As a staple of the soft drink market, energy drinks have solidified their place in cultures around the globe. Their ever increasing popularity has given rise to a multitude of brands that market a diversity of flavors. Because of their popularity with youths, athletes and everyone in between, many have raised the question: can energy drinks be healthy?
In most cases – like Red bull or Monster Energy Drink – the answer is probably going to be a resounding “No!”. However, one brand, Vemma, started by Bk Boreyko, produces high quality energy drinks without all the added sugar and unhealthy ingredients. Vemma is arguably the healthiest energy drink on the market.
If you dive into the ingredients used in the Vemma Verve energy drink, you’ll notice the following:
- 80 mg of natural caffeine
- Low natural sugar content
- 12 vitamins
- More than 65 natural minerals
- Superjuice with mangosteen and aloe phytonutrients
- Gluten-free
- Zero artificial flavors / coloring
The above list of ingredients constitutes what one should find in a healthy energy drink. But what about the other types of energy drinks? What makes them unhealthy?
Some energy drinks use excessive volumes of caffeine – sometimes up to 500 mg in one container! Where do we draw the line, how much caffeine is too much caffeine? According to the Mayo Clinic, approximately 200-300 mg of caffeine is a safe dose for most healthy adults. If you’re wondering how much 200-300 mg equals, it’s approximately two to four cups of coffee. However, when you start to reach the 500 mg count found in some energy drinks, side effects may include but are not limited to: insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, stomach pains, an irregular heart beat and muscle spasms.
Some energy drinks contain loads of sugar. Even though they may not admit it, most young children understand that too much sugar is a n0-n0. Because refined sugar is also a simple carbohydrate, the ingestion of sugar increases blood glucose levels which causes your body to prioritize the use of ingested refined sugars before stored glycogen. For those unfamiliar, glycogen serves as a form of stored energy in the livers and muscles of all animals, including humans! Furthermore, glycogen is considered a secondary long-term energy reserve. So, as mentioned above, when we ingest refined sugar, our blood glucose levels spike and our bodies use what’s in our blood first. In turn, residual sugar is turned into fat.
Remember, no matter what your morning caffeine surge might be, it’s important to always consume in moderation.