Tag: health tips

Uptime Energy, Bawls Guarana, Amp Energy Zero, and V8 + Energy: May Recap of Quick Reviews – Science of Energy Drinks

Uptime Energy, Bawls Guarana, Amp Energy Zero, and V8 + Energy: May Recap of Quick Reviews – Science of Energy Drinks

greeneyedguide

Here’s a recap of the quick reviews posted this month for the “Science of Energy Drinks” series on the GreenEyedGuide Instagram and Facebook pages: Uptime Energy, Bawls Guarana, Amp Energy Zero, and V8 + Energy.

 

 

uptime energy

Science Behind Uptime Energy drink: 3-Ingredients to Focus on:

⛾1-Angelica Root Ext (aka Danggui) is used for female reproductive disorders in Traditional Chinese Medicine. After 15 minutes on Pubmed & SciDirect I DON’T KNOW WHY it’s in here. (Dear science nerds, please help if you do).
⛾2-Bee Pollen has vitamins, polyphenols, and enzymes, and has shown health benefits in studies but ONLY WHEN USED IN GRAM AMOUNTS! This product’s whole “Power Base” combined is only 20% of a gram. [1 gram = weight of 1 paperclip].
⛾3-Caffeine is the only ingredient that (kind of) “produces energy” but this bugs me. (#stickler #rant #chemnerd) There’s 142 mg caffeine in here = ALMOST a Monster (160mg).

bawls guarana energy

LET’S TALK ABOUT GUARANA. BAWLS Ingredients include caffeine, HFCS, citric acid, sodium benzoate, natural AND artificial flavor, caramel color. No B-vitamins, taurine, carnitine, or other stereotypical energy drink ingredients.

CAFFEINE CONTENT: from guarana and pure caffeine; 100mg Caffeine per can from all sources, according to the CAFFEINE INFORMER database. That’s LESS caffeine than 12 oz Red Bull (114 mg). The limit for those under 18yrs old is 100mg.

GUARANA is a vine from the rainforest bearing orange-red fruit with black seeds. Caffeine is in the seeds. Multiple studies show guarana improves cognitive performance, mental fatigue, and mood, and it is supposed to boost fat metabolism by encouraging the body to burn fat instead of protein and carbs. HOWEVER, the same benefits are true of caffeine in general and caffeine from green tea in particular. So these benefits are not specific to guarana… and this product gives you 50g sugar per can.

amp energy

 

PART ONE: WHAT DOES EDTA DO?
EDTA, Sodium benzoate, and Sodium hexametaphosphate: All 3 are in this drink. Does a canned drink need so much preservation?
1. EDTA: the ingredient statement says “to protect flavor”…from WHAT? From metal ions of the can, which can oxidize and degrade the natural+artificial flavor and the B-vitamins.
PURPOSE: Chelating agent, meaning it binds metal ions to limit their deleterious effects; EDTA stabilizes food color, aroma, texture, inhibits oxidation of fats, oils.
SAFETY NOTES: Some sources say EDTA “robs the body of nutrients” but EDTA is safe to consume **up to 3 grams per day **and AMOUNTS USED IN FOOD are in the milligram per kilogram or parts-per-million range. CPSI puts this in the “Safe” column.
***FUN FACT: EDTA is actually used to treat people with heavy metal poisoning because EDTA can grab the heavy metals and escort them out of the body.

PART 2 of Amp Preservative review: WHAT does Sodium benzoate do?
Sodium Benzoate: “preserves freshness”… but it’s not like this is a fresh ripe watermelon right? Well, this IS an acidic drink…
PURPOSE: Prevents growth of microorganisms like yeast and mold; used for preservation of sour food pH 4 and lower, often used with other preservatives especially at low pH (meaning acidic food).
SAFETY NOTES: Consumers can ingest up to 5mg per kg of body weight of benzoic acid and its salts
***FUN FACT: Benzoic acid occurs naturally in cranberries, prunes, plums, cinnamon, ripe cloves, and most berries. http://wp.me/p3SHzu-It

PART 3 of AMP preservative review: “Hexa-meta-huh?”
3. Sodium hexametaphosphate: “to protect flavor”… YOU’D THINK AMP’S FLAVOR IS LIKE GOLD with all this PROTECTION!!!
SAFETY NOTES: This ingredient is widely accepted as safe in many countries. It has the additive number E452. In controlled studies, it was not carcinogenic in rats, nor did it cause any reproductive or developmental toxicity symptoms. It’s fine if you consume a little bit every now and then, but consuming it regularly can have some negative effects due to mineral imbalances. MODERATION IS KEY!

v8 plus energy

Energy drinks are dangerous, right? V8 Energy, busting stereotypes since 2011! The caffeine in V8 Energy comes from green tea extract which provides a natural lift as well as the amino acid L-theanine which is believed to provide added focus. [CaffeineInformer.com]
🔹️L-theanine can reduce anxiety and blood pressure increases in high-stress individuals (ie people more susceptible to biological changes when stressed)
🔹️This can contains 80 mg caffeine (as much as Red Bull) BUT…
🔹️ the Academy of Pediatrics says people <18 can have UP TO 100 mg caffeine per day.
🔹️With 34% juice, only 11 grams of sugar, and caffeine from green tea extract, this is one of the BEST healthy alternatives!
🔹️See V8 Energy Drink of the Month http://bit.ly/2p5yykZ

Let’s connect!

