Tag: vitamins in energy drinks

Thiamin and Carbohydrate Metabolism – Book Excerpt of the Week

Thiamin and Carbohydrate Metabolism – Book Excerpt of the Week

greeneyedguide

Last week we talked about how some energy drinks have B-vitamins, but not all B-vitamins are relevant to the way the body generates energy. If the B-vitamins were the Avengers, then Thiamin would definitely be one of the strongest members. Thiamin is a crucial part of how the body turns glucose into energy.

20170522_090528.jpg

Glucose is the most basic unit of a carbohydrate and the preferred fuel for the body. As a glucose molecule is broken down to release energy it must become a molecule/metabolite named pyruvate. Thiamin (as its coenzyme form, thiamin pyrophosphate or TPP) keeps that enzyme humming like a well-oiled machine. So without sufficient thiamin, carbohydrate metabolism screeches to a halt. Thiamin as TPP participates in the metabolism of fat, protein, and nucleic acids, but it’s carbohydrate metabolism that’s first to go haywire with a thiamin deficiency.

Stay tuned as we look at other B-vitamins in our page-by-page tour through my book on the science of energy drinks and their ingredients.

Let’s connect!

 

 

Thiamin (vitamin B1), the Avengers, and Beriberi – Book Excerpt of the Week

Thiamin (vitamin B1), the Avengers, and Beriberi – Book Excerpt of the Week

greeneyedguide

Energy drinks are often referred to as “concoctions of sugar, caffeine, and B-vitamins”, but some B-vitamins aren’t considered essential or even relevant to energy levels. Obviously they’re all essential to life, but if the B-vitamins were all members of the Avengers, would you know which B-vitamin is like Hulk and which is more like Hawkeye?

2c456e31e21c88472a61175cf4596d09

Many vitamins are discovered as “That thing that keeps (something bad) from happening.” In the case of thiamin, the bad thing is a disease called beriberi.

beriberi

There are two kinds of beriberi: wet and dry. A diet high in carbohydrates, combined with strenuous physical exertion can use up a significant amount of thiamin, leading to wet beriberi. Insufficient energy from food and inactivity are associated with dry beriberi. Wet beriberi includes an enlarged heart and buildup of excess fluid in intracellular spaces (called “edema”). Dry beriberi includes muscle wasting in addition to impaired sensory, motor, and reflex functions (called “peripheral neuropathy”).

With this book excerpt, you might come to the conclusion that “people are lethargic without thiamin”. While this is true, it’s also misleading.

Thiamin does not give people energy. It’s more of a facilitator than fuel.

Thiamin participates in the metabolism of fat, protein, nucleic acids, and especially carbohydrates. That’s why carbohydrate metabolism is the first to go haywire with thiamin deficiency.

Thiamin is definitely a major player in the B-vitamin Avenger squad, but we’ll get into  (the nerdy, biochemical bits on) WHAT THIAMIN DOES next week as we continue our page by page tour through my book on the science of energy drinks and their ingredients.

Let’s connect!

 

 

B-vitamin discovery – Book Excerpt of the Week

B-vitamin discovery – Book Excerpt of the Week

greeneyedguide

Vitamin B (singular) was discovered in 1897 as THE THING that prevented the disease Beriberi. It wasn’t until 1911 that someone discovered THE THING was not ONE vitamin, but a CLUSTER (or a “complex”) of vitamins.

The Book Excerpt of the Week comes from the “B-vitamins” chapter of Part Three: How Do They Work.

IMG_20170509_081905_375

The B-vitamins are similar in how they work: almost all off them help enzymes in our body, and those enzymes are like little machines that get important stuff done (like metabolizing things, building DNA, and much more).

In the coming weeks we’ll talk about what each of the B-vitamins do, and how much you should consume (versus how much is in sports supplements and energy drinks).

Stay tuned for next week’s book excerpt as we move page by page through my book on the science of energy drinks.

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” from Amazon and wherever books are sold.

AUDIO BOOK IN PRODUCTION!!! Visit Patreon.com/greeneyedguide

—————————————–

Let’s connect!

GreenEyedGuide Caffeine Challenge Day 10/10 – 10 Tips for Label Reading

GreenEyedGuide Caffeine Challenge Day 10/10 – 10 Tips for Label Reading

greeneyedguide

For the 10th and final day of the GreenEyedGuide Caffeine Challenge we review the 10 things on a label to check before consuming a caffeinated beverage or other health/functional beverage.

Thank you for playing along with the Caffeine Challenge! You can always share your favorite caffeinated beverages with me on Instagram/ Facebook/Twitter and tag @GreenEyedGuide.

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.

The Missing Piece – Book Excerpt of the Week 

The Missing Piece – Book Excerpt of the Week 

greeneyedguide

​Whether the other ingredients in an energy drink accentuate the caffeine boost also depends on whether the consumer is missing anything. 

If someone eats a well-balanced diet and doesn’t limit their food choices to 1 or 2 food groups, they probably get enough vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to make the extra ingredients in an energy drink irrelevant. 

Taurine is naturally found in meat, so if you regularly eat meat, getting more taurine with your caffeinated drink won’t really affect you. The same goes for VITAMINS – HOPEFULLY you’re getting enough through food but IF YOU’RE NOT, the extra doses of vitamins can boost the effects you feel from the caffeine. 

Get your copy of my book on Amazon and wherever books are sold: http://amzn.to/2bjHRbk