10 Healthy Energy Drinks for a Natural Boost

These days, not all energy drinks are the waist-widening beverages that deliver a case of the jitters and make your heart pound. A new crop of energizing sips are sparkling waters with natural fruit flavors or tea-based beverages fueled with B vitamins and brain-boosting adaptogens, like L-theanine. They’re also canned sans added sugars and zero artificial sweeteners, flavors, and colors. Some use cold-pressed vegetable and fruit juices for color and extra nutrients. How to Find the Best Energy Drinks Shutterstock But how can you ensure that what you’re drinking is going to give you the boost you need? To help you find the healthiest energy drinks on the market, we tapped Mike Roussell , PhD, nutrition expert and author of The MetaShred Diet: Your 28-Day Rapid Fat-Loss Plan. Simple. Effective. Amazing. When shopping the aisles for an energy drink, Roussell says to look for one that “Ideally has zero [sugar], but definitely less than 10 grams per 8-ounce serving. If you’re going higher than that, I would only use it prior to exercise.” When it comes to energy drinks fortified with vitamins and antioxidants, Roussell says they’re not going to make much of a difference in giving you energy. However, B vitamins are essential for converting food into energy. “B vitamins are put in a lot of energy drinks because they are needed for our body to break down and use the energy found in the foods we eat. But more B vitamins doesn’t make your body do this better and it isn’t something that you can feel,” Roussell explains. Some energy drinks also infuse certain antioxidants, minerals, and adaptogens to reduce muscle soreness, improve cognitive function, and promote calm. But Roussell reminds us that the benefits of these health boosters are limited. “Most energy drinks are underdosed and […]

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