The Ingredients Of Energy Drinks

Energy drinks are popular sources of short-term boost in energy. Ever wondered about their ingredients?
Nowadays, energy drinks have become common choice of beverages. Sugar and caffeine are the two major ingredients in energy drinks. The ingredients are legal, and are added to give an instant energy boost. What are these drinks made of? How can you get charged up right away after drinking them? These drinks are commonly known as soft drinks. Let us discuss the food ingredients of energy drinks.
Acai Berry
Acai berry is another ingredient added to energy drinks, and is a rich source of antioxidants. The Acai Berry palm trees are usually seen in South America.
Caffeine
Most energy drinks contain caffeine as a main ingredient. The medical name of caffeine is trimethylxanthine. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and increases the heart rate. It also acts as a mild diuretic (increases urine production in the body). Caffeine stimulates the human brain and is addictive.
Creatine
This is an ingredient in many energy drinks and in products which are specially made for body building.
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo Biloba comes from a rare tree and is an anti-depressant. This ingredient increases concentration and blood circulation in the body. However, if this ingredient is consumed when you are already on anti-depressant medicines, it has major side-effects on the body. These side effects include diarrhea, palpitation and headache.
Ginseng
Ginseng is a herb which increases the energy levels in the human body. It has anti-fatigue components that help to reduce stress. Ginseng is said to stimulate the nervous system to increase the overall stamina of the body and increase the secretion of hormones in the body. There are some adverse side-effects of Ginseng on the human body. These effects are headache and diarrhea which are likely to happen if Ginseng is consumed along with caffeine.
Guarana
Guarana is a major source of caffeine and is a climbing plant. The seeds of the fruits of Guarana has three times more caffeine than that contained in the coffee beans. It is commonly used and increases the metabolic rate of the human body and helps in reducing weight.
Sugars
Sugars are the source of glucose for the human body and is the major ingredient in energy drinks. Carbohydrates is an essential requirement of the human body which helps maintain the body functions. Glucose is used up by the body to perform digestion, breathing and in exercises, like, cycling, walking and swimming. It is harmful for people suffering from diabetes.
Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid which increases the effect of caffeine. Taurine is also an effective cardiac stimulator. This amino acid is naturally secreted by the human body which regulates the heart rate, muscle contractions and energy levels of the body.
Vitamins
Inositol is a classified member of the Vitamin B complex and is said to increase the immunity of the body. Antioxidants are the scavengers of free radicals and Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant.
Many people indulge in mixing the energy drinks with alcohol. This has dangerous side-effects on the body. Excessive intake of these beverages is also harmful for the human body. Caffeine when consumed in large quantities has adverse effects on the body. It leads to increase the urine production of the kidneys which causes dehydration. Insomnia and anxiety attacks are the adverse effects of excessive caffeine intake. Excessive sugar in these drinks is harmful for the people suffering from diabetes. Sugar and caffeine are the active ingredients in energy drinks. Some of these chinafooding ingredients do not provide essential nutrients to the body.