Late nights, early mornings, and hectic lifestyles are a recipe for exhaustion. Many people wake up tired, hit a wall mid-afternoon, and fantasize about napping. A popular response to this lack of sleep is turning to energy drinks for that extra boost to make it through the day. Everyone has their favorite, but not all are created equal! We took a look at the best energy drinks - and worst energy drinks - out there and here’s what we found:
Top 4 Worst Energy Drinks:
#4: Soda
The draw is soda’s caffeine and sugar content, both of which do give a temporary boost of energy. The problem is how much sugar is in these drinks: one 12-ounce can has an average of 33 grams, which is 8 grams more than the WHO’s recommendation for an entire day. As a result, the sugar causes your body to crash after about an hour as it turns all that sugar into stored fat.
#3: Fancy Coffees
A blended coffee drink or flavored latte might taste delicious, but turning to these beverages for energy is a bad idea. A typical frappuccino from Starbucks has more sugar than a soda (46 grams) and almost three times as much caffeine (108mg in a frappuccino versus 29 grams in soda). Canned or bottled coffee drinks aren’t much better.
#2: The Popular Energy Drinks
Red Bull, Hype, Amp, Rockstar, Full Throttle, Monster… they’re all similar and not a good choice. They all have around 200 calories, 50 grams of sugar, and 50 grams of carbs (20% of your DV) per can. The caffeine content varies but can be almost 300mg per can. These drinks are linked to nausea, increased heart rate, and abdominal pain. Most of these companies are dealing with lawsuits due to deaths related to the energy drinks.
#1: 5 Hour Energy
Marketed as a “dietary supplement,” these little bottles have caffeine, low calories, no sugar, and supposedly include vitamins. However, because it is a dietary supplement, 5 Hour Energy isn’t put under the same scrutiny it would if it were marketed as a beverage. The FDA has received reports of heart attacks, convulsions, and spontaneous abortions related to the drink.
Top 4 Best Energy Drinks:
#4: Coffee
Plain, black coffee without any added sugar or milk is low on calories and gives you that boost of caffeine to wake up. Plus, that caffeine will help you burn fat faster! Coffee itself has numerous health benefits, particularly protecting you from diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and liver disease.
#3: Green Tea
While green tea does contain caffeine, it also has L-Theanine, which also gives an energy boost. Green tea is well known as a metabolism booster that gives energy without spiking your blood sugar.
#2: Shakes and Smoothies
A protein shake as an energy drink? Yes, it’s true! Shakes and smoothies are a great way to fuel your body with long-lasting energy. Using fruit and all-natural juices are a natural source of sugar. Add-ins like ginger, coconut water, wheatgrass, ginseng, and beet juice are natural energy boosters. Fiber from whole fruits and veggies combined with protein give you an energy boost that lasts.
#1: Water
Believe it or not, one of the main reasons for your lack of energy could be dehydration. It’s one of the first signals our bodies use to tell us we need more water. Rehydrating improves your body’s metabolic functions and gives you an instant boost of energy.
If water is boring to you, try adding fruit for flavor. Finding a healthy alternative to the worst energy drinks is important! We’ve developed two products that can help boost your energy, while also helping you lose weight. 310 Tea naturally suppresses your appetite, removes toxins, and gives you a boost of energy with green tea, oolong tea, guarana, and ginger. 310 Lemonade is designed to make your water taste great while quenching your thirst, suppressing your appetite, and increasing your energy levels naturally with guarana.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_drink
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/sugar-guideline/en/
http://perezhilton.com/fitperez/2011-03-14-5-worst-energy-drinks-and-alternatives/?from=post
https://www.healthaliciousness.com/nutritionfacts/nutrition-facts-compare.php
http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/most-shocking/8-drinks-that-are-shockingly-bad-for-you/?view=all
https://authoritynutrition.com/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee/
