There has been a huge craze in America recently that has promoted the idea of using energy drinks as a weight loss method. The trouble with weight loss fads is that they are often based on flimsy evidence at best, and probably won’t work for the massive majority of people who try them. This is likely to be the case with energy drinks for weight loss as well, and it is worth looking at the science behind the idea to see if it can have a quantifiable effect.
You’ve probably encountered energy drinks in your supermarket or corner shop – they are increasingly popular in everyday life as people seem to use them as a cold alternative to coffee when they are looking for a little energy boost. They are packed with a number of nutrients such as caffeine and others, and are supposed to give you a quick boost of energy. There are many recognisable brands that we know very well, but it might seem strange for us to think of them as a product that can be used to lose weight. But perhaps we are wrong about that – could it be that energy drinks are actually a great all-round way to lose weight.
On the surface it appears that – no, like every other weight loss fad, energy drink weight loss is not based on sensible scientific research. As you probably already know, energy drinks contain very high levels of sugar and caffeine, and it seems that this combination can’t really be considered a good way to attempt to lose weight. Aside from the obvious issue that drinking lots of energy drinks means ingesting a lot of sugar, there is also a lot of research to suggest that this is not a safe practice.
The fact that energy drinks contain high levels of sugar and caffeine is compounded by the problem that they also contain high levels of artificial sweeteners and colourants. It’s even true that a number of European countries have banned their use altogether – this is already adding up to be a bad mixture if you are looking for a healthy way to lose weight. And indeed, if we look into what doctors and research teams are saying, the evidence only piles up even more.
Many scientists have agreed that taking high doses of caffeine can be very bad for you as it is known to promote serious medical problems such as an irregular heartbeat or even cause you to be more likely to have a heart attack. This is clear a very serious issue, but it doesn’t stop there. Many people tend to combine energy drink intake with sport, because they perceive it be a good idea to get an energy boost before they exercise. But caffeine has been shown to cause you to have a very severe form of dehydration that can actually be hazardous when exercising, so it’s definitely not a good idea. Some energy drinks don’t even put the exact levels of caffeine anywhere on their label, so you don’t even know if you’re making an informed decision.
One problem with using energy drinks for weight loss is that energy drinks provide a sudden burst of energy, which then leads to you having times afterwards where you are completely lethargic and more likely to binge eat and relax. This means that any good that the energy boost did for you in the short term will be completely wiped out as the lack of energy catches up with you. Use a more sensible method of weight loss and it will be better for your health.