Energy Drinks: Connection to Weight Gain
In the modern-day world, capitalism has a wide range of products to offer, and sometimes the price of these products is far more than money. Sometimes these products may cost us our health, feelings, moral values, time and much more.
In this article, we will try to have a deep insight and penetration of one such thing which is widely known and used as "Energy drinks" and how exactly they harm you.
Energy drinks are basically those drinks that contain stimulant compounds, usually caffeine, which are marketed as providing mental and physical stimulation. Although marketed as "energy", they are distinct from food energy. Energy drinks are produced by multi-billion dollar companies having customers throughout the globe. Various brands of energy drinks are some subjects of marketing and advertisement and are widely consumed by young blood. And apart from acting as a temporary energy booster, these drinks contribute to a lot of other problems to our body, weight gain being on top!
How do energy drinks cause weight gain?
Almost all the energy drinks available as tins and powder packets have sugar and caffeine as their main ingredients. A nutritional comparison shows that a 12-ounce energy drink contains about 41 grams of sugar. Consuming high-sugar drinks of any kind has been linked to weight gain and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and gout, according to research.
Because of the high sugar and stimulant content, there is fear that these beverages will be ineffective, if not dangerous, to adolescents and persons with specific health issues.
Energy drinks vary by calories and sugar content according to their brand and by serving size. According to the USDA, a 16-ounce serving of the popular energy drink contains 212 calories and more than 50 grams of sugar and an 8-ounce serving of a famous energy drink contains 110 calories and 27 grams of sugar.
According to the World Health Organization, the calories in sugar-sweetened drinks like energy drinks often have little nutritional value. Additionally, sugar-sweetened drinks often do little to curb your appetite, meaning you may still be hungry after drinking one. This can lead to the consumption of more calories and ultimately gain weight. And in the long run, you’ll experience more fatigue and tiredness all the time.
But what about "sugar-free" energy drinks?
According to recent studies and research activities, the label of "sugar-free drinks" has very little or no impact on minimizing the negative side effects of energy drinks.
Associate professor from Curtin University Dr. Takechi writes, “What was particularly noteworthy here was that we found that sugar-free energy drinks similarly caused metabolic syndrome and elevated blood glucose and cholesterol in mouse models at comparable levels to normal energy drinks.”