (and yes I do drink water, I just don't like the taste), then a half-pint would be part of a snack.

[lord_carbo]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

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.

See, this is what I'm talking about. You'll be miserable because you've adapted to eating so many sugary things and you've babied your taste buds.

It was mentioned earlier in the thread that once you get used to a drug (vitamins and nutrients are most certainly drugs in the most technical of senses), you grow a tolerance, but once you get off them or reduce your intake, you go through a withdrawal. I would go so far as to say that the psychoactive effects of sucrose go through this same process, and once you lay off the sugar, you'll crash, but then you'll eventually start to feel so much better.

And not perhaps ignore what's in your meals, but not take note of the amount of sugar that's in them. Many times people get over concerned with eating too little sugar as a way to stay healthy when, if you know you're eating healthy, you won't be eating too much.

I got into water because I was put on a diet for acne (I loved milk). It -seemed- to help, but it kinda didn't, but I was too hooked on water (filtered, from the fridge) to go back to milk anyway.

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.

............. I don't know what to say.

A healthy lifestyle is like investing. You invest a little bit of your time, you get a little out. At the very start of things comes personal hygiene. The little bit of time and effort you put into showering and brushing your teeth yields SO many benefits. In economic terms, you could say the input to output ratio is extremely elastic. This model is on a curve which eventually becomes inelastic, so the amount of time and effort you put into doing things sees less and less benefits. Now it's all about personal preference where you'll put that equilibrium where health meets effort, and certainly, living healthy is not something everyone will love. Some don't have the will nor the time to jog a mile a day. And that's cool, seriously. My excuse for not jogging a mile a day is laziness. But the amount of time it takes to brush your teeth twice (or three times) a day when compared to the benefits it holds is a no brainer. And that applies for all forms of basic hygiene.

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.

That's... odd.

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.

What?! I find that extremely hard to believe you've had steamed vegetables and you hated them. Nobody can baby their taste buds THAT much >_>; Eat steamed vegetables with mashed potatoes, then (PLEASE tell me you like those).

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.

Eating whenever you're hungry != eating unhealthy, sugary snacks. You can eat small to medium sized meals, or--even better--healthy snacks like fruits. I don't know where I'd be without cherries and bananas.

Also I'd just like to mention something that is healthy for you and someting that most people can't pass up: smoothies!

**** YEAH

[jewpinthethird]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

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.

Oh, I don't think it'd take much more than a good dose of operant conditioning would do the trick.

[Relambrien]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

See, this is what I'm talking about. You'll be miserable because you've adapted to eating so many sugary things and you've babied your taste buds.

Possibly, but like I said earlier, I've had problems eating healthy ever since I was an infant.

It was mentioned earlier in the thread that once you get used to a drug (vitamins and nutrients are most certainly drugs in the most technical of senses), you grow a tolerance, but once you get off them or reduce your intake, you go through a withdrawal. I would go so far as to say that the psychoactive effects of sucrose go through this same process, and once you lay off the sugar, you'll crash, but then you'll eventually start to feel so much better.

I don't buy this "but then you'll eventually start to feel so much better." I don't think it's possible to feel much better than I do right now. I have plenty of energy during the day, can wake myself up quickly in the morning, am always clear-headed, and I don't experience any sort of discomfort beyond what I talked about earlier with my "eating in the morning" problem. I actually feel pretty awesome.

Also, I've gone periods without drinking soda or other sugary things (due to various reasons), and never experienced any withdrawal symptoms. Granted, I never looked forward to drinking anything because water isn't exactly a pleasing taste to me, but I never "crashed."

And not perhaps ignore what's in your meals, but not take note of the amount of sugar that's in them. Many times people get over concerned with eating too little sugar as a way to stay healthy when, if you know you're eating healthy, you won't be eating too much.

So that's what you meant. Thanks, that clarifies things.

I got into water because I was put on a diet for acne (I loved milk). It -seemed- to help, but it kinda didn't, but I was too hooked on water (filtered, from the fridge) to go back to milk anyway.

