Energy Drinks and Bars- Best and Worst

Today’s Re-Powering Information - The following is from an article about the best and worst Energy Drinks and Bars. I usually get asked which bars or drinks I recommend and I also see them on the food logs so I wanted to arm you with ammunition to make the best choices – w which is always real food first! Notice there is a drink called cocaine – scary!!!



XS Gold



According to company partner Scott Coon, XS Blast was the first to focus on energy drink flavors, and first to create a sugar-free category. This drink has low calories, low carbs and the caffeine-free version has more vitamin C per ounce than a serving of orange juice. (8.4 oz.)





Electrifire



Using agave nectar as a sweetener, Electrifire has a large selection of natural juices for flavor, including cranberry, pomegranate, passion fruit, lime, orange and aronia berry. Designed to energize your entire body, this two-ounce energy drink also has water-soluble plant nutrients for cell repair. (2 oz.)



On Go



Although this one comes in a two-ounce shot bottle, it easily has the same effect as a full-sized energy drink, On Go has no carbs, only 8 calories and tons of vitamins B6 and B12. Vitamin B6 is a key building block of proteins and extra B12 has been shown to increase energy levels. (2 oz.)



Steaz Energy



This drink needs no frills because the product speaks for itself. With ingredients like Ceylon green tea, which has a fuller and stronger taste, and yerba mate, a refreshing alternative to coffee, it’s no wonder Steaz has organic and fair trade labels. Steaz is also sweetened with evaporated cane juice and stevia in their diet line. (12 oz.)





Active Ingredient: Guarana



More than 4,000 miles south of here, a Brazilian miner is taking a break to sip the most important beverage of the day. Guarana, specifically the fruit’s seeds of this climbing plant, is highly regarded as both a medicinal tonic and potent stimulant. Although the former claim lacks evidence, South Americans obtain the majority of their caffeine from guarana.



In Brazil, workers carry lumps of guarana in their pockets and grate it with a fish bone into water for a quick pick-me-up. You can easily find soft drinks, energy shots, herbal tea and supplements with ample amounts of the revitalizing supplement.



Guarana seeds contain more than twice the amount of caffeine found in coffee beans: Up to 7.5 percent of the seed contains the stimulant compared to the 1 to 2 percent concentration found in a bean of your house blend. In addition to keeping you awake, the tannins in guarana have been known to support weight-loss and enhance cognition. Although clinical research is still in its infancy, a Journal of Psychopharmacology study found that guarana likely improves memory, mood and alertness at lower doses.



Unlike coffee, the amount of caffeine doesn’t have to be listed on potentially potent guarana drinks making it easier to get to that danger zone of caffeine intoxication. Anecdotal reports, including a review in the Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy, have linked guarana to anxiety, heart rhythm abnormalities and even chest pain.







Hi Ball



As the self-proclaimed “World’s First Sparkling Energy Drink,” HiBall certainly lives up to the title with no sugar, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives. The taste is crisp and the energy is simple, with 75 milligrams of natural caffeine. (10 oz.)



Enviga



Past hype surrounding this energy drink has given it the image of a magical calorie burner. Although evidence on this remains sketchy, Enviga Green Tea is still a good choice for boosting energy and antioxidant levels. It has virtually no calories and contains 20 percent of your calcium RDA. (12 oz.)



Eiro



This Dallas-based company, dedicated to researching nutritional products, wanted to create a drink with natural caffeine sources. Eiro has guarana, green tea, ginko biloba and ginseng. It has no taurine, refined sugars or preservatives, giving it a leg up in providing sustainable energy. (8.4 oz.)



Wheyup



With 22 grams of whey protein in every can, This is a choice drink for bodybuilders. Low carbs (9 grams) and no sugar also make it ideal for losing weight. Whey protein increases lean muscle mass and has tons of daily amino acids. (16 oz.)



Vida Tea



This sparkling tea has a combination of three green teas and is sweetened with agave nectar. Agave is absorbed into the body without an insulin spike, so it’s a safer option for diabetics. At the World Tea Expo, VidaTea was named “Best Tea” in the Sweetened Green Tea category. (12 oz.)





