Energy drinks have become popular among teenagers, athletes and for those who just need an extra boost of energy through out their days. Most of the energy drinks include high amounts caffeine and sugar; and an excess in these over time can lead to serious medical conditions. Vitamin C is included as an ingredient in some energy drinks, as it provides the body with healthy energy and can help to boost the immune system.
Function
Vitamins provide the body with energy to keep its various systems running smoothly. Vitamin C is important especially for energy as it acts as an antioxidant, which blocks free radicals from damaging the body, according to Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Free radicals occur naturally when your body transforms food into energy; a buildup of these is largely responsible for the process of aging, and they have contributed to cancer, heart disease and arthritis.
Significance
Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid; it is found naturally in many fruits and vegetables. The body requires vitamin C for the formation and maintenance of bones, skin and blood vessels, according to Medline Plus. Vitamin C is an organic compound, which means that is occurs in living things and it contains elements of carbon and oxygen. Because vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, it must be replenished daily by either food or supplementation.
Reading Labels
Reading the labels of energy drinks will give you an idea of what they contain. Some ingredients, such as guarana and ginseng are added to the energy drinks to help to stimulate and enhance the effect of the caffeine. The ingredient list may show ascorbic acid, which is vitamin C, and another section on the label will show the percentage of vitamin C in regard to the recommended daily allowance.
Energy Drinks
There are many different types of energy drinks on the market. One popular brand is Monster Energy drinks; they contain ingredients including ascorbic acid, taurine, caffeine, sorbic acid and sucrose. According to Dietfacts.com, a 16 oz can of Monster "Assault" contains 60 mg of vitamin C, 1.7 mg of riboflavin, 2 mg of vitamin B-6, 6 mcg of vitamin B-12 and 20 mg of niacin; these are all 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance. Another popular energy drink is called Rock Star; this drink contains many of the same ingredients, including vitamin C.
Considerations
A single serving of caffeine in an energy drink can contain 72 mg to 150 mg; when each drinks contain two to three servings, that will raise the caffeine content to 294 mg per drink. According to a Nutrition and Health Info-Sheet from the University of California-Davis, if an individual consumes 400 mg or more of caffeine, there will be adverse effects including increased urination, a decrease in bone levels, difficulty sleeping, irritability and possibly abnormal heart rhythms.
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