UNews - nausea

Energy in a can: the real story on energy drinks

trevor.kenney — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:37:16 +0000

Energy drinks claim to boost your energy and improve performance but they are different from sport drinks such as Gatorade or PowerAde, which have small amounts of carbohydrate and electrolytes.

Here's a look at what energy drinks contain.

Caffeine. Energy drinks have caffeine listed as Guarana, yerba mate or caffeine. They usually have about 80 mg in a 250 ml can, double the amount found in pop and about half the amount found in coffee.

Taurine. Most energy drinks contain one gram of taurine, an amino acid that is easily obtained in the diet from meat and dairy products. Although the claim is that taurine increases alertness, there is no research to support it.

Herbs. Ginkgo biloba and ginseng are listed ingredients in many energy drinks. These can interfere with medications affecting blood clotting. There is no research to support that these herbs improve sports performance.

Sugar. These beverages contain about twice the amount of sugar (carbohydrate) as a sport drink and so will interfere with performance. If drank just before or during exercise they may cause nausea, cramps and diarrhea. High doses of sugar may have a short term energy burst, but the body will quickly get the sugar out of the blood stream, causing a big drop in blood sugar about 70 to 80 minutes later. According to research this may slow reaction time both physically and mentally.

Health Canada regulates energy drinks as supplements. It recommends not consuming more than 500 ml per day and cautions not to mix with alcohol.

For anyone in vigorous exercise situations, sport drinks or water are the best choices during exercise. A 20-minute nap, regular meals and snacks throughout the day or a quick power walk are natural ways to boost your energy and alertness.

Diane Britton is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's On-campus Registered Dietitian

The health 'perks' of coffee

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:48:54 +0000

Moderate coffee drinkers (2-3 cups/day) live longer

According to recent research, coffee drinkers have lower rates in all causes of death. Research also shows that coffee drinkers have lower risk of developing diabetes, Parkinson's disease and colon cancer, and that coffee may have a protective effect on the liver. In fact, research supports that there are more health benefits to drinking coffee than avoiding it.

But do all cups of java have the same protective benefits?

Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee have similar levels of antioxidants. Roasting the coffee bean affects the antioxidant content; medium roast coffee has more antioxidants than dark roast or light roast. Robusta green coffee beans (used in blends with Arabica coffees and to make instant coffee) have twice the active antioxidants than Arabica beans, although this decreases with roasting.

If a little bit is good, is a lot better?

Yes and no. Some research indicates that the health benefits increase with the amount of coffee consumed. However, even though the antioxidants in coffee have health benefits, too much caffeine can cause irritability, mood changes, nausea, increases in heart rate and blood pressure, and muscle tremors (shakes).

The amount of caffeine tolerated varies between individuals

For the healthy adult, Health Canada recommends limiting caffeine to 400mg/day – about the equivalent of three 8oz (237ml) cups of brewed coffee. For women of childbearing age it is recommended to consume no more than 300mg of caffeine or just over two 8oz cups of brewed coffee daily.

Hold the press

The French press that is. Unfiltered coffee may raise blood fat so filtered coffee is a better choice.

Diane Britton is available for individual nutrition consultations at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Health Centre (403-329-2484).

UNews - nausea

Energy in a can: the real story on energy drinks

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The health 'perks' of coffee

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