Sea2O



As the title claims, this drink is totally organic and contains no caffeine. Sea2o gives you energy with agave nectar, a natural organic sugar with low impact on blood sugar and an exceptionally low glycemic index. It’s an ideal energy drink for diabetics. (10.5 oz.)









Verve



Verve has a combination of green tea, aloe and mangosteen fruit, giving it a distinct flavor. Like most of these healthier options, Verve has antioxidants like Xanthones that help fight fatigue and depression. (8.3 oz.)





LIVE



It’s pretty hard to find reasons not to LIVE with this energy drink. Featuring flavors like green tea and acai berry, LIVE is naturally sweetened with evaporated organic sugar cane juice, rather than artificial sugars, colors and preservatives. The company even donates 50 percent of your purchase to a handful of charities. (12 oz.)





FRS

(Elissa gave me this stuff and it is pretty good)



FRS stands for Free Radical Scavenger which is a term for antioxidant. The special patented formula of quercetin is designed to give you a more sustainable source of energy. Quercetin is difficult to find as a single ingredient, unless you eat 40 apples. FRS is also endorsed by Lance Armstrong. (11.5 oz.)





Active Ingredient: Caffeine



It’s in your morning latte, your afternoon tea and even your chocolately midnight snack. Consumed daily by more than 80 percent of people in America, caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive substance in the world. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, the heart and the respiratory system within an hour or less of consumption.



This stimulant acts just as it sounds and mimics the effect of epinephrine — yep, that’s adrenaline. Your heart rate will jump up, your systolic blood pressure will increase and you’ll temporarily rev up your metabolism. Thank the molecular breakdown of caffeine for this revitalization and other welcomed effects such as the breakdown of fat storage, blood vessel dilation and bronchi relaxation. In fact, this metabolic product — theophylline — is often used in asthma medication.



Medical evidence has continued to affirm caffeine’s high-octane effects: A recent study from the University of Chicago indicates that your Starbucks fix might be the reason you have become that cheerful morning person. The research shows that caffeine not only wakes you up but also positively influences mood and cognition. They also found it improves subjective well-being and behavioral performance, so you’re better able to deal with obnoxious drivers on your morning commute.



Caffeine is the real deal when it comes to boosting your energy but daily consumption, even at low doses, can quickly produce dependence and withdrawal symptoms including pounding headaches and insomnia. Never consume more than 300 milligrams a day as you quickly enter into the dangerous territory of caffeine intoxication.







Sobe No Fear



Ignore the name and be very afraid of this high fructose corn syrup-laden drink. The high levels of sugar (66 grams) and caffeine (174 milligrams) are unsettling enough, but at 260 calories per can, a few too many and you’ll be fearing the size of your thighs. (20 oz.)



Gatorade



If you’re looking for electrolytes, don’t reach for a Gatorade. Instead you’ll get 200 calories per 32 fluid ounces. It’s also packed with high fructose corn syrup. Try the leaner version of Gatorade (G2), SmartWater or a glass of good old H2O and a banana for electrolytes. (32 oz.)



AMP



One 16-ounce can contains 11 percent of your day’s calories and more sugar than four scoops of peanut butter cup ice cream. Amp also contains aspartame, the non-nutritive sweetener that has brought more than 30 years of health controversy. Aspartame dissolves into solution, and can therefore travel throughout the body and deposit within any tissue. (16 oz.)



Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino



Anyone who has read “Eat This, Not That: Supermarket Survival Guide” knows that one 13.7-ounce bottle is the sugar equivalent of a three-scoop bowl of double fudge brownie ice cream. With that much sugar, expect an afternoon crash and burn. (9.5 oz.)



Sobe Energy (Power)



One bottle has more than 250 calories, 35 milligrams of sodium and 70 grams of sugar. When you add it up, that’s nearly double the sugar found in a can of Coke. Sobe is so not worth the extra pounds of fat you could gain. (20 oz.)



