Explaining The Medical Differences Between Health Drinks: Calories And Chemicals
Nothing is more refreshing after a long, demanding run or bicycle ride than a long, cool drink. Choosing one, however, can be a little confusing. Should a person opt for diet soda, or maybe choose one of those new energy boosters that gives you enough get-up-and-go to simply fly away? Or, perhaps it would be more prudent to skip both and choose one of the nutritionally supplemental beverages. What really are the medical differences between health drinks?
A true health drink is considered to be nutritionally supplemental and beneficial. In recent times they have been heavily advertised on TV, with messages often aimed at older people, and with good reason. Before being marketed to the public they were used for many years in elderly care facilities and nursing homes, in order to provide a calorie-rich source of food for those having difficulty eating.
The differences between a liquid health drink that visually looks like milk, and a sugar-laden candy bar are interesting. The best news is that the drink has much more vitamin and mineral content than the candy bar, and is also lower in saturated fats. Neither contain much fiber, however, and both are made with refined sugar in significant quantities. Neither contains any of the healthy phytochemicals found in natural foods.
Few reputable nutritionists would recommend replacing meals with supplements, and in general promote an diet adequate in naturally occurring vitamins and minerals found in foods that naturally produce energy. We all run out of steam once in a while, however, and many are tempted to purchase one of the new classification of beverages called “energy drinks.” These, however, are advertised to a much younger target audience.
To their benefit, these products are not drowning in extra sugar. They are, however, surrounded by controversy. Their main energy ingredient is caffeine, the same stimulant found, of course, in coffee. The boost is a caffeine buzz, not real energy. In fact, drinking these products can cause the sensitive individual to feel uneasy, with a rapid heartbeat, hand tremors, insomnia and other common symptoms of caffeine intolerance.
Moderate caffeine intake is usually not harmful, of course. One danger is using it as an antidote for too much alcohol, as some claim to do. It is true that caffeine helps a drinker to be a little more alert, blocking the need to fall asleep on the sofa. Caffeine cannot, however, negate the unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side-effects of alcohol, and will not sober up anyone. Perhaps a party-goer would feel better drinking soda only, but which variety?
Ever since the introduction of diet soda, the great debate about which is best has continued unabated. No one really argues that sugar-laden soda is a nutritious food, providing the user little more than something cold and bubbly that tastes sweet. Eliminating the sugar but keeping the pleasure factor is the idea behind diet soda, and it may have some benefits for diabetic or overweight people. But is it nutritionally superior?
Drinking diet soda means ingesting either aspartame, saccharin or sucralose. Theses artificial sweeteners have been linked in the past to various kinds of cancers, and are said to increase belly fat even while providing no nutrition. Their only real benefit is a lack of refined sugar. The medical differences between Health drinks are significant, but none are an actual substitute for balanced nutrition and a healthy diet.
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