Examples of natural ingredients that can make you feel naturally good include: vitamin B, green tea, saffron, ginger, among others.
Many people feel the exact same way. They get their quick boost of energy by sipping a can, and then, the crash comes… and they end up even more exhausted!
Simple: when you take a high-sugar energy drink, your blood sugar levels spike immediately, but the boost in energy only lasts for about 30 to 60 minutes (can be longer for some people).
After this, your blood sugar, and energy levels, will crash - leaving you feeling more drowsy and exhausted than before.
But that’s not even the worst part… According to nutritionists, most energy drinks are actually decreasing your baseline energy levels over time.
In other words, the more energy drinks you consume, the more tired you will feel in general. This is due to the damaging effect of sugar on brain neurochemistry.
Here’s why:
As explained earlier, taking 60 mg of caffeine can be more effective than taking 300 mg of caffeine to boost your energy – without causing unpleasant side effects.
That means that you don’t need to look for drinks containing high doses of caffeine to feel a boost. Anything with more than 50 mg will give you all the energy you need without the crashes – especially if the drink contains other stimulants like ginseng, green tea, or ginger.
By now, you should know about the devastating effects of sugar on your health. But what about “sugar-free” energy drinks? Since they don’t contain any sugar, they must be better for you right? Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Many brands are using “sugar-free” labels as a marketing argument to sell more cans.
But in 99% of the cases, they contain a strong dose of unhealthy artificial sweeteners to make the taste drink sweet. So yes, they are technically free of sugar, but if they are filled with Ace-K or aspartame, the long-term impact on your health could be even worse…
As a rule of thumb, nutritionists recommend choosing energy drinks that contain a low amount of sugar from natural sources (fruits for example).
It may sound hard to believe, but there are a few energy drinks that can actually give you some health benefits! Since these “healthy” energy drinks are relatively new to the market, you may have not heard of them before. But they do exist.
For example, energy drinks that contain Korean Ginseng may increase the number of “T-Cells” we have in our body – a key type of cells that is responsible for keeping our immune system healthy.
Another ingredient that is present in a few energy drinks and actually good for your health, is folic acid. According to a large clinical review involving over 80,000 participants, folic acid can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 4% and decrease the risk of stroke by 10%.
By looking for energy drinks with healthy ingredients, you can not only get a strong energy boost to power you through the full day, but also improve your health over time.
Marvin Singh, M.D
Integrative Gastroenterologist in San Diego, California, and Member of the Board and Diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Medicine
Healthier energy drinks can still contain high concentrations of neuro-stimulants, including caffeine. As long as the dosage is safe, these stimulants can help improve mental performance and focus. For example, L-Tyrosine, a safe natural ingredient present in some energy drinks, has been clinically proven to decrease reaction time and improve working memory in n-back cognitive tests. Ginger root has also been linked to enhanced mental performance in many studies.
Drinks with low amounts of sugar and calories, containing caffeine and ingredients such as ginger root and saffron extract, can promote weight loss. This is due to the natural appetite suppressant properties of caffeine, ginger root and saffron. Some of these ingredients can also boost metabolism and reduce caloric absorption naturally.
Many studies show that caffeine combined with ingredients such as ginger root and ginseng can increase endurance, reaction time, power output and many other measures of exercise performance. Many athletes, both professional and casual alike, report strong benefits and improved workout performance.
Natural sugar from real fruits is healthier than added sugar. Note that a drink with 5 grams of natural sugar is better than a sugar-free drink full of harmful artificial sweeteners such as sucralose and ace-K.
These artificial sweeteners can damage gut health and cause long-term health issues. Nearly all low-sugar energy drinks use at least one of these two sweeteners to make the drink taste good.
The best energy drinks can give you a strong boost of energy for several hours, without causing jitters or crashes. This can be achieved with moderate amounts of natural caffeine and other plant-based energy boosters such as panax ginseng or ginger root extract.
Just like whole foods are much healthier than processed foods, pure ingredients (ingredients that are close to their natural state) are better for your body. Look for high-purity plant extracts, organic coffee beans, and high-quality water from a pure source (water being one of the most important ingredients, as around 90% of the drink is water).
Too much caffeine can create jitters and abrupt energy crashes. Anything between 50 and 100 grams is more than enough to give you a perceptible boost of energy, without causing unpleasant crashes. Ideally, the caffeine should come from natural sources (e.g., green coffee beans, black tea leaves)
To deliver any potential weight loss benefits, drinks should be low on calories. Anything below 20 calories per can is reasonable.
Vitamins can not only improve your energy levels, but also boost your metabolism and immune system.
It’s the first energy drink that uses the clinically proven form and dose of each active ingredient in its formula which are all transparently disclosed. It contains a proprietary blend of high-quality plant-based ingredients called DopaBliss. The blend supports mental and physical performance, with 400mg of N-Acetyl-L-tyrosine, 700mg of L-Phenylalanine, 400mg of panax ginseng with at least 4% Ginsenosides, 30mg of saffron extract with 2% Safranal, 750mg of ginger root extract with a 10:1 Gingerol concentration and 70mg of natural caffeine. This natural blend is also designed to boost dopamine levels – the “happy hormone” responsible for making us feel motivated, focused and happy. 3 clinical studies have shown that their DopaBliss blend is more effective than caffeine alone at improving cognitive function, reaction time, power out, processing time and reducing the error rate on demanding tasks.
With the Cognitive Energy Booster, most users report experiencing a strong motivation, focus and energy boost without the typical crash, anxiety and jitters associated with mainstream energy drinks. The formula has been clinically proven to lead to a longer attention span and better performance on most measures of reaction time, reasoning and cognitive ability.
From a nutrition standpoint, the drink is also scoring very well. The formula contains just 25 calories per can, and only 5 grams of natural sugar from wild berries. It doesn’t contain any harmful artificial sweeteners like aspartame or ace-K. The drink also contains significantly more vitamin B6 and B12 than regular energy drinks.
* The information contained within this site is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have, expect to have, or suspect you may have any medical condition, you are urged to consult with a health care provider. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases or medical conditions. Results do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
