All the Buzz: Read Before You Drink
Are energy and vitamin drinks worth chugging?
by Cai Stayton
Energy drinks offer quick bursts of energy, but that afterburner kick is mostly fueled by sugar and caffeine -- just what you'd find in a soda or a cup of sugared coffee. Their appeal (and cost) is justified by additional ingredients, such as taurine (an amino acid), guarana (a seed paste that contains caffeine), and ginseng (an herb root).
Credit: Red Bull
Red Bull
You can find Red Bull almost anywhere. Many people like to knock one back before workouts or mix it with vodka during a night out. But be careful. Caffeine mixed with alcohol could be a recipe for disaster if you have heart problems.
Credit: Rockstar
Rockstar
Ingredients include milk thistle, guarana, and gingko biloba (an extract of gingko leaves). It might bring out the Van Halen in you, but what if your inner Milli Vanilli emerges instead?
Credit: Jolt Cola
Jolt Cola
The granddaddy of energy drinks, Jolt was the beverage of choice for computer programmers beginning in the 1980s. Its attractions? Plenty of sugar, and lots of caffeine -- about twice as much as you get in one cup of coffee. No wonder there's a lightning bolt in the logo.
Vitamin drinks are a way to take your supplements. Though they deliver various vitamins, that doesn't necessarily mean they're healthy.
Credit: Vitamin Water
Vitamin Water
Vitamin Water has 13 grams of sugar per 8-ounce serving, and each flavor includes taurine, gingko, ribose (a sugar), potassium, and chamomile. That's as sweet as some sodas. Maybe a spoonful of sugar does help the vitamins go down, but it definitely undermines health benefits.
Credit: Ola Loa
Ola Loa
Ola Loa contains daily requirements of vitamins A through K, forty mineral complexes, six amino acids, Vitamin B-12, and hard-to-get nutrients such as TMG and CoQ10. Ola Loa comes in individual packets; just add water for a quick vitamin fix.
Credit: Elixr Tonics
Elixr Tonics
The name is reminiscent of the potions hawked by nineteenth-century traveling-show "professors," with the promise of curing everything from wrinkles to bad breath. Elixr's concoctions are cocktails of plantbased materials, antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals flavored with good old-fashioned fruit juice.
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