Aren't you supposed to have like eight ounces of a milk a day or something? Or is that just some outdated axiom they tell you in elementary school?

............. I don't know what to say.

Most people don't really believe I've never had a dental problem either.

A healthy lifestyle is like investing. You invest a little bit of your time, you get a little out. At the very start of things comes personal hygiene. The little bit of time and effort you put into showering and brushing your teeth yields SO many benefits. In economic terms, you could say the input to output ratio is extremely elastic. This model is on a curve which eventually becomes inelastic, so the amount of time and effort you put into doing things sees less and less benefits. Now it's all about personal preference where you'll put that equilibrium where health meets effort, and certainly, living healthy is not something everyone will love. Some don't have the will nor the time to jog a mile a day. And that's cool, seriously. My excuse for not jogging a mile a day is laziness. But the amount of time it takes to brush your teeth twice (or three times) a day when compared to the benefits it holds is a no brainer. And that applies for all forms of basic hygiene.

I never said I don't shower regularly. I take at least one shower a day, generally before I go to bed. If I have time in the morning, I take one then, too. I just generally don't have time. I wash my hands as recommended. The only thing I -don't- do is brush my teeth, because it's been the least necessary for me throughout my life, and most of the time in the morning, I don't have five minutes to spend doing anything besides getting dressed and getting out the door for school. When I get home, most of the time I have to eat, do my homework, and get straight to bed to have any chance of waking up in the morning, so I'm often too preoccupied with what math problems I have to do to remember to brush. Waking up at 5 AM each morning and not getting home until 7 PM will do that to you. (My bus arrives at school at 7:10 AM, and I have an 80-minute long bus ride plus twenty minutes to half an hour just to get to my bus stop. I do a lot of co-curricular activities after school and so I don't get home until 6:30 or 7 each night because of that.)

That's... odd.

Which is exactly the sort of response I get from most people.

What?! I find that extremely hard to believe you've had steamed vegetables and you hated them. Nobody can baby their taste buds THAT much >_>; Eat steamed vegetables with mashed potatoes, then (PLEASE tell me you like those).

Perhaps I wasn't clear earlier. Every time I consume anything with a relatively displeasing taste, I experience stomach pain. Bland foods often result in stomach pain as well, though not as much. There are several medicines I can't take because of this; they taste bad enough that I can't keep them down. I also can't swallow a pill either, because I gag on it. Luckily I almost never get sick. I've only missed two days of school in the past six years due to sickness.

On-topic though, I do like mashed potatoes (though apparently potatoes of any type aren't healthy for you, according to my school nurse). I'll admit I've never tried eating them and steamed vegetables at once, so maybe that'll help.

Eating whenever you're hungry != eating unhealthy, sugary snacks. You can eat small to medium sized meals, or--even better--healthy snacks like fruits. I don't know where I'd be without cherries and bananas.

Read what I said earlier about what my definition of "snack" is, and you'll understand the confusion.

**** YEAH

Hmm, I don't get -that- excited about smoothies. Oh, and where's the Seaking? (If you don't get it, just ignore that part. It's a bit of small humor)

Seriously, I'm not as unhealthy as you guys seem to think. I'm at an appropriate body weight (BMI 23.5 or so), have no high cholesterol or blood pressure, anything. I have no recognized diseases of any type. The worst part of my medical history was scarlet fever in fourth grade, that's it. Blood tests revealed no problems, nothing higher or lower than acceptable levels.

I do not have a lack of energy. In fact, I am much more energized in the mornings than almost everyone I know. I am only somewhat lacking in upper body strength, or else I would be recognized as "physically fit" by my school, a title most don't have.

So don't think that just because I don't eat very healthily, that I'm unhealthy. So far I've done just fine, and from what my doctor tells me, there are a few minor changes I could make to improve myself, but my current course contains no foreseeable problems. As I've said, I'm trying to make those changes, but for whatever reason I can only do it in small increments.

