1. Caffeine - stimulates the activity of the brain, excites human activity;

2. Carnitine - one of the components of the cells of the human body, it contributes to the oxidation of fatty acids;

3. Matein - drowns out a feeling of hunger;

4. Taurine - an amino acid that relieves stress and gives a person energy;

5. Guarana - a tropical plant, allows you to stir even the sleepiest person;

6. Ginseng - also actively fights fatigue, stress. Charges a person with energy;

What is the harm of energy drinks?

1. As a result of the use of power engineers, blood pressure rises and blood sugar levels increase;

2. Caffeine depletes the human nervous system, is addictive;

3. Vitamin "B", which is also found in the energy drink, can cause trembling in the hands and feet, as well as tachycardia - heart palpitations;

4. Energy drink is high-calorie;

5. If you abuse the use of energy drinks, side effects can occur - depression, psychomotor agitation (sudden mood swings), insomnia, etc.

Who should not drink energy drinks?

Energetics should not be used in any case for pregnant girls, children and adolescents, as well as for various diseases (hypertension, nervousness, insomnia, increased irritability and activity).

In the modern world, a person is in constant motion: he is in a hurry somewhere, plans something, and even when he is resting, he ponders his future activities. It is only natural that at such a pace of life the body’s forces are exhausted, and it simply needs to be invigorated. In this case, energy drinks become a real salvation, but are we not doing this harm to our body?

What are energy drinks

Energy drinks are a relatively new invention of mankind, although their components have been used to raise vitality for many centuries. Manufacturers claim that their products provide a quick surge of vigor and strength. This is achieved by stimulating the central nervous system through the use of certain active substances. The composition of each drink differs both in ingredients and in the concentration of stimulants in the mixture.

Another component in the energy sector is taurine, in one jar contains approximately 400-1000 mg of the substance. It is an amino acid that builds up in muscle tissue. Many believe that it improves the functioning of the heart muscle, but recently, doctors have come to the conclusion that taurine does not have any effect on the human body.

Medicinal plants such as guarana and ginseng have tonic properties. Guarana leaves remove lactic acid from muscle tissue, reducing pain during physical exertion, and also prevent the occurrence of atherosclerosis and cleanse the liver. However, some doctors claim that the exciting properties of guarana and ginseng have not been confirmed by research.

Energy drinks also include B vitamins, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system and the brain in particular. The body will immediately feel their lack, but increasing the dose will not improve your productivity or mental abilities, as energy producers try to convince us.

Energy drinks also contain matein - an extract of an evergreen tree that helps to cope with hunger and helps reduce weight.

To speed up the absorption and absorption of active substances, energy drinks are often carbonated by adding carbonic acid. We should also single out a separate group of power engineers - alcoholic energy drinks, which contain about 7-7.5% ethyl alcohol.

How do non-alcoholic energies affect the body?

In the first minutes after drinking an energy drink, a person, as a rule, feels a surge of strength, drowsiness and lethargy disappear, the brain begins to work actively, and the muscles get the opportunity to show their strength. However, this energy had to come from somewhere. In this case, two mechanisms work: the absorption of easily digestible carbohydrates (sugar) from the drink itself and their entry into organs and systems, as well as the use of internal body reserves. It is the second mechanism of the surge of energy that is the main cause of concern for physicians. They argue that the energy reserves in our body are reserved for an emergency, they are used “out of turn”. This means that the body is depleted in a few hours (usually this occurs after 2-4 hours), as a result of which a person feels many times increased fatigue and weakness. Of course, you can take a new portion of energy, but the energy in the body is not infinite, and soon the moment will come when the body will no longer respond to stimulation and will require many hours, or even many days of rest. In addition, the intensive use of body stocks can lead to serious health problems. The lack of energy for the synthesis of proteins, enzymes, hormones, for the work of the brain, heart and respiration can cause severe malfunctions in the work of important organs and even their organic damage.

