There are always going to be some food and drink options that are worse for you than others, and while most of the time you can still integrate them into your diet while working towards a healthier body, there are some ingredients that are better left out in the long run. It’s no secret that alcohol and soda offer no real nutritional benefit to your diet, but there’s one other drink you may be consuming that can be just as damaging when integrated into your daily routine. For a clearer picture on the beverage to avoid if you’re hoping to prioritize your wellbeing, we spoke with registered dietitian Trista Best who built a strong case against regularly consuming energy drinks.
Energy Drinks
We now live in a society where we’re perpetually working to exhaustion even while doing most of our jobs from home. With that, it’s not unheard of to turn to other methods of increasing your energy, from coffee to tea and yes, energy drinks. However, although they are effective at getting the job done and giving you a boost, they’re often loaded with a shocking number of ingredients that are better left out of the body.
“Energy drinks have added ingredients like alternative sweeteners and sugar,” explains Best. “The average sugar content of an energy drink is 54 grams, an alarming rate that can cause weight gain and poor digestive health.”
You may be inclined to overlook the sugar content in favor of the energy levels these drinks can provide, but keep in mind that a crash is nearly inevitable with these beverages. “You may be improving energy but you will also increase the calories you're taking in and end up with a sugar crash,” warns Best.
Not only can sugar cause you to crash even harder than before, but it is also one of the primary causes of weight gain, and particularly if you’re working towards a healthier body you may be standing in your own way by regularly consuming energy drinks.
The common reason that energy drinks have become so popular in recent years is their new foray into the fitness industry which has created the dangerous misconception that they’re actually good for your health. “The intended purpose of energy drinks is to provide a dense amount of caffeine for the consumer in an attempt to give them an energy boost. Some energy drinks have begun advertising that they will fuel workouts and add special amino acids for muscle building (BCAA),” explains Best. However, even if they do contain amino acids, they’re likely still packed with even more ingredients that will provide more harm than good to your body.
If you genuinely do enjoy your energy drinks or are in a pinch where you need a quick and effective boost, having a drink in moderation won’t ultimately cause severe damage to your body. That being said, making sure not to make these drinks a habit or mainstay in your diet will help maintain your health more effectively in the long term, and turning to other caffeine sources for energy and increasing your sleep will be your best bet for fueling your day more efficiently.
