Be Healthy and Relax

During my time as an undergrad, I saw the proper use and abuse of energy drinks. I watched friends down a can to make it through a tough workout and others buy energy drinks by the case to support their gaming addiction.

Being the conventional type, I have always stayed true to my coffee, but I wondered what exactly it was that my friends were drinking to get the extra boost and how it compared to my latte.

After doing a bit of research, I found that my intuition was right … for the most part.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. The benefits of the antioxidants in coffee are becoming well known, studies have liked the reasonable coffee consumption (three 8oz serves per day) to reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and Parkinson’s disease. With a minimal amount of calories (5 per 8oz. serving), plenty of caffeine for energy, and a variety of flavors, this old stand-by will always be one of my favorites.

When comparing coffee with the average energy drink (we’ll use Rockstar as an example), the coffee wins hands down. Rockstar weighs in at 140 calories and 31 grams of sugar; the mixture of high fructose corn syrup, several preservatives (sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate), artificial flavoring and numerous chemicals is not likely to offer any true health benefits. There is plenty of caffeine (90mg) in the drink to keep a person awake, but I think that the jolt offered by the beverage is outweighed by the havoc it wrecks on one’s system; although, the milk thistle extract in this artificial concoction may balance out the damage done to one’s liver when drinking a bottle.

Now, all you energy drink addicts out there, don’t worry, there is hope. Several all-natural energy drinks have been introduced to the market and they offer a much better option. Kaboom is one of my favorites, as it is not just all-natural, but also organic. With a base of organic orange juice and a bit of organic cane juice for sweetener, Kaboom has a flavor that matches any other energy drink on the market. The kick in Kaboom comes from guarana (90 mg) and green tea extracts, as well as C and B vitamins.

Guarana is a herbal supplement which produces guaranine, a naturally occurring caffeine; guarana provides a synergetic delivery of many nutritional compounds and trace elements to beneficially affect the total body system. The supplement has been traditionally used to assist in the relief of aliments such as stress, weight control, headaches, hangovers, and even menstrual cramps. Green tea extract offers many of the same benefits and is loaded with antioxidants. No artificial colors or flavors here, Kaboom is colored with annatto and turmeric, which have been used for centuries as colorants and are known to have beneficial medicinal properties.

I might have to leave my mug in the cupboard and grab an all-natural energy drink next time I need a boost; clearly, drinks like Kaboom are a great option, they offer a lot more than a cup of java, but with the same jolt you need to get through the day.

Photo credit: jeremyfoo