Countless studies have exposed the
dangers associated with the regular consumption of energy drinks.
According to
a recent report by the Associated Press, potential harms may include: irritability, high blood pressure, heart palpitations,
seizures and strokes.
Late last year, the American Association of Poison Control Centers began tracking
energy drink overdoses and side effects. Since the study began late last year, more than
3,000 such cases have been reported.
But Americans aren’t about to stop consuming these popular, performance enhancing drinks.
In fact,
energy drinks are the fastest growing product in the US beverage market, with 2011 sales expected to surpass $9 billion.
While studies have focused on the effects of ingredients like
caffeine,
taurine and
guarana (which contains roughly
twice the caffeine found in coffee beans), they fail to highlight another important ingredient: sugar.
Following is
a listing of 10 of these energy drinks along with the amount of
sugar found in each can:
- Red Eye – 48.5 grams (11.5 teaspoons sugar)
- Red Bull – 52 grams (12.4 teaspoons sugar)
- Rock Star – 62 grams (15 teaspoons sugar)
- AMP Energy – 58 grams (14 teaspoons sugar)
- Full Throttle – 58 grams (14 teaspoons)
- Demon – 50 grams (12 teaspoons sugar)
- Fortify Energy Plus – 50 grams (12 teaspoons sugar)
- Samidi – 57 grams (14 teaspoons sugar)
- Mother – 52 grams (12.4 teaspoons sugar)
- Monster M-80 – 46 grams (11 teaspoons sugar)
Refined
sugar is a drug and
one of the most addictive substances a person can consume. Some sources report that
sugar is as addictive as cocaine and as difficult to withdraw from.
So when you consider that a Pepsi or Coke contains approximately
10 teaspoons of addictive sugar in each 12 oz can,
think how much more addictive these energy drinks must be.
Many people don't realize this, but
caffeine is as much an addictive drug as nicotine, alcohol, or marijuana.
So when you add caffeine you begin to understand why the sale of these so-called energy drinks is soaring.
Monster M-80 for instance not only contains 11 teaspoons of addictive sugar but also
160 mg of caffeine.
It is interesting to note that while both of these addictive drugs
initially appear to give the body a rush of energy, the end result is
exhaustion and fatigue.
(We'll do a more in-depth report on this in a future Health Tip.)
Think about it... If a person consumes
just one Pepsi or Coke daily for one year that amount of sugar can add
15 pounds of weight in one year.
And the
artificial sugars in diet sodas create appetite, causing a person to consume more calories, which in turn adds additional weight.
I will conclude with this: Our immune system was given us by God to protect us from germs, viruses, bacteria, and even cancer.
SUGAR has a devastating effect upon the immune system by inhibiting the immune system's protective powers.
When a person consumes one of these
energy drinks, they are not only consuming
two addictive drugs along with a risk of
weight gain, but compromising their immune system — to say nothing of a cost of over $2.00 per container!
EDITOR’S CONCLUSION: I personally have no reason to purchase one of these so-called energy drinks because The Hallelujah Diet provides my body with
more energy at nearly 80 years of age than I had as a teenager consuming the Standard American Diet.
By the way, I do consume a different kind of energy drink at least three times a day — BarleyMax — and it's just
33 cents a serving!
Best of all,
this energy drink is
not a drug, contains
no refined sugar and
no caffeine and rather than compromising my immune system it builds and strengthens it.
Dear friends – If you are relying on the world’s energy drinks for your energy, may I suggest you give The Hallelujah Diet and BarleyMax a try.
BarleyMax, at a cost of just
$0.99 a day for three servings, compared to over $2.00 per serving of an energy drink, you can’t beat the cost or results!