[Chrissi]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

Oh, I don't think it'd take much more than a good dose of operant conditioning would do the trick.

Well, I don't know how you'd remove the aversive reaction, so negative reinforcement is right out the window. And since there is an aversive reaction, no matter what you're dealing with, you have to neutralize that reaction.

Much more of a masking effect than a cure.

[T3hDDRKid]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

Most people don't really believe I've never had a dental problem either.

I absolutely believe you when you say you've never had a dental problem. However, I don't believe that you'll continue to not have dental problems. Brushing your teeth takes half a minute - I think you can spare that much time to save yourself unnecessary trouble in the future, especially if you drink soda pretty much every day. That's just terrible.

[Maid]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

I used to gag and throw up when I was forced to eat honey. I felt it was too sweet, this was of course merely psychological reaction for when I was younger. In my case however, my body was correct, since honey isn't the best thing you can eat.

[burningeyes88]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

I have two Full Throtles in my fridge right now, I think they are fine for you. It's just paranoid people finding more things to freak out about. They are not the best thinks in the world for you, but they are not too bad.

[Chrissi]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

I used to gag and throw up when I was forced to eat honey. I felt it was too sweet, this was of course merely psychological reaction for when I was younger. In my case however, my body was correct, since honey isn't the best thing you can eat.

Who would force you to eat honey?

[lord_carbo]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

I don't buy this "but then you'll eventually start to feel so much better." I don't think it's possible to feel much better than I do right now. I have plenty of energy during the day, can wake myself up quickly in the morning, am always clear-headed, and I don't experience any sort of discomfort beyond what I talked about earlier with my "eating in the morning" problem. I actually feel pretty awesome.

Also, I've gone periods without drinking soda or other sugary things (due to various reasons), and never experienced any withdrawal symptoms. Granted, I never looked forward to drinking anything because water isn't exactly a pleasing taste to me, but I never "crashed."

I guarantee you that if you never started drinking energy drinks obsessively, you'd be the same as you are now in terms of energy, possibly feeling better. And to be honest, I really can't see a situation where I'd need one.

I am a healthy eating optimist. I believe there are no long term ways to getting more energy. Just supply yourself with what is necessary. And those short terms ways (i.e. energy drinks) just become less and less effective when you actually need them for energy. There are chemicals that do the body good that you will never hear of, which are rarely found in vitamin supplements, and they're found in fruits and vegetables and possibly meats that you may eat. It's not that caffeine is such a bad thing--Rai (older, banned member who's into the body and mind and drugs and such) keeps mentioning how amazing tea is and some of the stuff I know about health is from him, and his rattling encouraged me to get more into it. I actually owe it to him for being health conscious, to be honest. He kept talking about how healthy living is all about feeling healthy and good, and that I've babied my taste buds into liking sugar and getting cravings for it--something I've found to be true as my health and tolerance for food improves.

I find it curious that you can gouge on unhealthy things and do fine but things that are naturally good for your body cause problems. Now I've heard of not liking them, but this is rather strange. I have doubts that you're even telling me the truth, to be honest, and you're just saying that to justify not eating healthy. Especially the infant stuff. I can see how eating it would be painstaking at such an age where you've babied your taste bud and possibly even your body to sugar, but... that's just seems improbable.

Aren't you supposed to have like eight ounces of a milk a day or something? Or is that just some outdated axiom they tell you in elementary school?

Not sure. The only -exclusive- nutrients that can be found in milk and other dairy products that I am conscious about, as everyone should be, are calcium and vitamin D (milk has some other stuff in smaller quantities but it's ignorable, really). Milk, from what I heard about my acne and such, has hormones in it which aggregates acne. There's a lot of stuff on it so I wouldn't doubt it. And I had acne, and still do have a little. So I was put on a diet. Milked turned into water.

