41 Energy Drink Recipes

3 Homemade Energy Drink Recipes

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Stir until chilled and enjoy. It helps energize you without making you jittery. When you are stressed, both the energy boost from the caffeine and the relaxing effect of the theanine can be helpful. Pomegranate juice is full of nutrients, flavonoids, and antioxidants and is low in sugar. This healthy juice can help give you a boost from nutrition alone. The chia seeds were traditionally used as a support for long journeys.

The gel-like substance they form when put in liquid absorbs slowly into the body, for a slow release of nutrients and energy. Chia seeds are high in vitamins and minerals, making them a favorite with many nutritionists. Milk gives you good source of both protein and fat for sustained energy. Milk also contains some natural sugar that gives a boost of energy. Use grade B maple syrup for a higher nutrient content, and you will add both more natural sugars for a more instant energy boost.

The cocoa powder gives some caffeine, as well as more antioxidants and nutrients such as magnesium. I prefer raw, pastured milk.

The darling of the raw foodie and many health conscience people, the green drink trend shows no sign of slowing down and there are many green drink mixtures available online. Across both races studied African American and Caucasian , the increased problem behaviors exhibited were in the domains of sexually risky behaviors, marijuana use, fighting, and failure to use seat belts. Among Caucasian students, there was an additional association between frequency of energy drink consumption and prescription drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and cigarette smoking.

In a study of 1, college students, high-frequency energy drink consumption, defined as use 52 days or more in the past year, was associated with greater risk for developing alcohol dependence, as defined by DSM-IV, as compared to low frequency users and nonusers. This may be due to the finding that energy drinks reduced the depressant effects of alcohol intoxication.

This theory was examined in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 27 noncaffeine-deprived women. Those who consumed the energy drink and alcohol had significantly lower post-test performance on a global score of neuropsychological status than those who drank a caffeinated beverage alone. These results contrast the commonly held belief of most young people that energy drinks nullify the negative effects of alcohol intoxication.

In a related study, the combining effect of alcohol and energy drinks was found to subjectively reduce the perception of impairment in motor coordination and visual reaction time without any objective difference noted. Although there is a decreased awareness of impairment when these beverages are consumed together, there is no actual reduction in alcohol-induced impairment. Additionally, due to the stimulant properties of the added caffeine and the dilution of the alcohol, individuals may remain alert longer, allowing for extended time in which to consume alcohol, which in turn may lead to binge drinking.

There is some evidence that at lower levels, caffeine may alleviate some of the intoxicating effects of alcohol, but at higher caffeine levels there does not appear to be any modulation of impairment. Also of concern is the perception of being less intoxicated than is actually the case while behavioral control remains impaired. As there are many studies with conflicting results on the alcohol-energy drink effect on alcohol-induced impairment, further investigation of the mechanism of action of this interaction is warranted.

Energy drink impact on well-being and QOL. Nutritional and tonic drinks, under which energy drinks can be classified, made up This belief is not restricted to Japan. According to Smith and Atroch, 37 energy drinks that contain guarana have been used for hundreds of years as a tonic in countries like Brazil. A study of the effect of the dietary supplement L-carnitine, which is among the contents found in energy drinks, showed its effects on QoL to be equivocal as measured by using the Anti-Aging QOL common questionnaire AAQOL in a double-blind study that involved 35 healthy volunteers.

Further research is needed to investigate the specific impact of energy drinks on QOL and wellbeing. Energy drinks and psychiatric patients. The mechanism of action by which energy drinks induce or exacerbate mental illness is thought to be by way of caffeine and its effects on neurotransmitters. This appears to be true as caffeine has been shown to induce manic symptoms in those without bipolar disorder, and psychosis in those without a previously diagnosed psychotic disorder.

It has also been hypothesized that the mechanism by which caffeine-containing energy drinks induce psychiatric relapse is via competitive binding at CYP sites. With increased caffeine intake, these binding sites are overwhelmed by caffeine molecules, thus inhibiting binding by psychotropic medications.

By this process, many antipsychotics and antidepressants will not be metabolized, thereby inducing relapse by decreasing efficacy of psychotropic medications. In a case report by Cerimele, Stern, and Jutras-Aswad, 46 an individual diagnosed with schizophrenia was noted to experience psychotic symptoms resulting in readmission to the hospital after increased consumption of energy drinks.

After his first beverage, the subject reported an increased interest in activities and improved mood. Eventually, the subject increased his consumption of energy drinks to 8 to 10 cans 16oz per can daily. After two months, the subject was hospitalized with symptoms of paranoia, internal preoccupations, constricted affect, and delusional religious beliefs.

