What's in your energy drink?
My husband has an energy drink habit. It's something we disagree on. I think that it's better to boost your energy through a good night's sleep and maybe a morning coffee, that energy drinks have too much sugar and possibly too much caffeine. He likes the kick the drinks give him. He's even known to buy an off brand from the dollar store, which gives me even greater pause.The energy drink market has exploded over the last few years, and have become highly popular, especially among young men. But I'm not the only one who's concerned. Forbes recently interviewed Roland Griffiths, a John Hopkins scientist who has studied the effects of caffeine. He, among others, is calling for labeling of the drinks by the FDA. Griffiths says that because some energy drinks have as little as 50 mg of caffeine, while others pack as much as 500 mg, drinking an energy drink is tantamount to "drinking a beverage and not knowing, not being able to taste, whether it's straight vodka you just drank or beer."
Though Griffiths has concerns about the overuse of energy drinks, all he and his peers are urging right now is labeling requirements so that consumers can be aware what they're drinking. Seems reasonable to me ... what do you think?
If you've been debating whether or not to try a nutritional supplement, you may be surprised to know that you've already been using one for quite some time -- even if you didn't realize it.
Do you remember how many cups of coffee you drank yesterday? If you do, your recall ability may be due to the fact that you drank those cups in the first place. Allow me -- better still, allow researchers who published their study findings in the peer-reviewed journal Neurology -- to explain.
Maintaining high cholesterol boosts Alzheimer's risk, according to
Workout wisdom says to put something in your body after exercise takes so much out. What's the best something, though? How about whole-grain cereal, a bite of Indian takeout, or a big fat non-fat latte?
Constantly tired? Join the club. It seems like everyone these days is walking around in a permanent haze of fatigue. Blame it on our crazy schedules, our myriad of commitments. But whatever the case, the fact of the matter is that it's affecting our health.
You already know that caffeine can put a little extra pep in your step, but did you know that 
After spending many college weekends popping caffeine pills before heading out to party, my stomach felt ripped to shreds by the age of 22. Stupid. I've since matured -- herbal tea and my favorite rainbow coffee mug are best of friends these days.
It's kind of strange, really; there are literally thousands of supplements out there claiming to do this and that for your health and fitness, yet very few have the empirical research to prove it. And, as odd as it may seem, the one thing that continuously shows promise in scientific studies is a household ingredient almost everyone already uses: Caffeine.
You've seen the infomercials and you've gotten the spam... miracle weight loss in a pill. When it comes to weight loss (actually, when it comes to almost anything in life) if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. 
If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: the jury is still out on whether or not caffeine is good for you. As a matter of fact, I should have actually put it this way: if I've said it once, I've said it 21,000 times -- because that's how many studies have been conducted on the effects of caffeine, yet the last word on the matter has yet to be spoken.
Coffee has a bad reputation. Is it the jitter-inducing caffeine content? The bitter taste that for some people makes it necessary to load it with sugar? The fact that it's often served topped with whipped cream? Maybe all of the above. But take a second chance on coffee -- it could be help you get slim.
If you were to guess what U.S. city consumes the most caffeine, which would it be? Me, I'd go with Seattle. Would I be correct? Not quite.
I know I've mentioned it several times before, but there have been an astonishing amount of studies conducted on the potential benefits vs. the alleged detriments of caffeine. I'm not exactly sure which number the following study is (maybe 14,289 ... who knows), but it struck me as a bit interesting.








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