Is Green Tea an Energy Drink?

Picture the stereotypical cup of tea. Now picture the stereotypical energy drink. Could these images be any different? While tea represents a relaxed mood and health, energy drinks represent hyperactivity and danger. So what happens when you add energy drink ingredients to tea? When is tea more than “just tea”? When is green tea an energy drink?
 
For this exercise, let’s consider a specific drink. This drink is a blend of green tea, yerba mate, and green coffee beans. Sounds healthy, right? But how does it compare to plain tea? To Red Bull? We’ll go over that, plus the three criteria make this green tea an energy drink.

In This Post:

  • What is an “energy drink”?
  • When is green tea an energy drink?
  • Is green tea better than energy drinks?
  • Can I drink Marquis every day?
GreenEyedGuide

Hi there. I'm Caffeine Scientist, Author, and Speaker GreenEyedGuide. I use caffeine science to help people beat burnout.

I earned my degrees in biochemistry and food science. I use my science background to answer questions about caffeine and energy drinks. First, I wrote a book about energy drink ingredients and safety concerns. Then I wrote a book about “How to Get Sh*t Done When You Feel Like Sh*t“. Above all, my goal as the “GreenEyedGuide” is to be a resource (ahem, a guide) for people who drink caffeine.
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Inositol, Signal Transduction, and a Single Girl – Book Excerpt of the Week (narrated by Jay R. Smith)

One of my favorite ways to study biochemistry is to make up metaphors to help me turn complicated invisible reactions into memorable, tangible stories. My favorite metaphor of all time is one I created for inositol. Inositol already holds a soft spot in my heart because it used to be a vitamin, like how Pluto used to be a planet.

#RIPPluto

Inositol is not an extremely common energy drink ingredient, but it’s in at least one of the “Big 3” (the top 3 selling brands). It’s unlikely the small amount of inositol exerts a strong effect after consuming an energy drink. But if Pluto is worth knowing, then so is inositol.

Our bodies make inositol (hence the removal of “Vitamin” status), so inositol is affecting you on a daily basis even if you don’t drink energy drinks.

Let me tell you a story about what this little fellow is doing.

What Does Inositol Do?

(Audio)Book Excerpt of the Week: Narrated by Jay R. Smith Audio Publishing

We can think of cell membranes like the doors, walls, and windows of a house. Some molecules can get into a house quite easily, while others are like vampires and have to be invited in….or something like that. Some molecules set off a reaction by coming to the threshold of the house, and these reactions are called “membrane mediated events”. With signal transduction, a guest coming to the door creates not one reaction, but a whole series of reactions involving multiple signals and second messengers.

Inositol’s role in treating anxiety, depression, and insomnia all stem from how inositol participates in the chain of reactions and signaling that occurs with signal transduction.

 

Stay tuned for next week’s book excerpt as we continue our page-by-page exploration through the Energy Drink Guide (now on Audible!!!).

Get your copy of MY BOOK: “Are You a Monster or a Rock Star: A Guide to Energy Drinks — How They Work, Why They Work, How to Use Them Safely”

Love what I do?  SUPPORT ME ON PATREON

Let’s connect!

Caffeine and College Exams – GreenEyedGuide presents at Cal State Fullerton

The video below includes a portion of GreenEyedGuide’s presentation from California State University-Fullerton, Peer Health University Network meeting. Learn how caffeine content isn’t always what it seems, how consumption changes as people get older and how caffeine helps one focus for exams.

 

 

Watch the video above to learn how to become an advocate for safe caffeine consumption

Thank you to Cal State Fullerton’s Peer Health Univerity Network for hosting this presentation!

Related Content:

To contact GreenEyedGuide about speaking at your event, use the contact form below:

 

 

Caffeine versus Guarana – Book Excerpt of the Week

 

When I was doing research for my book, “Are You A Monster or a Rock Star: A Guide to Energy Drinks-How They Work, Why They Work, How to Use Them Safely”, I was disappointed over learning what guarana does.

Book Excerpt of the Week

Photo Editor-20171204_182213

 

Everything guarana can do, caffeine can do better.

Guarana is a natural source of caffeine, and many time getting caffeine from a natural source is preferable. We’ve reviewed a few energy drinks with guarana.

But unlike green tea extract, guarana doesn’t come with its own unique set of benefits.

Stay tuned for next week’s book excerpt as we continue our page-by-page exploration through the Energy Drink Guide (now on Audible!!!).

Get your copy of MY BOOK: “Are You a Monster or a Rock Star: A Guide to Energy Drinks — How They Work, Why They Work, How to Use Them Safely”

Love what I do?  SUPPORT ME ON PATREON

Let’s connect!

Energy Drinks in the News – The effects of Alpha-GPC versus caffeine on mood, cognitive function, and performance

Here at GreenEyedGuide.com, my goal is to share the science behind energy drinks and their ingredients. In a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, caffeine goes head to head against Alpha-GPC in a battle of jitters and performance metrics. Which do you think is going to win?

This article is Open Access (hurray!) but, because it’s a poster presentation, it’s only two-pages long (aww….). Still, let’s dissect the details, shall we? Read more