Energy Drinks: Possible Benefits and Risks - Essay Example

ENERGY DRINKS; POSSIBLE HEALTH BENEFITS AND RISKS Introduction Many young and old people in the world today use a lotof energy giving drinks. The sector producing the sports and energy drinks is very big and is doing a lot of marketing to promote their sales. Common consumers of energy drinks are high school students, college students, University students, and sportsmen. It is so because most these are the institutions where most sports people are (Gunja 2012, p.48). These drinks are known to have many different health risks as well as benefits to those who use them. Sports drinks include all the beverages having food and mineral elements like; carbohydrates, minerals, electrolytes or even vitamins. The difference between sports drinks and energy drinks lies in their contents. Sports drinks have energy giving elements in them while energy drinks have stimulants. These stimulants include caffeine and guarana, which can change the functioning of the human body. Johnson (2014, p.377) notes that both the sports and energy drinks have carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins, sodium, proteins, and other minerals. Possible Benefits Energy drinks and sports drinks are associated with a number of benefits. Sports are always associated with using a lot of energy; so many sports people may require a lot of energy drinks. When they are being promoted during marketing, their sellers say how good they are to consumers. Some say how these drinks can improve the performance of sportsmen. They also say that they can remove fatigue and increase concentration or keenness. Some sellers also claim these drinks can replace the electrolytes that are lost when a person is sweating. Sports and energy drinks are usually sold mostly to the young people. The reason is that it is the youths who use them quite often. They use them a lot because they take part in many hard activities that require much energy. These drinks are used by different people in different ways. These energy drinks are made of various components. The components are; water, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals amino acids/ protein caffeine, guarana, electrolytes and other stimulants. Water helps in giving the body the hydration it requires to operate normally. When a person is active and is using a lot of energy, thermoregulation is increased (Burrow 2013, p.141). He or she will need water to help in cooling and hydrating their bodies. Carbohydrates give energy to the consumers, but only if taken with other nutrients. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids/ and proteins are so good for the human body. Sports drinks and energy drinks are therefore, beneficial if used in the ways discussed above. Health Risks Sports drinks and energy drinks can be associated with very many health risks and complications. Most sports and energy drinks have too much sugar content. The manufacturers also add citric acid to these drinks, which makes them so erosive. Some of these drinks can ‘demineralize’ the enamel even after the pH has been neutralized. Arria (2011, p.601) observes that majority of these sports and energy drinks are made up of a pH ranging from 3 to 4, which ‘demineralize’ the enamel. According to Gunja (2012, p.46), cases of dental erosions due to drinking the sports and energy drinks are so many among young people. They erode the enamel of the majority of young adolescents. Misusing energy drinks and sports drinks for may cause ingestion of deadly amounts of caffeine or other stimulant substances. Many sportsmen and young adolescents take energy and sports drinks to fight tiredness or to boost energy during sports (Gunja 2012, p.47). Most marketers of energy drinks aim at convincing the young adolescents by confusing them with the messages in the advertisements. As a result, these young people cannot separate between the bad and useful sports and energy drinks. They are also unable to tell the sources of energy and the amount that is fit for children and grownups. Since they have a lot of sugar, the energy drinks and sports drinks can cause overweight and obesity even to the children. Some have high fat with little calcium and vitamin D. These are not good for young people. Peoples should be informed about the importance of avoiding caffeinated drinks. Caffeine, guarana, electrolytes and other stimulants are not healthy to the human body as they change the normal functioning of the body. Sugary energy drinks can injure their bodies. Where possible, the government should put strict rules to reduce the sale and consumption of these drinks in schools. Caution should be put when one is choosing the best drink to use. Some drinks have a lot of sugar; others have a lot of stimulants while others have a lot of calories. People also need to be careful about the best time to take the drink also, for example; some drinks are best taken before a hard activity, others during the hard activity and others after the hard activity (Reissig 2009, p.7). If these issues are not considered, the consumers of these energy drinks and sports drinks may suffer from the effects of too much sugar like diabetes. It may also promote dental erosion and increase in weight. All pediatricians are expected to have the right information about the correct steps to take when giving these drinks to the users. The users who often fall under their department are mostly sportsmen and children and adolescents. They should teach their clients (children and adolescents) more about sports drinks and energy drinks (Schneider 2011, p.1183). If their clients get to know about the two drinks, they will also know the risks that they can bring to their bodies and health. All people who like energy drinks and even those who depend on them for performance in sports should know that these drinks can be very harmful to their health. Schneider (2011, p.1184) also notes that these energy drinks and sports drinks are not good for children and young adolescents. Their bodies are naturally strong, and they should never be given these drinks. Stimulants are only needed by weak or sick people. People should try taking more water as a drink than all the other drinks. The energy drinks are all made out of water and contain harmful elements and chemicals. If the sports drinks and energy drinks are used badly, they can be so harmful as discussed above. Conclusion In conclusion, sports drinks include all the beverages having food and mineral elements like; carbohydrates, minerals, electrolytes or even vitamins. Common consumers of energy drinks are high school students, college students, University students, and sportsmen. Where possible, the government should put strict rules to reduce the sale and consumption of these drinks in schools. Everybody should try taking more water as a drink than all the other drinks. The energy drinks are all made out of water and contain harmful elements and chemicals. Drinking a lot of fresh water is the best way of avoiding the health problems coming from the sports and energy drinks. Bibliography Arria, A, M, 2011, The "high" risk of energy drinks. JAMA, volume 305/ issue 6/ pages 600-601. Burrow, T, 2013, What are the implications associated with consumption of energy drinks? A systematic review. Nutrition Reviews, Volume 71/ issue 3/pages 135-148. Gunja, N, 2012, Energy drinks: health risks and toxicity. Medical Journal of Australia, volume 196/ issue 1/ pages 46-49. Johnson, L, A, 2014, Energy drinks: a review of performance benefits, health concerns, and use by military personnel. Military Medicine, volume 179/ issue 4/ pages 375-380. Reissig, C, J, 2009, Caffeinated energy drinks: a growing problem. Drug and alcohol dependence, volume 99/ issue 1/ pages 1-10. Schneider, M, B, 2011, Sports drinks and energy drinks for children: are they appropriate? Pediatrics, Volume 127/ Issue 6/ pages 1182-1186. Read More