The benefits of energy

The advantages of using energy drinks include the fact that they perfectly cheer up and stimulate mental activity. In accordance with the purpose, energy drinks can be divided into 2 groups: those that contain more caffeine and those that contain more vitamins and carbohydrates. Therefore, everyone can find an energy drink according to their taste and needs. “Coffee” drinks are more suitable for incorrigible workaholics and students who have to work and study at night, but “vitamin-carbohydrate” cocktails are consumed more by active people who prefer to spend free time in the gym.

As you know, energy contains a complex of vitamins and glucose. Of course, there is no doubt about the benefits of vitamins, but glucose quickly penetrates the bloodstream, participates in oxidative processes and provides energy to muscles, the brain and other vital organs. It is worth noting that the effect of a cup of coffee lasts for 1-2 hours, but energy drinks last about 3-4 hours. In addition, almost all energy companies are carbonated, which accelerates their action. Another advantage of energy drinks is their convenient packaging. It is quite possible to carry them with you and use in any situation, which cannot be said about coffee or tea.

Power Engineers Harm

Energy drinks can only be consumed in strict accordance with the dosage. The maximum dose is 2 cans per day, exceeding this can lead to an increase in blood pressure or blood sugar levels. You also need to remember that the vitamins that make up these drinks cannot replace the multivitamin complex. It is not recommended to use energy for people suffering from heart disease, hypotension or hypertension. They are also contraindicated in pregnant women, children, the elderly, as well as those who suffer from glaucoma, sleep disorders, increased irritability and sensitivity to caffeine.

Do not believe that an energy drink will provide the body with energy, it opens the way only to the internal reserves of the body, that is, it is a kind of key. In other words, the drink itself does not contain any energy, but only uses our own. However, sooner or later, using your own energy reserves will result in fatigue, insomnia, irritability and depression.

In addition, caffeine, which is part of an energy drink, leads to depletion of the nervous system. Its effect lasts about 3-5 hours, after which the body needs rest. In addition, caffeine is addictive. Another drawback of such “cocktails” is that the combination of caffeine and glucose is very harmful to the young body. Also, most energy drinks contain a huge amount of vitamin B, which can cause heart palpitations and tremors in the limbs.

Fitness fans should remember the diuretic properties of caffeine. This means that after training, it is not advisable to drink an energy drink, because in the process of training a lot of fluid is already lost. If you exceed the permissible dose of the drink, then side effects are not excluded: tachycardia, psychomotor agitation, depression and increased nervousness. In no case do not mix energy with alcohol, because caffeine increases pressure, and alcohol further enhances its effect, as a result it can lead to a hypertensive crisis.

As you know, taurine and glucuronolactone are part of energy drinks, while the taurine content is several times higher than the permissible level, and the amount of glucuronolactone exceeds the daily norm by almost 500 times. Even scientists do not know the effect of these ingredients on the body, and how they interact with caffeine.

As you can see, there are many more minuses than pluses. However, in the life of everyone, a situation may arise when you cannot do without an energy drink. In this case, it is necessary to carefully study the rules for using the drink in order to protect your body.

Advertising energy drinks is colorful and original. Manufacturers promise that their compositions will inspire the consumer, fill them with strength, turn them into either Carlson or Superman. Power engineers are really able to help a student learn the material of a whole semester, the minibus driver or a truck driver, almost round the clock in difficult conditions around the clock, spend the night in the discotheques, and go to work or study in the morning.

However, doctors are less optimistic: as power engineers grow in popularity, serious diseases of blood vessels, liver, pancreas, and nervous system “become younger” significantly. To understand what are the benefits and harms of energy drinks, let’s look at their composition.

Types of power engineers

There are two main types of energy drinks (stimulants):

• non-alcoholic;
• low alcohol.