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Ten days after hospitalization and discontinuation of the excess dietary caffeine, the degree of paranoia, preoccupations, and other psychotic symptoms displayed while consuming the energy drinks decreased to pre-study levels without an increase in maintenance antipsychotic medication. Chelben et al 47 reported on three patients who also demonstrated increased psychiatric symptomatology leading to inpatient hospitalization with use of energy drinks. The first case described a year-old woman with cluster B personality traits consistent with borderline personality disorder BPD who drank five or more energy drinks per day for one week.

Upon dissolution of monetary assets, she abruptly stopped her energy drink intake and was hospitalized the following day with signs and symptoms of hypervigilance, aggression, psychomotor agitation, and impulsivity. The second case described in this report was of a year-old woman with a psychiatric history significant for comorbid bipolar disorder, BPD, and polysubstance dependence.

Like the previous case, on hospital admission she exhibited impulsivity and psychomotor aggitation with additional onset of self-injurious behaviors and beginning insomnia. The final case described a year-old man with schizophrenia who, for one month prior to hospitalization, had been consuming 8 to 9 energy drinks in one sitting.

He too exhibited signs of hypervigilance, aggression, and psychomotor agitation, as well as thoughts of self-harm. These authors also acknowledge that while the temporal relationship between intensification of energy drink consumption and mental deterioration appears to be associated, this does not confirm a causal relationship. At doses greater than mg per day, caffeine has been shown to induce or exacerbate anxiety, 50 especially in patients with panic disorder, 51 and in family studies, the same effect was detected in first-degree relatives. Koran et al 55 hypothesized that the caffeine-induced increase in dopamine may lead to increased D 1 receptor binding in the prefrontal cortex resulting in enhanced attention and working memory.

Thus, individuals with OCD should be able to divert their attention away from intrusive thoughts, which then decreases reactive compulsive behaviors. By the same mechanism—increased D 1 activity in the prefrontal cortex—caffeine may be beneficial in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by increasing the ability to sustain attention, resulting in decreased reaction times, enhanced executive functioning, and increased processing speed.

At moderate doses, defined as less than to mg of caffeine per day, caffeine has been shown to have neuroprotective effects as well as positive effects on mental illness.

Energy Drinks

This review of studies focusing on the psychological effects of energy drinks reveals several pertinent issues. There is a widespread belief that energy drinks ameliorate the negative impact of alcohol consumption, specifically cognitive impairment. Several studies have shown that this is an inaccurate assumption and can be quite dangerous if not corrected. A much-needed intervention is to educate individuals, especially adolescents and young adults who are the major consumers of energy drinks, on the dangers of combining energy drinks and alcohol.

This will require educational campaigns on various levels to counteract the massive marketing campaigns of energy drink manufacturers that insinuate that energy drinks can improve mental performance without consequence. Additionally, further investigation is warranted into the various aspects of energy drink use as there is still conflicting data concerning many facets of its consumption and the interactions between components.

One reason consumers drink energy drinks is to prolong wakefulness and maintain alertness. Unbeknownst to many consumers, consequences of drinking energy drinks include excessive daytime sleepiness and reduced reaction time, negating the short-term effects. There is a clear need to make these negative consequences known to consumers. Perhaps future studies can target a specific amount and precise combination of ingredients a consumer of these beverages could drink in order obtain the desired effect and perform a task successfully.

This way, individuals may learn to consume appropriate amounts of these beverages for the tasks they need a boost to complete. Almost all the effects of energy drinks are related to the frequency and quantity of consumption, as well as the concentration and interaction between the contents. For example, the quantity of caffeine can vary from 50mg to mg per can or bottle of these beverages. As such, all energy drinks are not the same and should not be treated the same.

There is a need to categorize energy drinks into one of three groups: One of the findings of this review indicates that psychological effects may be dose dependent, so consumers should also be encouraged to reduce the frequency of consumption. Another potential intervention is to require the manufacturers of energy drinks to fully disclose all their contents and their potential adverse effects so consumers can make more informed choices.

But based on the four aforementioned case studies, it appears that energy drinks may trigger acute psychiatric decompensation as manifested by increased hypervigilance and alertness, psychomotor agitation, exacerbation of psychosis, and self-harm behaviors leading to inpatient hospitalization. Further studies are needed to elucidate whether it is the frequency or amount of use, the type of energy drink, or the individual or combination of components that have the greatest impact on mental health.

