Energy Drinks

As exam season has started, the energy drink pandemic has also commenced. Everywhere you turn you see students with red bulls, relentless, monsters, emerge, etc…the list could go on.

I have also got a fair share of experience with energy drinks especially with caffeine, the key ingredient in all these drinks.

Caffeine is one of the most frequently used drugs in the world, granted low to moderate consumption of the drug is considered safe, however, there is an increasing number of clinical studies that show; individuals who become dependent on the drug find it difficult to decrease their consumption of the drug even though they are aware of the health risks if they continue having a high intake of the drug at regular frequencies. It is for this reason that certain health care professionals and the World Health Organization identify individual’s dependent on caffeine as having a clinical disorder (Meredith et al, 2013).

I feel the need to write about this because there are other alternatives to caffeine that most students do not consider. Increasing intake of healthy foods especially oily fish, snacking on fruits and vegetables, helps increase our energy levels. Oily fish provide us with our Omega 3, 6 and 9 while Red meats increase our B12 levels. B12 is another ingredient that is found in most energy drinks. To all the vegetarians and vegans, there are many supplements available that can help bring your Omegas and B12 up, without you having to eat meat. 

Taking supplements like the effervescent vitamin C tablets or adding liquid Ginkgo Leaf extract to your water. These are simple methods that can be incorporated into our everyday diet and in the long run have much better effects on the body.

I wish you all the very best in your exams, Take care and Good Luck. Stay positive and healthy J