Non-alcoholic and low-alcohol energy can contain:

• caffeine, thein, matein - alkaloids. Substances tone, stimulate the brain, increase blood pressure, mute the feeling of hunger;
• theobromine - extract from cocoa beans. It is an alkaloid similar in action to caffeine;
• taurine - participates in metabolic processes, affects the decrease in blood glucose and blood pressure;
• extracts of ginseng, guarana, lemongrass, echinacea - plants that are traditionally used in folk medicine to strengthen the body and quickly restore strength;
• carnitine - accelerates fat metabolism and increases appetite;
• melatonin - a hormone that regulates the frequency of sleep and affects the endocrine system;
• b vitamins - substances that strengthen the walls of blood vessels and are necessary for the correct transmission of signals between neurons;
• sweeteners and other flavoring agents, flavorings, food colors, preservatives.

In addition to stimulants, isotonics (sports catalysts) are on sale for athletes who need to replenish their strength after training. Isotonics are a powder or diluted in water mixture of salts, vitamins and flavors.

Features of non-alcoholic power engineers

Carefully studying the composition of non-alcoholic power engineers, we can conclude that they consist of only useful products. The problem is that there are too many of these substances in drinks (often several daily doses) and they combine very intricately. It is impossible to predict in advance how the body will react to a shock dose of compounds, some of which increase pressure, others lower, and others stimulate the endocrine system. Carbon dioxide, which is necessarily part of drinks, accelerates their absorption in the blood and enhances the effect. Due to the high content of sweeteners, blood sugar rises immediately.

All the ingredients of power engineers increase working capacity by releasing the latent reserves of the body. The benefits of energy drinks to the body are about the same as the artificial increase in processor frequency - the computer. The processor is easy to overclock, but it will burn much faster after that.

Alkaloids (caffeine, matein, theobromine) are gradually addictive. A lover of energy drinks decreases the natural production of adrenaline, as a result, a person who does not drink a tonic drink feels sluggish, broken. Too large amounts of B vitamins contribute to irritability, in severe cases, hands begin to tremble, and mental activity deteriorates. There is a dependence similar to narcotic.

  Alcoholic energy addictions

Features of low alcohol power engineers

Low alcohol energies may contain up to 9% alcohol. This means that in an aluminum can with a volume of 250 ml - up to 22.5 ml of pure ethanol, in translation to vodka almost 56 ml. The same energy can with a strength of 5% is equivalent to 31 ml of vodka.

Alcohol invigorates only at the very beginning, after 45-60 minutes it has a sedative effect. The tonic substances of the energy drink are effective for 2-3 hours. Two effects are neutralized: excitatory and inhibitory. Even a healthy body can barely cope with such a load, but a person who begins to fall asleep drinks a new portion of energy.

Excessive addiction to low-alcohol energy is a direct path to alcoholism. A person who consciously consumes strong drinks usually observes the culture of drinking: he drinks a little, savoring, eating, trying not to exceed his own norm. But in the energy sector, alcohol is almost not felt, their lover drinks a can after a can.

It must be remembered that low-alcohol energy is not a means to stimulate performance, but alcoholic cocktails. In moderation, they are acceptable during parties and feasts. It is better to avoid low-alcohol energy drinks with caffeine, matein and theobromine, these drinks are the most harmful.

How to choose the right energy

The use of energy drinks is very doubtful, but if you urgently need to restore strength, you must be guided by the following rules:

• choose non-alcoholic energies containing any one tonic: either caffeine (matein, theobromine), or plant extracts. Energizers with natural plant extracts are preferred;
• you can not consume more than 250-300 ml of energy per day;
• the maximum permissible monthly dose is 6 aluminum cans;
• coffee, carbon dioxide and alcohol dehydrate the body. After using the energy drink, you need to drink at least 0.5 l of water in several doses;
• the daily norm of caffeine is not more than 300 ml (not more than 100-120 ml at a time). You need to carefully read how much caffeine is in the drink. An energetic should not drink coffee or jam chocolate;
• choose energy with a minimum content of dyes and flavors (these substances are carcinogenic).