To make up for calcium (the Flintstones vitamins I take have very little calcium in them) I take two pieces of Viactiv calcium every day:

http://www.viactiv.com/products/index.jhtml?id=viactiv/calsium/softchews.inc&src=Calcium_main

It's like a Tootsie Roll with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K! I'm not exactly sure why vitamin K is in there, but I probably wouldn't get enough of it without Viactiv, so I won't argue.

I never said I don't shower regularly.

It was an example on how one showers to reap the benefits. You shower for 15 minutes and it's really worthwhile. People don't complain that you smell like crap and your skin isn't oily and disgusting! Brushing your teeth for 2 minutes twice, possibly three times a day is such a small investment for the same amazing benefits.

The only thing I -don't- do is brush my teeth, because it's been the least necessary for me throughout my life, and most of the time in the morning, I don't have five minutes to spend doing anything besides getting dressed and getting out the door for school. When I get home, most of the time I have to eat, do my homework, and get straight to bed to have any chance of waking up in the morning, so I'm often too preoccupied with what math problems I have to do to remember to brush.

The fact that you have no problems with your teeth as you drink sugary stuff AND you rarely brush them is odd. I'm sure you could easily maintain this while having good smelling breath if you just brush your teeth. The future could yield problems.

Also curious: you have enough time to post about your problem on the Internet, even on weekdays. Do you type at 800 wpm or something? Wake up 3 minutes earlier and brush yo teeth. Go to bed 3 minutes later and brush yo teeth. Just brush yo teeth. If you have all of this energy you're talking about, no problems sleeping, etc., this should be no problem.

On-topic though, I do like mashed potatoes (though apparently potatoes of any type aren't healthy for you, according to my school nurse). I'll admit I've never tried eating them and steamed vegetables at once, so maybe that'll help.

They're a lot like starches, so while I wouldn't know for certain, they're probably about average. Just don't eat green potatoes Mixing small amounts of weak tasting stuff with mashed potatoes is always a good solution to eating foods you don't like. That's what I did for peas and non-steamed broccoli before I became tolerant of their tastes.

Hmm, I don't get -that- excited about smoothies. Oh, and where's the Seaking? (If you don't get it, just ignore that part. It's a bit of small humor)

Smoothies are better tasting than most sugary snacks and they don't even need to have any added sugar. That's why they are amazing, sir.

Seriously, I'm not as unhealthy as you guys seem to think. I'm at an appropriate body weight (BMI 23.5 or so), have no high cholesterol or blood pressure, anything. I have no recognized diseases of any type. The worst part of my medical history was scarlet fever in fourth grade, that's it. Blood tests revealed no problems, nothing higher or lower than acceptable levels.

You can have none of those problems and still not be healthy at all. If you graded me on that alone, and even additional crap, one would not see an increase in my health since I've started eating healthy except maybe with my body mass, but that's largely unrelated. But I feel a difference, I know there's a difference, and I know my life will be so much easier to go through because there is one. And it was totally worthwhile.

As an added bonus, I can enjoy more foods. My parents are still amazed at some of the stuff I'm eating. They thought I was lying when I said I ate broccoli at a restaurant with a group of people I went out with I think around January.

I have two Full Throtles in my fridge right now, I think they are fine for you. It's just paranoid people finding more things to freak out about. They are not the best thinks in the world for you, but they are not too bad.

You'd really be surprised. When you view energy drinks as highly caffeinated drinks instead of these almost magical drinks that give you a short-term boost in energy, you're getting the picture. When you view them as highly caffeinated drinks with a metric ton of sugar, you've hit the nail as close to the head as you could without getting technical. I'm currently reading quite a few articles and journals all saying or hinting towards the fact that energy drinks get most of their kick from caffeine. And all of that sugar dehydrates 'ya, they're definitely not good for athletes needing energy. Maybe office workers on a 30 hour shift. Maybe. Actually, that's probably a good use for an occasional energy drink.

