Okay, so I' m not sure if you are one of the BILLIONS of people who are pounding these so called "energy drinks" now a days, but if you are, I would HIGHLY recommend you change your ways and quickly!
I will admit though, that 5-6 years ago, I was one of these "junkies" as well. I honestly thought I could not make it through the day without one. I think at times, I used to even drink like 4-5 of these things a day. At this time, I of course did not realize just how "deadly" they were, I just thought I needed them. It was also a way around drinking coffee at the time which come to find out is WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better for you in the first place.
Reports released by the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. suggest that those who consume energy drinks could be consuming UNSAFE levels of caffeine.
The recommended dose of caffeine for an adult is around 200-300mg a day or somewhere between 2-4 cups of brewed coffee, depending on the strength of the coffee of course.
In the past four years, the FDA has received 90 reports including 13 deaths with energy drinks being a possible cause.
The reports to the agency are not scientific proof that the drinks caused the deaths. But the FDA has documented multiple links between the drinks and deaths. This should be ENOUGH for you right here folks!
Although moderate caffeine intake isn't likely to cause harm, too much can lead to some unpleasant effects. Heavy daily caffeine use — more than 500 to 600 mg a day — may cause:
- Insomnia
- Nervousness
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Stomach upset
- Fast heartbeat
- Muscle tremors
Side Effects
These Drinks have been associated with 30 incidents in 2009 that saw serious injuries like convulsions, heart attacks and one possible spontaneous abortion.
To put the numbers into perspective, in 2010 there were 17 reported deaths possible linked to a dietary supplement or weight loss product. These two categories contain over 50,000 products. This is a far lower percentage than the energy drinks being blamed.
2009 reports from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicate there were more than 13,000 emergency room visits directly caused by the drinks.
These drinks are the fastest growing beverage market in America partly due to their popularity with high school and college students. Sales are expected to hit over $9 billion. These drinks have also become popular when they are mixed with alcohol. This causes a whole other level of concern that we will get into later on, but if you know whats best for you and your life, don't drink them at all, never mind mixing and upper with a downer and hoping for the best to happen.
The Most F____ up part about it all...
Most of these so called "energy" drinks are classified as a dietary supplement and as such, are not required to report to the FDA or to label their containers with the amount of caffeine they contain.
This
means that a 6-7 year old child could walk right into a gas station,
scoop up a drink, and go right up and buy it without any questions! I
mean you have to be kidding me right? Can you only imagine what these
do to the insides of our children if these reports are on adults!
Caffeine Content
Since caffeine levels are not required to be disclosed, many choose not to. Even worse, some have falsely marketed the amount to downplay how much caffeine is being consumed.
Of the top 27 drinks in sales, 11 do not report the amount of caffeine.
Of the 16 that do have labels, five of them had amounts that were
completely inaccurate. They contained far more than advertised. So
basically folks, they can literally get away with out right lying to
your face and not getting in trouble for it. All this because of the
"category" they fall into.
The FDA does not have enough scientific evidence to make a change to its regulations over the industry as of yet. This however has not stopped two states and a Canadian Province from seeking approval in legislature to require a minimum age to purchase them in their jurisdiction. The Toronto Board of Health recently has asked Health Canada to consider adding a warning on the drinks that tells consumers not to drink them during or as a post workout beverage.
These drinks have been under considerable scrutiny and rightfully so. Being educated on their use is important so health risks can be limited. Besides the fact of the abnormal amounts of caffeine associated with these drinks also comes the extreme amount of sugar they contain. So if it wasn't bad enough that to much can make your kidneys turn into rocks, it will also spike the shit out of your insulin and store it all right into your FAT cells. Doesn't sound like a success in the game of fitness if you ask me.
My suggestion to you all is to STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS CRAP! There are literally so many different ways for you to gain extra energy if you need it. First of all, start out with trying a banana. One single banana has enough energy in it to sustain a 90 minute workout. It will provide you quick energy from the simple carbs (natures sugar) and will outlast a energy drink by hours! Please don't be fooled by these 5 hr energy pc of craps either. NONE of them are good for you.
If you are one of those that do for whatever reason use these drinks for pre-workouts, please, please STOP before you have a heart attack. Try drinking a plain black cup of coffee or eating a pc of fruit 30 mins before your next workout. The coffee will act like a natural Fat Burner as well as giving you the extra kick in the ass you need to the central nervous system. The fruit will give you energy from the simple carbs and sugar, but the fiber will help sustain that for you. All in all, stay NATURAL, save you $$$$$$$ and more importantly save your LIFE!!!!!
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