Thursday, May 14, 2009

Energy Drinks - Are They Good For You?

Energy drinks are all the rage right now and personally, I don't like them. To give me energy, I stick to healthy water or green tea, both of which boost metabolism. Are energy drinks good for you?

A recent study suggests that energy drinks, even when consumed by healthy young adults, raises systolic blood pressure by 10 points and increases heart rates by 5 to 7 beats per minute. This study was done on people consuming two energy drinks daily. Most of these energy drinks contain very high levels of caffeine and the amino acid taurine.

This is the effect of energy drinks on healthy people. Imagine the effects on people who already have high blood pressure or heart disease?

Think regular or diet soda is a healthier choice? Studies show that soft drinks, even diet soda, also poses health risks. Those drinking only one soda a day were more likely to develop high blood pressure, high triglycerides (part of your cholesterol count), heart disease and diabetes.

Drinking energy drinks and soda can be a habit and a habit can be broken. Replace your energy drinks and soda with water or green or black tea (iced or hot is fine). Once you get into the habit of drinking healthier drinks, you'll actually prefer them and wonder why you ever reached for that soda or energy drink.

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