Contraindications to the use of energy

It is forbidden to drink any energy in diseases:

• of cardio-vascular system;
• endocrine system (especially with diabetes);
• gastrointestinal tract;
• liver and kidney;
• nervous system.

Energy is an invention of the second half of the twentieth century, and they can be easily replaced if desired. For centuries, people have been increasing their working capacity due to products containing vitamin C: apples, citrus fruits. A mixture of apple, pumpkin and carrot juices gives an energy boost for the whole day. To overcome drowsiness, you can eat chocolate, drink coffee or cocoa. If you want an unusual taste, then at a party it is better to order a cocktail with quality alcohol. Frequent artificial stimulation of the body with energy drinks is a threat to health.

Energy drinks around the world are very popular among adolescents and youth. On sale there are all kinds of drinks with different names and manufacturers. They are sold everywhere: in small pavilions and in huge supermarkets, discotheques and gyms, they are inexpensive and affordable for many citizens, even children.

Energy drinks attract customers with their colorful aluminum cans. As well as intrusive advertising, which guarantees a person who uses energy every day, career success and great achievements in sports, pleasure, “inspiration”, heroic strength and performance.

You can frolic all night at the disco, and if you suddenly get tired or want to sleep, you can just eat another jar, and the dream will be taken off by hand, and there will be no trace of fatigue. And many believe that energy use is fashionable and cool, and they cannot live a day without them.

Energy drinks. Structure.

Energy drinks or energy drinks are carbonated non-alcoholic or low-alcohol drinks that tone and stimulate the nervous system, which are easily absorbed by our body, add energy to us, invigorate, help fight drowsiness and fatigue, increase mood, mental and physical performance.

What kind of miraculous substances are contained in energy drinks?

The main component of energy drinks is caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, in tea. It has a stimulating effect on the nervous system, increases working capacity and endurance, relieves fatigue, quickly restores muscle tone and fills the body with energy, improves mood, creates a feeling of surge of energy, invigorates.

In some types of drinks, vegetable stimulants containing caffeine are added - extracts of ginseng, guarana, as well as teobramine, a substance contained in cocoa and taurine with caffeine, which also increase energy.

Energy drinks contain carbohydrates - glucose and sucrose. Glucose is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and also fills all organs with energy. Vitamins of groups B and C, as well as all kinds of chemical additives - flavors, preservatives, flavor and acidity enhancers, dyes, food additives and other chemicals.

In order for the drink to become carbonated, carbon dioxide is added to it.

Energy drinks. Harm

It would seem that everyone is a good energetic, acts quickly and the effect lasts 3-4 hours, and is convenient to use, opened a jar and filled with energy.

Then why in some countries, such as France, Norway and Denmark, the sale of energy drinks is prohibited in stores, and you can buy them only in pharmacies. In Australia, in New Zealand there is also a ban on the sale and production of energy. And in America, energy with caffeine and alcohol is banned. In Bulgaria, persons under the age of 18 are prohibited from selling drinks.

In Russia, a bill was submitted to the State Duma on the removal of energy drinks from sale in educational, sports, medical institutions, as well as on the prohibition of selling to minors.

In what quantities can energy drinks be consumed, and what harm can they do to human health?

In order to feel alert and healthy, energy drinks can be consumed at certain times when prolonged exercise affects the body, during exams, but in limited quantities, not more than one jar per day, and in no case should they interfere with alcohol and do not use with other products containing caffeine.

Who is contraindicated in energy drinks?

As it turned out, people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system, hypertension, diseases of the pancreas and stomach, as well as those who have glaucoma are contraindicated to drink energy drinks.

It is also not recommended for children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women. Drinking energy is also contraindicated for older people and those who suffer from insomnia, as well as drivers and people who work with complex mechanisms.