Of course they are not "bad" for you, especially drank once in a while and not constantly which creates a tolerance. Caffeine is not totally bad for you. A little caffeine here and there doesn't hurt at all. Sometimes people need it. It's just that most of the time, people don't. Developing a tolerance to it is bad. And most importantly, energy drinks do not offer merely "a little caffeine."

[Maid]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

Who would force you to eat honey?

My parents. Well, 1 teaspoon with tea or something, I simply couldn't tolerate it.

[Relambrien]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

EDITed for clarity.

I guarantee you that if you never started drinking energy drinks obsessively, you'd be the same as you are now in terms of energy, possibly feeling better. And to be honest, I really can't see a situation where I'd need one.

Hold on there, I never said I drink -energy drinks-, just soda. I don't really find the two to be that comparable. I don't ever intentionally consume anything like that, because as I said, I don't need it. I don't drink anything caffeinated unless I have to; this includes energy drinks and caffeinated soda. Almost all of the soda I drink is caffeine-free by my own choice (I'll sometimes have a can of a caffeinated version of a drink when there's nothing else available, but rarely).

I am a healthy eating optimist. I believe there are no long term ways to getting more energy. Just supply yourself with what is necessary. And those short terms ways (i.e. energy drinks) just become less and less effective when you actually need them for energy. There are chemicals that do the body good that you will never hear of, which are rarely found in vitamin supplements, and they're found in fruits and vegetables and possibly meats that you may eat. It's not that caffeine is such a bad thing--Rai (older, banned member who's into the body and mind and drugs and such) keeps mentioning how amazing tea is and some of the stuff I know about health is from him, and his rattling encouraged me to get more into it. I actually owe it to him for being health conscious, to be honest. He kept talking about how healthy living is all about feeling healthy and good, and that I've babied my taste buds into liking sugar and getting cravings for it--something I've found to be true as my health and tolerance for food improves.

If healthy living is all about feeling healthy and good, then I've been living healthily all my life. I don't think there's ever been a point (at least within memory) that I've felt "unhealthy" or "bad" beyond when I was sick with seasonal allergies or something. And I don't experience cravings for sugar, nor do I, like I said, drink energy drinks.

I have doubts that you're even telling me the truth, to be honest, and you're just saying that to justify not eating healthy.

Which is exactly what I expected. Although now that I think about it, I can't be 100% certain that my problems as an infant really occurred, since I only heard about them from my parents. Maybe they just told me that so I wouldn't freak out and think I was developing a disease, instead having me think it was just a quirk I've had all my life. It's possible, I admit, which lends credence to Chrissi's unofficial diagnosis.

Not sure. The only -exclusive- nutrients that can be found in milk and other dairy products that I am conscious about, as everyone should be, are calcium and vitamin D (milk has some other stuff in smaller quantities but it's ignorable, really). Milk, from what I heard about my acne and such, has hormones in it which aggregates acne. There's a lot of stuff on it so I wouldn't doubt it. And I had acne, and still do have a little. So I was put on a diet. Milked turned into water.

I'll do some research then.

To make up for calcium (the Flintstones vitamins I take have very little calcium in them) I take two pieces of Viactiv calcium every day:

http://www.viactiv.com/products/index.jhtml?id=viactiv/calsium/softchews.inc&src=Calcium_main

It's like a Tootsie Roll with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K! I'm not exactly sure why vitamin K is in there, but I probably wouldn't get enough of it without Viactiv, so I won't argue.

Besides the fact that I've never heard of Vitamin K, this is another thing like brushing my teeth. Often I don't have time to do something, and when I do, it never crosses my mind to do it, since I haven't been able to develop a habit for it. I'm not saying that taking supplements would take too long, but rather that when I wake up in the morning, there's generally only one thing on my mind (during the school year it's school, during the summer it can be anything). It isn't until a couple of hours later, when I'm in the middle of doing something, that I suddenly remember "Oh wait, I was supposed to do this..."

