Energy Drinks/Caffeine and what they do to your body. By: Mary Elton Energy Drinks/Caffeine and what they do to your body.

Is caffeine an addiction? More than 80-90 percent of Americans are addicted to caffeine. Facts have shown that more women are drinking caffeine than men. According to the National sleep foundation more than sixty five percent of moms are drinking caffeinated drinks, just so they can go throughout their day. On CBSnews.com it states how people can get so addicted to caffeine that they have to go through rehab!

What is a major ingredient in caffeinated drinks? Sugar!! Sugar is what every person in this country loves! Energy drinks have a lot of it! For women the RDA for sugar is only 6 teaspoons a day. For men the RDA is 9 teaspoons a day! Most Americans, both men and women, are consuming more than 22 teaspoons of sugar a day.

Here we have an 8 oz glass of Rock Star energy drink and a 16 oz can. The sixteen ounce can has 16 teaspoons of sugar. The 8 ounce glass has 8 teaspoons of sugar. That is 1 teaspoon per ounce!

Sugar We all know about the two different types of sugar. (complex sugar and simple sugar) The sugar that is in caffeinated beverages is simple sugar. Simple sugar is a major part in why people get the energy they need from energy drinks. They are said to break down quickly in the body which makes it so you have your energy ups and downs.

Health Risks for consuming too much sugar Too much sugar can be very detrimental to your health. Too much sugar leads too becoming overweight or obese. Obesity can lead to: Heart Disease High cholesterol Diabetes High Blood Pressure Dental health

Caffeine Even though caffeine enhances our performance, our health can be at risk. Most healthy adults can drink 200-300 milligrams of caffeine a day. According to menshealth.com the average American is drinking 280 milligrams per day. If you are drinking between 500-600 milligrams a day you are at risk for: Muscle Tremors Irritability Stomach upset Fast Heart Beat Insomnia Nervousness Restlessness

How much Caffeine is in….. A 16 oz Monster energy drink has 160 mg of caffeine An 8 oz cup of brewed coffee has 108 mg of caffeine An 8 oz Red Bull has 80 mg of caffeine There is even caffeine in a Hershey's dark chocolate bar. Only 31 milligrams though.

Does caffeine really enhance the performance of others? Nancy Clark, A registered dietician, has found that caffeine is shown to stimulate the brain and contribute to clearer thinking and concentration. She states that there are 74 good studies on the use of caffeine for endurance, exercise and short term, higher intensity workouts. The average improvement of performance is about twelve percent, with more benefits noticed during endurance exercises. Sugar and Caffeine can boost energy temporarily by affecting neurotransmitters which are what regulate your mood and chemical behavior.

What is Ginkgo Extract? Ginkgo Extract is an ingredient in energy drinks that can can help improve your energy and stimulate your thinking process. According to Medline Plus, a website supported by the National Institutes of Health, ginkgo extract improves thinking and cognitive skills, especially in elderly people. Energy drinks do contain some good ingredients such as Ginkgo extract.

Why students use energy drinks and for what reason. Nutritionj.com is a scholarly journal website that shows a study of students and consumption of energy drinks. The study shows why college students were relying on receiving energy from the energy drinks. The three areas of consumption were as follows, insufficient sleep, increase in energy, and drinking them while partying. 67% of students used energy drinks because of insufficient sleep 65% was for increase in energy 54% was for drinking while partying

Who does the media target? EVERYONE!!! The Media likes to catch the young and olds attention. They like to use sex appeal to show off their product. The link below is a commercial for 5 hour energy shots Red Bull Girls The media uses beautiful women to show off there product by using sex appeal 0-33 Add to Every Day is#133DAE

In conclusion, I have shown an overwhelming amount of evidence that energy drinks and caffeine can be detrimental to your health. Therefore we need to make sure if we are consuming these items, we need to consume small amounts.