If you use large amounts of energy drinks, then they will undoubtedly bring great harm to health. Energetics do not fill our body with energy, but only drain the reserves of reserve energy from our organs.
A supersaturation with caffeine depletes nerve cells, causes insomnia, a feeling of tiredness, irritability accumulates in a person and depression occurs.

Taurine, which is part of the drinks, increases the load on the heart, increases blood pressure and heart rate, which contributes to the development of tachycardia, arrhythmia.

A huge amount of energy in combination with alcohol can cause a heart attack, dramatically increase blood pressure and cause a stroke. The consequences of the use of such a "explosive mixture" can be the most deplorable - even fatal.

Energy drinks also increase the production of gastric juice and acidity, which in turn leads to gastritis and gastric ulcer.

Glucose and sucrose contribute to weight gain and even blood sugar.

And another fact that speaks of the dangers of power engineers - during the military operations in Vietnam, American soldiers used to boost morale and increase endurance, they used energy drinks containing a substance - glucuronolone, later it turned out that most of those who fought these drinks contributed to the onset of cirrhosis of the liver and brain tumor.

And energy drinks are addictive. And already a single jar is not enough to cheer up and when the stimulating effect of the drink ends, the body requires a new dose, and then again and again without energy there is no longer any capacity for work, there is no energy and mood at all, and there is some weakness in the body, and for some reason my hands are shaking.

After all, in order to “sausage” all night in nightclubs and discotheques, young people fill themselves with an incredible amount of energy drinks.

And increasingly, young people die from heart attacks or as a result of hemorrhages in internal organs caused by an overdose of energy drinks.

So is it worth it to risk your health and life, only in order to increase your mood, endurance and performance and drive yourself into dependence on energy drinks.

After all, you can cheer up and feel happy and cheerful with other means that are safer. You can trite drink tea or coffee with chocolate or dates, or eat a banana. Well, absolutely, in extreme cases, you can open one colorful jar and drink an energetic drink.

Energy drinks are a relatively recent invention of mankind. Although their components have been used as invigorating ever since centuries remained before the invention of aluminum cans. It seems that the invention of energy tonics is a panacea for students during the session, workers on deadline days, going to the record of fitness practitioners, tired drivers and visitors to night clubs and everyone who is very tired, but must continue to be in a cheerful state of mind and body. I drank a jar - and you no longer bite your nose, but you can continue again and again ...

Manufacturers claim that their drinks are only beneficial and produce more and more new varieties. If everything is so rosy, why did the legislators try to pass a law restricting the spread of the miracle drink? Let's figure it out.

Caffeine.   It contains all, without exception, "energy". Acts as a stimulant: 100 mg of caffeine stimulate mental activity, 238 mg increase cardiovascular endurance. To get this effect, you need to drink at least three cans, but manufacturers of "power engineers" recommend consuming no more than 1-2 cans per day.

Taurine.   One can contains on average 400 to 1000 mg of taurine. It is an amino acid that builds up in muscle tissue. It is believed that it improves the functioning of the heart muscle. Recently, however, among doctors there have been opinions that taurine does not have any effect on the human body.

Carnitine.   This is a component of human cells that promotes the rapid oxidation of fatty acids. Carnitine enhances metabolism and reduces muscle fatigue.

Guarana and Ginseng.   Medicinal plants with tonic properties. Guarana leaves are used in medicine: they remove lactic acid from muscle tissue, reducing pain during physical exertion, prevent the occurrence of atherosclerosis and cleanse the liver. Doctors, however, believe that the arousing properties attributed to guarana and ginseng are not confirmed by research.

Vitamins of group B.   Necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system and the brain in particular. The body can feel their lack, but increasing the dose will not improve your productivity, mental abilities, or anything else, as energy drink manufacturers are trying to convince.

Melatonin   It is contained in the body and is responsible for the human circadian rhythm.

Matein. A substance in the composition of South American Mate Green Tea. Ilex Paraguarensis Evergreen Tree Extract helps to cope with hunger and contributes to weight loss.

Energy drinks: harm or benefit?