Full Throttle



This Coca-Cola product has 220 calories and more than 50 grams of high fructose corn syrup. It’s basically Coke on steroids. Today we consume twice as many calories as we did 30 years ago. If you just cut down to water, seltzer, unsweetened coffee or tea one day a week, you could lose around seven pounds a year. (8 oz.)



Cocaine



This drink has three and a half times more caffeine than a can of Red Bull. And it only holds 8.4 fluid ounces. Small amounts of caffeine can go a long way, but having too much can pose a whole slew of threats to your body. Sometimes less is more. (8.4 oz.)





Red Bull



Not only was Sugar-Free Red Bull shown to give a healthy person the same blood consistency as someone with heart disease, but traces of cocaine were found in some cans of the newer Red Bull Cola. Believe it or not, Red Bull is still not the worst on our list, but these qualities definitely don’t give it five stars. (12 oz.)





Rockstar Original



With 62 grams of sugar in the popular double-size can, you might as well be drinking chocolate Rice Krispies. Americans should only consume about 40 grams of sugar a day. Combined with the 160 milligrams of caffeine, it may be a quick fix, but it won’t sustain you through the day. (16 oz.)





Monster Energy



Though Monster has a few desirable ingredients, such as ginseng root and guarana seed extract, it still gives you a clockwork crash. If you read the label carefully, it says “Serving Size 2” on one can. A total of 54 grams of carbs, sugar and 200 calories means a lot of extra time on the stationary bike. (8.3 oz.)







Active Ingredient: Taurine



The 1,000 milligrams found in one serving of Red Bull has been touted to combat mental and physical fatigue but it appears the energy drink does little to give you wings. Outside of its role as a sham energy supplement, the amino acid taurine is found naturally in meat and fish. The manufacturers of Red Bull claim that the body’s taurine production declines with extreme physical exertion but no research has yet indicated that this can be remedied by chugging a can of the drink.



What we do know about the role of taurine in the body is that it is found in skeletal muscle, the heart and the nervous system. It’s a bonafide multi-tasker: Taurine is important for efficient metabolism, stabilizing cell membranes, generating nerve impulses and it even appears to work as an antioxidant.



And while it may not zap you out of your 4 o’clock drowsiness, taurine supplementation appears to not only be safe in moderation but also medicinal. It has been used to treat epilepsy via its anti-convulsant role as a nerve cell membrane stabilizer. In Japan, taurine is often administered to treat ischemic heart disease and certain heart arrhythmias.



Although up to 3,000 milligrams of taurine (that’s three servings of Red Bull) are considered safe, little is known about the effects of heavy or long-term use — except of course that it won’t give you wings.







Luna (Clif) Caramel Nut Brownie

At a mere 180 calories, Luna — the Clif bar for women — boasts the highest amount of calcium (35 percent of your Recommended Daily Allowance or RDA) and iron (30 percent RDA) compared to all the bars we examined. It’s also chock full of antioxidants including vitamins C and E, green tea extract and selenium. (per 48g bar)





Kashi GoLean Roll Caramel Peanut



With nearly 25 percent of your fiber RDA, this whole grain bar is far from tasting like cardboard. This Kashi GoLean snack also contains 12 grams of protein from natural sources like peanuts and soy to keep your stomach growls at bay. (per 55g bar)





Zone Perfect Peanut Toffee



No need to take a multivitamin when you have a yummy Zone Perfect on hand. With more than 12 vitamins and minerals, a great taste and 14 grams of protein on board, this one will be sure to keep you fuller and more glycemically-balanced than most other bars. (per 50g bar)







Larabar Ginger Snap

Comforting just like the ginger snaps you grew up on; this ginger-filled Larabar is both tasty and soothing on the stomach. Since it contains no sodium, gluten, dairy or soy, you’ll be able to enjoy this fiber-packed treat without any worries. (per 51g bar)







Pure Bar Cranberry Orange Bar



This organic snack contains the shortest ingredient list by far and is sweetened 100 percent naturally by fruit and agave nectar. The Pure Bar’s exotic flavor is combined with walnuts, cashews and almonds to keep you full while fighting free radicals and heart disease. (per 48g bar)





