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Comparing Tea Wth Energy Drinks

7th January, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Natural herbs have been used by the human race for their beneficial properties since the era of cavemen. Our ability to discover ways that plants, herbs and chemicals can assist our lives has perhaps led us to become the most advanced species on Earth. Energy drinks are the latest trend in this consistent struggle to exploit our natural surroundings for ways to improve our lives. While teas such as organic white tea have been used for a long time, new substances such as organic rooibos tea or tea with guarana have been shown to have beneficial effects on the human body due to their large amounts of anti-oxidants.

There’s no question that having tea has a number of positive impliations. But one of the ingredients in tea is caffeine, which is very rarely good for you and should only be drank on rare occasions. In today’s society, however, caffeine has become increasingly prevalent, and it’s socially acceptable to drink a dangerous amount of caffeine every day.

Products that stunningly large amounts of caffeine are currently available. Coffee, of course, is the most popular choice for those looking to get themselves up in the morning, or stay up a few extra hours before bed. A recent development in the world of caffeine has been energy drinks such as Red Bull. While these drinks are marketed as being good for you due to the presence of healthy herbs like guarana and taurine, the major effect the body feels from these drinks comes from the massive amounts of caffeine they have.

These drinks were originally sold in small cans, then bigger bottled drinks were sold. Now, a double-sized can is being marketed, along with “shots” of these drinks, that are a condensed mixture, fitting the level of caffeine in a normal can into a tiny bottle.

The effects these drinks have on the body is unsurprisingly negative, and nothing like the natural beneficial effects that can be felt with natural drinks. But this isn’t the first time drinks like this have been released. In the ‘90’s, a drink known as Jolt Cola became trendy among people who wanted to stay up all night, either to program computers or get extra work done. Of course, like any drug that attacks the nervous system in the way caffeine does, there is a serious “crash” effect which inevitably results. This is the same as the “crash” of any amphetamine type drug, in which the body has pushed itself to high levels of energy, and must now make up for it by shutting down and recuperating.

While the effects of natural herbs that come from tea are beneficial for its users, more unnatural substances like energy drinks and coffee should be taken with caution, and although it’s quite common, drinking these unnatural products every day can seriously damage your wellbeing. If you ever notice you’re feeling particularly sick, shaky or disorientated after having excessive amounts of caffeine, contact your doctor immediately. And of course, if you’re pregnant, don’t put the life of you and your baby at risk by drinking heavily caffeinated drinks.