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.”
Furthermore, the study found that long-term energy drink consumption, whether sugar-free or not, results in elevated blood glucose and bad fats (triglycerides), both of which are common features of diabetes.
It also increased body fat without any changes in weight and contributed to chronic fatigue syndrome. A recent study by Australian researcher Liam T. Graneri on mice proves that consuming both standard and sugar-free forms of energy drinks includes metabolic syndrome particularly insulin resistance which plays a common role in weight gain.
In conclusion, sugar-free drinks containing artificial sweeteners can have less or no impact on saving our body from weight gain and fat stimulation, which can result in type 2 diabetes and lack of energy in the long run.
And do you know that artificial sugar found in the said “sugar-free” drinks is the main and substitute ingredient in sugar-free drinks that result in obesity? Let’s have a look at the role of artificial sugar in these drinks and its impact on weight gain.
How artificial sugar found in sugar-free drinks leads to weight gain? 
Artificial sweeteners disturb the body's functional ability to count calories and as a result, end up causing weight gain and obesity rather than weight loss.
According to Susan Swithers, a professor of behavioral neuroscience at Purdue University in West Lafayette, studies following people who regularly consume diet soft drinks over time have found that those people are at higher risk for weight gain and obesity than people who don't drink sodas at all.
Apart from weight gain and diabetes, energy drinks do have many more side effects that can have several negative impacts on our biological as well as psychological and social health. Although the major harm is caused by high caffeine and sugar, there are other ingredients in energy drinks that must be avoided to lead a healthier lifestyle. But what exactly happens when you consume an energy drink? Which parts of your body are directly impacted by it? I think it’s time to find out!
How do energy drinks impact your body?
In 2014, the World Health Organization labeled energy drinks as a “danger to public health” which led to a website called Personalise.co.uk developing an infographic that shows the impact of energy drinks on the body after 24 hours of consumption.
The infographic highlighted that within 10 minutes of consuming an energy drink, caffeine enters the bloodstream increasing heart rate and blood pressure simultaneously. And soon, in nearly 15-45 minutes the caffeine level works its best in the bloodstream making the person highly alert and focused. And after the caffeine is fully absorbed within 30-50 minutes, more sugar is soaked up in the bloodstream by the liver.
This is the main play of energy drinks providing energy to our body. After this, the energy drink is nothing more than a lethal villain in our bodies. After an hour the caffeine and sugar levels will neutralize and a person will start feeling tired. After 5-6 hours the body experiences a 50% reduction in caffeine and within 12 hours caffeine completely exits the body.
And lastly, after 12-24 hours, this entire process is followed by caffeine withdrawal which causes headaches, irritability, and constipation.
Not just weight gain, energy drinks can lead to serious health conditions! 
We’ve already talked about the effect of energy drinks on weight gain, but the side effects of these drinks aren't limited to just that. There are a number of studies that show energy drinks have a severe negative impact on our health. Medical News Today, a 2013 study reported that energy drinks change the heart function of healthy adults. Another study also highlighted a connection between energy drinks and smoking.
The high amount of caffeine in energy drinks is responsible for increased heart rate, high blood pressure along heart palpitations. Other conditions such as insomnia, restlessness, and dehydration are also caused by caffeine found in almost all energy drinks.
While it’s time to get rid of all the energy drinks in your house and from your life, there are many healthier options to treat fatigue and tiredness. Enerzal powder being a sustainable and instant source of energy, can be very helpful and also healthy. It is a balanced energy drink with an appropriate amount of sugar. There are energy tablets that treat lack of energy in a healthy way. Ginseng is also used to improve energy levels thereby also reducing stress, fatigue, and anxiety linked with cancer.
References:
https://news.curtin.edu.au/media-releases/mouse-studies-find-sugar-free-energy-drinks-just-as-harmful/
https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/14154
https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20130710/could-artificial-sweeteners-cause-weight-gain
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bdr2.1177
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/298202#Caffeine-withdrawal-may-occur-12-24-hours-after-consumption
https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/nutrition/risks-of-energy-drinks
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Content Credit: Aayush Kundnani
