An energy drink is a stimulating beverage, a mixture of several substances that purport to boost energy levels and improve performance, reaction speed and mental ability. The medical community has expressed concerns about energy drinks due to the high caffeine content of the beverages and the effects that an excess of the beverages can have in a person especially when mixed with alcohol. Energy drinks do, however, typically have a high content of vitamins.
Energy Drink Components
There are several companies that manufacture and market energy drinks including Monster, Red Bull and Sobe. Each company has proprietary formula used to produce their energy drink. In general, however, the ingredients found in most energy drinks are all very similar. Typical ingredients include caffeine, sugar, vegetable extracts, amino acids, artificial flavor and color, minerals and vitamins.
Vitamins in Energy Drink
Common vitamins found in energy drinks include riboflavin, vitamin B-2, niacin, vitamin B-3, pyridoxine, vitamin B-6, cyanocobalamin, vitamin B-12 and vitamin C. A single serving, of most energy drinks, contains high amounts of these vitamins, so energy drinks are considered a good source for obtaining certain essential vitamins.
Vitamin B Benefits
Energy drinks typically have lots of vitamins from the B family of vitamins. These vitamins have many health functions and benefits. They help your body produce energy and regulate functions of your nervous system. Additionally, they facilitate growth processes, help to maintain the health of your skin, and help to control cholesterol and triglycerides levels. Vitamin B-12 helps to stimulate the brain's memory function. When the level of vitamin B-12 in the body drops to low levels, memory loss occurs.
Warnings
Energy drinks can provide your body with a temporary energizing effect. In addition, energy drinks provide your body with many essential vitamins, especially vitamins from the vitamin B family. However, take care not to over-consume energy drinks. Manufacturers recommend not drinking more than four of these beverages per day. Additionally, mixing energy beverages with alcohol may cause heart problems. Also, energy drinks tend to mask the effects of alcohol. This can cause you to drink an excess amount of alcohol without realizing the effect the alcohol has on your body.
References
- Mayo Clinic:; "Can Energy Drinks Really Boost a Person's Energy"; Katherine Zeratsky; 2010
- New York Times; "The Energy-Drink Buzz is Unmistakable. The Health Impact Is Unknow"; Michael Mason; 2006
- USA Today; "Overuse of Energy Drinks Worries Health Pros"; Michael McCarthy; 2009
- Mayo Clinic; "Energy Drinks: OK for Athletes?"; Edward Laskowski; 2009
- NIH: Non-Alcoholic Energy Drink Health Risks?
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