It’s all about the ingredients in your energy drink that gives you that boost. Find out where it comes from and know energy drinks from the inside out!
Energy Drink Ingredients
A few years ago, an energy drink consisted of only a few different things. Sugars, water, and caffeine were the bulk of the ingredients in most energy drinks, however times are changing. People expect more from their energy drinks, and as a result, manufacturers are stuffing more ingredients into their products in an attempt to increase their effectiveness.
While the three major ingredients are still used, energy drink ingredients now include everything from herbal extracts to antioxidants. Let’s take a look at a few ingredients that are also stimulants, in order to figure out how they can fill you with energy just a few minutes after you consume them.
Caffeine
This is by far the most commonly used ingredient. It is the most widely used stimulant in the world and can be found in everything from soda to coffee to chocolate. However, these foods do not typically contain a lot in a single serving—a cup of coffee has around 100 milligrams of caffeine. Soda contains even less, generally around 30 to 50 milligrams per can.
Energy drinks, however, usually contain over 150 milligrams per serving, over three times that of soda. This is one of the main reasons energy drinks give you boosts of energy—they are loading you up on caffeine.
Unfortunately, consuming such high quantities of caffeine can result in anything from nausea to headaches. Additionally, consuming an energy drink a few hours before you plan to go to sleep can wreck havoc on your sleep schedule by denying you a tired feeling.
Sugar
Sugar is one of the body’s most desired fuel types—this can be checked by observing a young child who has just consumed a lot of sugar. They will typically be extremely hyper or over active. Sugar also kicks adult’s bodies into overdrive, even if it is not as apparent as with children.
Because of this, energy drink ingredients always list at least one form of sugar. This is by far one of the worst parts of energy drinks to consume a lot of, because of the ties an excessive amount of it can have to diabetes.
Guarana
Hailing from plants in South America, guarana is an ancient stimulant originally utilized by the Amazons. While it has very similar effects to that of caffeine, because its chemical compound is slightly different, its it not considered to be caffeine.
It is worth noting that its been clinically proven that different people can have extremely distinct reactions to guarana—some claiming its more of a stimulant than caffeine, and others observing no effect.
Vitamin B
B vitamins are integral in your body’s ability to turn the food you consume into the energy your body needs to function. Because of their role in this process, including them in the ingredients makes complete sense. By increasing your body’s B vitamin levels, you will be more likely to more quickly turn the sugar found in the drink into energy.
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