It was an example on how one showers to reap the benefits. You shower for 15 minutes and it's really worthwhile. People don't complain that you smell like crap and your skin isn't oily and disgusting! Brushing your teeth for 2 minutes twice, possibly three times a day is such a small investment for the same amazing benefits.

Like I said above, while time is an issue somewhat regularly, more often it's the fact that I can't remember to do it, being preoccupied with something else.

The fact that you have no problems with your teeth as you drink sugary stuff AND you rarely brush them is odd. I'm sure you could easily maintain this while having good smelling breath if you just brush your teeth. The future could yield problems.

Perhaps "rarely" is too strong of a word, unless you consider twice or thrice a week "rarely." That's about as much as I remember/have time to brush my teeth.

Also curious: you have enough time to post about your problem on the Internet, even on weekdays. Do you type at 800 wpm or something? Wake up 3 minutes earlier and brush yo teeth. Go to bed 3 minutes later and brush yo teeth. Just brush yo teeth. If you have all of this energy you're talking about, no problems sleeping, etc., this should be no problem.

Like I said, more often than not it's a problem with remembering to do so than not having time (although it's also a problem somewhat often). Oh, and I'm not in school yet, which is why I have time to post on weekdays. Come September 4th, however, and I won't be able to be very active at all on this forum; I just won't have time.

Smoothies are better tasting than most sugary snacks and they don't even need to have any added sugar. That's why they are amazing, sir.

Well, I disagree there. Most "sugary snacks" (that I eat at least) do in fact taste better than smoothies, though smoothies still taste alright.

You can have none of those problems and still not be healthy at all. If you graded me on that alone, and even additional crap, one would not see an increase in my health since I've started eating healthy except maybe with my body mass, but that's largely unrelated. But I feel a difference, I know there's a difference, and I know my life will be so much easier to go through because there is one. And it was totally worthwhile.

This seems almost like a psychological thing too. If a doctor examined you on all aspects of physical health previously and found no difference to the present, why on Earth would you think there was a difference? That "difference" you feel could very well be the belief that eating healthy is supposed to make you healthier, so you -think- you feel better because you're supposed to. Of course, I have no experience in psychology, so take that as you will.

I'm just skeptical that you feel loads better without doctors being able to find any physical change.

[Paperleaf]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

I don't see anything wrong with them- I drink them too. Not as often as you, but anyways. I read the ingredients on most of them and they seem to have mostly natural stuff in them?

[Maid]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

Thing that you forget, that your body is still growing and in upswing, so even though those things may stunt you a bit, you don't much notice because you are still young, just remember that you are going to reap the results later.

[T3hDDRKid]

Re: Energy Drinks Bad?

I would advise you all to read this article:

http://www.energyfiend.com/2005/08/more-energy-drink-haters

As someone who avidly drinks energy drinks, I think I can safely claim shenanigans. It takes me 3-4 mountain dews just to get through a day. That’s not even to get energy, that’s the kind of stuff that keeps me from having withdrawl headaches.

And this is from somebody who is saying it's fine to drink energy drinks.

Paperleaf: Yes, most of the ingredients in energy drinks are natural. In fact, it astounds me how many people think that "natural" means "good for you." If I told you that eating tree bark was good for you, would you think "Well, it's natural.. so it must be okay." No!

Sugar is natural. That's obvious. However, the important thing to note is that cane sugar is natural. Processed, bleached sugar is not what your body is used to. A much smaller amount of processed sugar than cane sugar is needed to send your pancreas into overdrive and send you on the path to diabetes.

Caffeine is natural. Also obvious. However, only small amounts of caffeine are okay to drink. Most energy drinks have anywhere from 175-300 mg of caffeine per ounce, which is way too much to be safely consumed. This will speed your heart rate up, thus wearing it out, and heighten your risk for heart disease and failure.

Relambrien, you may be fine now. However, you're aging your body more rapidly and setting yourself up for future tragedy through drinking caffeinated beverages, not to mention through not brushing your teeth. Anybody who does some research could figure that out.