Boundless Oatmega Dark Chocolate Mint



This tasty number — 190 calories to be exact — is an organic, protein-packed snack created here in Austin. Not only is it low in sugar, but all Boundless Oatmega bars contain heart-healthy ingredients such as green tea, omega-3 fatty acids and sea salt. (per 50g bar)





Powerbar: Energize Blast Berry Smoothie



The full flavor of this Powerbar comes at the expense of more than 200 calories, 24 grams of sugar and 180 milligrams of sodium. And with less than one gram of fiber, you’ll be lacking an extra movement beyond your morning jog. (per 56g bar)





Apex



This Apex bar truly is the pinnacle of a poor ingredient list. Among the first four are corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup and sugar. The 20 grams of sugar are therefore no surprise, but the 18 percent of your RDA for saturated fat and the mere one percent of potassium is sadly unexpected. (per 55g bar)







SlimFast



Your mom’s old diet fad is thankfully becoming a thing of the past. Despite the small serving size, this Slim-Fast bar includes 15 percent of your saturated fat RDA and is one of the few bars to contain cholesterol. Interestingly, despite the less than one gram of fiber, the safety information reads “excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.” (per 28g bar)







Balance Original Almond Brownie



Never judge a book, or a bar, by its cover. Although this Balance Original bar looks and sounds healthy, its specs (200 calories, 17 grams of sugar and 18 percent of your RDA for saturated fat) prove otherwise. It almost gets points for the addition of 19 vitamins and minerals, but returns to zero with its second ingredient: High-fructose corn syrup. (per 50g bar)





Snickers Marathon® Energy Bar Multi Grain Crunch



Although delicious, the Snickers Marathon takes the cake for unhealthiest bar. Consuming this one snack puts you at 10 percent of your RDA for sodium and total fat. The ingredients also read as a science experiment with corn syrup and quadratein heading up this laundry list. (per 55g bar)





Active Ingredient: Ginseng



Stimulants and amino acids are not the only ingredients in your late night energy drink. Ancient Chinese remedies like ginseng and cordyceps (see page 30) are now popping up as the new fatigue fighters. And according to William Wood and Aaron Winning, both Licensed Acupuncturists & Herbalists (L.Ac) at SoCo Clinic, not only do they work but side effects are minimal especially when compared to caffeine.



“Though these are herbs, they still have side effects and should be taken in moderation to get the best effect,” Winning emphasizes.



The third top-selling herb in the United States is also 2,000 years old in China. Herbal remedies known as ginseng are derived from the roots of either the American (Panax quinquefolius) or Asian (Panax ginseng) perennial plant. Only these two of the 11 different ginseng species are used for medicinal purposes. Their botanical name, Panax, is translated from Greek to mean “all heal” or, if you like, “panacea.”



You won’t get far at any grocery store without coming across either form of ginseng. But don’t just reach for the cheapest price tag. “You need to look for a high grade of ginseng to ensure effectiveness,” says Wood, “This is difficult to do from simply walking down the aisles of a health food store. Your best bet is to go to a Chinese herbalist who obtains their ginseng from a trusted source.”



The herb is often advertised as everything from an immunity enhancer to an aphrodisiac. Despite all the propaganda, many of these claims have not been seriously researched in the United States including those that promote ginseng as an efficient energy enhancer.



But if either were to promote vigor, Asian ginseng — particularly the red form — is thought to have stronger effects than its American counterpart possibly due to the longer harvesting period and a steaming process that locks in the active ingredients including ginsenoside.



Studies conducted in Japan and published in the Journal of Pharmacological Sciences have demonstrated that ginsenosides dilate blood vessels and help increase blood flow. Improved circulation results in better oxygen delivery and potentially enhanced stamina. In fact, these same researchers have found that red Asian ginseng helps the body resist the damaging effects of everyday stress. Ginesenoside, along with ginseng’s other active components, are thought to reduce the pituitary gland’s secretion of the ACTH hormone which stimulates the release of the stress hormone cortisol. Less cortisol means less stress-related complaints like headaches, stomach ulcers and insomnia.



End



Enjoy a beautiful day!