Facts For

If you just need to cheer up or energize the brain, energies are great for these purposes.

You can find a drink according to your needs. Energotonics are divided into groups for people with different needs: some have more caffeine, others have vitamins and carbohydrates. "Coffee" drinks are suitable for avid workaholics and students who work or study at night, and "vitamin-carbohydrate" drinks are suitable for active people who prefer to spend free time in the gym.

In the energy sector there is a complex of vitamins and glucose. There is no need to talk about the benefits of vitamins. Glucose is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, incorporated into oxidative processes, and delivers energy to the muscles, brain, and other vital organs.

The effect of taking coffee lasts 1-2 hours, from power engineers - 3-4. In addition, almost all energy drinks are carbonated, which accelerates their impact - this is the third difference from coffee.

Packaging allows you to use energy in any situation (dance floor, car), which is not always possible with the same coffee or tea.

Facts Against:

Drinks can be taken strictly dosed. Maximum - 2 cans per day.   As a result of drinking the excess food, a significant increase in blood pressure or blood sugar is possible.

In France, Denmark and Norway, until 2009, "energy" were banned from sale in food stores, they could only be bought in pharmacies, as they were considered a medicine.

People with pressure or heart problems should avoid these drinks.

The opinion that the tonic saturates with energy is absolutely wrong. The contents of the can, like a key, opens the door to the internal reserves of the body. In other words - the jar does not give energy, it sucks it out of you. A man uses his own resources, or, more simply, takes them on loan.   Debt, of course, has to be repaid sooner or later, paying off with fatigue, insomnia, irritability and depression.

Caffeine contained in tonics, like any stimulant, depletes the nervous system. The effect of it lasts on average from three to five hours - after which the body needs a break. In addition, caffeine is addictive. However, it is worth noting that the EU authorized body for food safety conducted studies based on which it was concluded that the risk of consuming non-alcoholic tonic drinks does not exceed the risk of drinking coffee - again, only if you do not exceed the recommended dosage.

An energetic, like a drink containing sugar and caffeine, is not safe for a young body.

Many energy drinks contain large amounts of vitamin B, which can cause heart palpitations and trembling hands and feet.

Fitness lovers should remember that caffeine is a good diuretic. This means that you can’t drink the drink after training, during which we lose water.

In case of an overdose, side effects are possible: tachycardia, psychomotor agitation, nervousness, depression.

Tonics contain taurine and glucuronolactone. In February 2009, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued a statement on these ingredients as non-alcoholic tonic energy drinks. It turned out that in the quantities in which they are contained in energy drinks, taurine and glucuronolactone are safe for human health. However, these additives also have their contraindications: in particular, the age of 18 years, long-term use in diabetics (exacerbation of the disease is possible).

As you can see, there are more “against” arguments than “for” arguments. And yet, it is quite possible that a moment may come in your life (we hope, one-time), when you feel the need to drink a jar of energy. In this case, read the rules for the use of tonics that help not to harm your beloved body.

Caffeine is removed from the blood after 3-5 hours, and even then half. Therefore, you cannot mix tonics and other caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea) during this time - you can greatly exceed the permissible dose.

Many drinks are very high in calories.   If you use energy at the gym, drink it only before your workout. If your plans include only restoring strength, and you are not going to lose weight, you can use such tonics both before and after classes.

Do not mix tonics with alcohol (as often done, for example, by visitors to nightclubs). Caffeine increases pressure, and in combination with alcohol, its effect is greatly enhanced. As a result, a person can easily experience a hypertensive crisis.

Specialists in the field of health and medicine argue that tonics are no more than fortified coffee substitutes, only more dangerous to health. And the fruit juices and glucose contained in many products can elevate our spirit to the same heights. So it is up to you to decide whether to use tonics or not. But now we have a reason without remorse to drink a cup of coffee with your favorite chocolate bar (instead of tonic)!

Tatyana POLYAK