Did you know that some of your favorite every day energy drinks can actually end up killing you?
Whether you play sports, work late night shifts, or just want to cram for your next exam, I’m sure you’re all familiar with the many different energy drinks now available at your local gas station.
Monster, Redbull, Starbucks Iced Energy, they all have crazy amounts of caffeine, sugar, and other harsh ingredients, but none more than a new circulating drink called Alani Nu.
In only 12 fl oz, Alani has 200mg of caffeine in it, half of your recommended daily intake. This can be a serious problem considering a lot of student-athletes down two or three cans a day just to have the energy to play.
Not only is it unhealthy for you, but Alani actually causes some seriously dangerous side effects. These side effects consist of rapid heart rate, intense shaking, nervousness, and in some cases even a heart attack.
Sophomore Atziry Rivas-Reyes, brings an Alani to almost every soccer game, and even bought her cleats to match her favorite flavor of the drink.
“I feel really energized and happy, but there’s some downsides to it because it’s really bad for your health if you drink a lot,” Rivas said.
While it does help boost a person’s energy, some of the ingredients in Alani can really harm a person. HHS Biology teacher Mickayla Jackson gave her input on energy drinks as well.
“I just think that energy drinks are unhealthy, I think there’s a lot of chemicals in them,” Jackson said, “It’s not a natural way to get energy.”
People with anxiety might face even worse side effects from an Alani than people without it. Even ignoring how it affects your physical health, your mental health can be affected and you could feel more on edge.
“It’s bad for your heart, and definitely bad for your anxiety,” Jackson said, “I think it’s bad for your health even if you just drink a little.”
Instead of risking your mental and physical health intaking false energy all day, try these things instead to get a little pep in your step the healthy way.
For starters, while it seems counter-intuitive, it’s been scientifically proven that working out can increase the dopamine released to your brain, thus energizing you and putting you in a better mood!
If you’re really hooked on caffeinated drinks, Celsius is an energy drink brand that is healthy and has almost the same amount of caffeine as an Alani Nu! With a broad spectrum of flavors, and more coming out every month, Celsius is definitely one of the healthiest brands of energy drinks out there.