Also, further investigation is needed to evaluate the desired effects sought by consumers as they may vary differentially in those with mental illness as compared to those without. The literature does suggest that individuals with mental health issues may use energy drinks as a form of self-medication as has been shown with other types of cognitive and mood altering substances. Given the positive and negative effects of energy drinks referenced above, there is no doubt that these beverages may provide consumers with temporary benefits, including increased cognitive performance, increased or maintained mood, more physical energy, and promotion of wakefulness.

However, while these beverages may provide a quick fix to temporary difficulties faced by the consumers, the prolonged and continued use of these drinks may affect the QoL of an individual. The question may be what QoL measures could be used for more accurate assessment. This will allow for different domains of QOL to be assessed in order to better understand the general feeling of well being engendered by energy drink consumption.

The limitations of this review include the paucity of studies examining the differential effects of various energy drinks. Moreover, it was difficult to distinguish effects of caffeine from the other contents of energy drinks as it is one of the main ingredients in most energy drinks. While some studies have found that energy drinks might have a positive temporary impact on concentration and memory, there was no evidence to support the claim that energy drinks improve the sense of well-being or QOL. More research and increased public awareness is needed to bring about a greater understanding of their effects.

There is a need for more stringent labeling of energy drinks so that the consumer knows the exact quantity of each ingredient. This is especially important since one of the findings of this review is that the psychological effects of energy drinks could be dose dependent. There is also a need for more studies to examine the consumption patterns of energy drink users since the quantity and frequency of consumption influence the psychological effects of energy drinks.

As the number of users of energy drinks has been growing rapidly since the introduction of these beverages in , it is crucial for science to keep up with understanding the psychological effects of public trends. No funding was received for the preparation of this article. Ugochukwu, Bagot, and Zaky and Mr. Khalili report no competing interests. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Journal List Innov Clin Neurosci v. Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer.

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Energy drinks, psychological effects, quality of life, well-being. Introduction Energy drinks are a group of beverages used by consumers to provide an extra boost in energy, promote wakefulness, maintain alertness, and provide cognitive and mood enhancement. Open in a separate window. Methodology Studies were identified through Pubmed, Medline, and PsycINFO searches from the dates of to , published in English, using the keywords energy or tonic drinks, psychological effects, caffeine and cognitive functions, mood, sleep, quality of life, well-being, and mental illness.

Results Due to the large and nonspecific number of search results obtained via a Pubmed search using the search term energy drinks yielding articles and tonic drinks yielding 21 articles , the authors used more specific search terms to target the subject of this review. Discussion This review of studies focusing on the psychological effects of energy drinks reveals several pertinent issues.

Conclusion While some studies have found that energy drinks might have a positive temporary impact on concentration and memory, there was no evidence to support the claim that energy drinks improve the sense of well-being or QOL. Intake of energy drinks in association with alcoholic beverages in cohort of students of the School of Medicine of the University of Messina. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. Health effects of energy drinks on children, adolescents, and young adults. Caffeinated energy drinks-a growing problem. Side effects of caffeine.

Energy drinks in the US. US overtakes Thailand as world leader in energy drinks. Grosz A, Szatmari A.

The history, ingredients and effects of energy drinks. Childs E, de Wit H. Enhanced mood and psychomotor performance by a caffeine-containing energy capsule in fatigued individuals. Safety issues associated with commercially available energy drinks. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

The effects of red bull energy drink on human performance and mood. Scoley A, Kennedy D. The effect of an energy drink containing glucose and caffeine on human corticospinal excitability. A taurine and caffeine-containing drink stimulates cognitive performance and well-being. The effect of energy drinks on cortisol levels, cognition and mood during a fire-fighting exercise.

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Silverman K, Griffiths RR. Low dose caffeine discrimination and self-reported mood effects in normal volunteers. J Exp Anal Behav. A survey of energy drink consumption patterns among college students.

Introduction

Understanding adolescent caffeine use: Anderson C, Horne JA. A high sugar content, low caffeine drink does not alleviate sleepiness but may worsen it. The suitability of a caffeinated energy drink for night shift workers. Consumption of energy drinks among physical education students. Revista Latino-Americano de Enfermagem. Energy drinks, race, and problem behaviors among college students. Brache K, Stockwell T. Drinking patterns and risk behaviors associated with combined alcohol and energy drink consumption in college drinkers.

Energy drink consumption and increased risk for alcohol dependence. Sociodemographic correlates of energy drink consumption with and without alcohol: Event-level analyses of energy drink consumption and alcohol intoxication in bar patrons. Curry K, Stasio M J. The effects of energy drinks alone and with alcohol on neuropsychological functioning. Effects of energy drink ingestion on alcohol intoxication. Risks of alcoholic energy drinks for youth.

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