
OK… just in case there was any doubt that energy drinks are some of the most dangerous so-called foods, here’s a reality check.
A published medical report from June 2011 confirmed that “the development of acute hepatitis in this [22-year-old woman] was most likely due to the excessive ingestion of the 5-hour energy drink.”
Wow… Like we did, you’d probably assume heart palpitations, sweating, and other symptoms of caffeine overload — but hepatitis?
Granted, the woman who developed hepatitis had been drinking a lot of these energy drinks.
But even just one is too much sugar!
Sugar is vicious to the immune system and energy drinks have a lot of the stuff.
To illustrate the point, web writer Grace Nasri compared the sugar content of 10 energy drink brands to common junk food equivalents:
- Red Eye (11 fl oz) = 24 Dunkin’ Donuts Plain Cake Munchkins (48.5 g sugar)
- Rockstar (16 fl oz) = 4.5 McDonald’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (62 g sugar – the worst!)
- AMP Energy (16 fl oz) = 6 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Donuts (58 g sugar)
- Full Throttle (16 fl oz) = 11.5 Peet’s Coffee & Tea Butter Croissants (58 g sugar)
- Demon (17 fl oz) = 3 Almond Joy candy bars (60 g sugar)
- Fortify Energy Plus (14.5 fl oz) = 2.5 Starbucks Morning Buns (50 g sugar)
- Samedi (17 fl oz) = 3.5 Dunkin Donuts Cheese Danishes (57 g sugar)
- Red Bull (16.8 fl oz) = 3.5 Reese’s Crispy Crunchy bars (54 g sugar)
- Mother (17 fl oz) = 3.5 Dunkin Donuts Bow Tie Donuts (52 g sugar)
- Monster M80 (16 fl oz) = 11.5 Krispy Kreme Apple Fritter Donuts (46 g sugar)
For the record, any two of these drinks combined will 100% disable your immune system for half a day. Sick.
Want a real boost? Forget the caffeine and sugar and try a whole foods, plant-based diet.
You’ll have more energy than you know what to do with.
[quote]What gives you an energy boost? Comment below![/quote]
My main energy boost during our years of long-distance bike rides has been a banana–when I am bonking it lifts and revives me. Of course if I am dehydrating, a good clean glass of water. Lately though, at home I reach for a big fresh orange!