Energy drinks

People in Britain are becoming ever more reliant on energy drinks. The market for energy drinks has grown massively in the last few years. If you look on shelves now you can find examples such as Red bull, Rock star, Lucozade with caffeine and many supermarket branded versions. Unfortunately Diabetes is also growing at a massive rate throught the country.

The main ingredient of these energy drinks is caffeine and sugar. The problem with using these for energy is that they only give you a temporary boost followed by a energy crash as your blood sugar levels drop. This leads to cravings of having more sugary drinks or food to raise your blood sugar levels. The excess sugar contained in these drinks leads to body fat gain. It also plays havoc on your pancreas; the organ that is responsible for the production and release of Insulin to control blood sugar.

Here is the sugar content of some of the popular branded energy drinks-

Red bull 8.3 oz (250 ml) Can - 27g's of sugar (equvilent to 5 1/2 teaspoons of sugar)

Rock star 16oz (473ml) can of Rockstar there are 62g's of sugar (12.4 teaspoons of sugar)

Lucozade - 380 ml bottle - There is 52.4 grams of sugar (10.5 teaspoons of sugar)

Excess sugar in the diet has been linked to a host of health problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol, glycation of tissues and metabolic syndrome.

Having too much caffeine in your diet has also been shown to raise cortosil; the stress hormone. When levels of cortisol are high the body will store fat around the midsection and belly area.

If you are relying on 'energy drinks' or even carbonated beverages such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi for energy then there is some serious work to do done with your eating. A good eating regime should provide you with all the energy you need with out the addition of sugary 'energy' drinks.

Take action today before the damage is done.