We’ve all been there! Those sluggish days when you need a little pick me up. Those work assignments or school study that requires you to stay up into the wee hours. But how quickly that need for “just a pick me up” can become a serious health situation.
Can you guess what the number 2 most consumed supplement after multivitamins among adolescents and young adults is? It’s energy drinks. Aside from the fact that healthy adolescents and young adults are NOT the group we would normally associate with low energy, these energy drinks could be putting their heart health at risk, especially if they have certain genetic heart conditions. Researchers from the Mayo clinic have determined that energy drinks may be arrhythmogenic foods that increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
Other scientists have described energy drink consumption as a “rising public health issue,” noting that it’s linked to problems with the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine, psychiatric, and neurological systems.
The deception here is that energy drinks are often marketed in ways that create a perception of health benefits and suggest they’re beneficial for boosting energy, enhancing physical and mental performance, and improving concentration due to the addition of vitamins, amino acids, and herbal extracts.
Wait a minute. If they have herbal extracts, how come the HERBGAL is against them? I’ll tell you. Because these additives are highly stimulating and unregulated. While the label may state that the “cocktail” contains, “natural” ingredients like B vitamins, Guarana, caffeine, and taurine, the amounts of these can vary greatly and could be a recipe for disaster.
One third of adolescents aged 12-17 consume energy drinks regularly according to one study and often, are consumed along with alcohol or other substances which may increase the risk of adverse health outcomes.
The adverse effects of energy drinks on the cardiovascular system are due to its many different ingredients that have the ability to individually and collectively change the physiology of the cardiovascular system. I want to reiterate here that we are talking about adolescents aged 12-17. Young men especially do not reach their physical maturity until age 22-25. So these drinks are affecting the cardiovascular system of children who are not yet fully developed.
While they often increase alertness and attention, they also increase heart rate and breathing, along with health problems that may be fatal. I don’t have to remind anyone of the increase in deaths among young people in the last 4 years. Adolescents gravitate to these beverages to boost their energy levels, enhance alertness, and increase scholastic or athletic performance. Lastly, there are documented instances linking energy drink consumption to fatalities.
I know this can be frustrating. Most of these kids are just trying to handle the stresses and demands of adolescence. Add to that, they aren’t getting enough sleep, don’t have great diets and have much higher levels of stress than their parents did at this age. So what’s the answer?
Once again, we go back to the diet. If you’re dealing with lagging energy and brain fog, energy drinks are NOT your answer. Optimizing your mitochondrial function is. We have to address this at the cellular level.
So here’s some practical tips:
· Vitamin D and iodine are essential micronutrients
· If you are going to supplement with Vitamin B, get a sub-lingual form and take it as
directed
· You MUST get 6-8 hours of sleep per night
· Daily exercise is critical. Even walking every day will benefit you
· Limit seed oils and avoid canola and vegetable oils
· Eat healthy carbs like fresh fruits, raw honey, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and rice
· For the women, old and young, reduce your estrogen levels by maintaining a healthy
weight, managing stress, and avoiding synthetics and GMO foods
In conclusion, avoid the wings and come back to earth. You CAN gain strength and energy naturally. Don’t be misled just because there are vitamins and herbs listed in the ingredients. Get those things naturally from the food you eat and by exercising daily. Go natural and
LET’S GET BETTER!
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