Taurine and the Heart – Book Excerpt of the Week 

Taurine and the Heart – Book Excerpt of the Week 

greeneyedguide

The Book Excerpt of the Week deals with TAURINE. This is a very common energy drink ingredients, but have you ever wondered what it does?

In my book, I review the What It Is/What It Does/How Much Do I Need for the most common energy drink ingredients. Taurine has multiple functions (see last week’s excerpt). One of the things it does is control ion balances (ions like sodium, potassium, calcium).

Taurine can help with bloating because taurine helps the body restore the ideal balance of sodium and potassium, reducing water retention. Taurine also helps restore the balance of calcium ions inside heart muscle cells. Calcium imbalances can lead to cell death and heart muscle damage.
Does this mean an energy drink is good for the heart? No. An energy drink contains many ingredients, so the functions of all those ingredients has to be considered.

Get your copy of “Are You a Monster or a Rock Star-A Guide to Energy Drinks: How They Work, Why They Work, How to Use Them Safely” at http://amzn.to/2bjHRbk

GreenEyedGuide Caffeine Challenge Day 9/10 – Fatigue Level 2 and Benefits of Tea vs Caffeine

GreenEyedGuide Caffeine Challenge Day 9/10 – Fatigue Level 2 and Benefits of Tea vs Caffeine

greeneyedguide

For the 2nd-to-last day of the GreenEyedGuide Caffeine Challenge, we talk about FATIGUE LEVEL 2 and the benefits of GREEN TEA vs benefits of CAFFEINE.

Fatigue Level 2 is one of my favorite levels because there are so many great, healthy options – there are so many caffeinated beverages that don’t even seem like energy drinks because they are fueled by green tea, green coffee beans, or coffeeberry/coffee fruit.
See https://greeneyedguide.com/tag/fatigue-level-2 for examples

Through this challenge, you’ll learn how to use the 5 Levels of Fatigue to reap the benefits of caffeine while avoiding addiction, dependence, tolerance, and toxicity.

***PLAY ALONG-share your favorite “energy drink in disguise” or Fatigue Level 2 product on Instagram/ Facebook/Twitter and tag @GreenEyedGuide, or add your pictures to the Caffeine Challenge Event page at Facebook.com/GreenEyedGuide/events

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Review the entire ENERGY DRINK OF THE MONTH SERIES

Caffeine-Taurine Interactions, Husky puppies and emergency breaks — Book Excerpt of the Week 

Caffeine-Taurine Interactions, Husky puppies and emergency breaks — Book Excerpt of the Week 

greeneyedguide

Ever wonder whether there’s an interaction between caffeine and taurine? Caffeine and taurine both influence something called angiotensin II, which raises blood pressure. Caffeine augments the action of angiotensin II, but taurine tones it down [source: European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Food, 2003].

So what happens to your blood pressure and heart rate when you consume an energy drink with caffeine and taurine? How do these two ingredients work with each other?

In one study, a drink with 80mg caffeine and 1,000mg taurine increased blood pressure and heart rate of the study participants. On the seventh straight day of the study, heart rate increased by 11% after consuming the drink. However there were no significant electrocardiogram (EKG) changes. It’s worth repeating that you should LIMIT CAFFEINE if you have heart or blood pressure conditions.

  • This study also suggests you shouldn’t have an energy drink every single day… (#moderation!)

Maybe taurine keeps the heart rate from escalating further, but it’s hard to say because this study wasn’t blind or placeo controlled, and there was no taurine-free caffeinated drink to compare the results against.

Caffeine-Taurine interaction remains questionable and unproven.

What do energy drinks, aspirin, and multivitamins have in common? Book Excerpt of the Week

What do energy drinks, aspirin, and multivitamins have in common? Book Excerpt of the Week

greeneyedguide

You wouldn’t eat 5 multivitamins or take 10 aspirin a day because that could make you sick. How frequently you consume an energy drink is just as important to your safety. There are many energy drinks* that are not bad for your health nor dangerous if consumed in moderation.

[*And then there are caffeinated supplements, including powder pre-workout supplements and liquid drinks like REDLINE that have so much caffeine  per serving they are dangerous/too caffeinated even when consumed as directed]

This Book Excerpt of the Week comes from PART ONE: ABCs of Caffeine Safety, C= Consumption Specifics.

For more information, check out “Are You a Monster or a Rock Star-A Guide to Energy Drinks: HowThey Work, Why They Work, How to Use Them Safely”, available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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