When you’re going through your day and feel an energy slump, you’re likely to reach out for sugary snacks or drinks that can give you an immediate sugar hit. However, this quick fix may give you the energy you require but will often leave you feeling sluggish.
If you’re looking for steady energy throughout the day without increasing your sugar intake, it’s time to consider an energy drink that can help you beat the mid-afternoon fatigue without harming your health.
To ensure that you choose an energy drink that works for you and your health, here’s what you should look for in your next energy drink.
1. Free Of Artificial Color And Chemicals
With the market flooded with options, many energy drinks are loaded with sugar, artificial colors, and other harmful chemicals. These drinks often contain artificial colors that have the potential to discolor and erode the enamel, causing damage to the tooth structure. The acidic nature of the chemicals found in some energy drinks can also have an adverse effect on the overall health of a person.
Fortunately, there are several drinks in the market today that don’t contain artificial colors and harmful chemicals yet still ensure that they provide you with the energy you need. Thus, when choosing your next energy drink, make sure to pick something that’s free from artificial color and harmful chemicals.
If you’re looking for your next energy drink that’s without artificial color and harmful chemicals, you may want to consider 3D energy drinks.
2. No Added Sugar
Many energy drinks are loaded with sugar, which isn’t the best way to boost your energy levels. In fact, too much sugar can lead to an energy crash or make you feel sluggish. Energy drinks that contain high sugar levels will definitely lead to quick energy spikes. However, this can be extremely harmful to your health. This is especially true if you’re diabetic or trying to control your blood sugar levels. Increased blood sugar levels lead to increased oxidative stress and inflammation, which often leads to several chronic diseases.
A study suggested that consuming one or two servings of sugar-loaded energy drinks increases the risk of type-2 diabetes by 26%. However, there are several energy drink brands in the market that are sugar-free and can be consumed safely, hence it won’t have any adverse effect on your health.
3. Added Nutritional Benefits
Most energy drinks available in the market today contain additional nutrients that offer several health benefits along with the energy spike. With the right mix of ingredients, an energy drink can work efficiently to boost your health as well as your energy.
Taurine, Guarna, Ginseng, L-Carnitine, vitamin B6, and Vitamin B3 are some of the commonly used ingredients in energy drinks that are beneficial for your overall health. Below, are the health benefits provided by these ingredients:
- Taurine: Taurine is an amino acid that’s found primarily in the brain, muscles, eyes, and heart. Though taurine is naturally produced by the body, its synthetic form is used in almost all energy drinks.
Taurine is believed to improve mental capacity and athletic performance. It can also boost heart health, preserve eyesight, control blood sugar, and increase energy levels. Low levels of taurine have been linked to several health conditions, like eye diseases and cardiovascular problems. - Guarana: Guarana is a native Brazilian plant that’s found in the Amazon basin and has been used by the indigenous tribes for ages for its therapeutic properties. Guarna is made of compounds like caffeine, theobromine, and tannins that have antioxidant properties. Since it’s an excellent source of caffeine, it can improve cognitive function and reduce fatigue.
- Ginseng: Ginseng has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for ages and is widely known for its amazing health benefits; it has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
A study suggested that Panax ginseng had a positive effect on mental performance, reduced fatigue, and improved calmness. Ginseng is also said to have a positive effect on brain function and uplifts one’s mood. - L-Carnitine: L-Carnitine is an amino acid that helps transport fatty acid to the cells where they can be broken down and converted into energy. L-Carnitine has several health benefits, such as regulating blood sugar levels, improving heart health, and increasing muscle strength. L-Carnitine also aids in weight loss. Thus, making it an ideal ingredient for energy drinks.
- Vitamin B6: Also known as Pyridoxine, vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that’s needed for several bodily functions. It plays an important role in regulating one’s mood and is said to reduce symptoms of depression. Vitamin B6 is also known to improve brain health.
- Vitamin B3: Vitamin B3 is also known as Niacin. This vitamin is essential for boosting brain function, lowering cholesterol, and plays a crucial role in creating and repairing the DNA. Vitamin B3 also helps reduce blood lipids and lowers the risk of heart diseases. When used in energy drinks, it works with other ingredients to boost brain function, encourage fat loss, and improve cardiovascular health.
4. Caffeine Amount
Caffeine is a crucial ingredient in almost all energy drinks. However, unregulated amounts of caffeine may be harmful to your health over time. That’s why it’s important to ensure that the energy drink you consume shouldn’t contain more than 300 milligrams of caffeine. Take note that the recommended daily intake of caffeine shouldn’t be more than 400 milligrams per day. Try to keep this in mind since caffeine can be addicting, causing you to consume more than the recommended daily intake, which, in turn, will be harmful for your health.
Conclusion
While there are several energy drinks in the market today, finding something that helps you boost your energy without any downsides is very important.
Since most energy drinks are loaded with sugar, regularly consuming it can lead to several health issues. Thankfully, the market also has several energy drinks that are sugar-free and are safe for consumption.
When choosing your next energy drink, make sure that you check the additional ingredients in them. Consider buying energy drinks that include several beneficial ingredients so that your health is also given a boost along with your energy levels.
