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Energy Booster Supplements Benefits
The energy booster industry is now a billion dollar industry and growing larger every year. We lead hectic driven lives that require a lot of energy just to get through 24 hours. But the problem is that with all these many different varieties of energy products on the market where do you start?
"Energy supplements have become one of the fastest-growing categories of supplement", says Andrew Shao, PhD, from the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade organization in Washington D.C. "And that's because everybody - whether you're a man or a woman, young or old - wants more energy."
It all starts and ends with knowledge of what an energy supplement is, what it can do for you and what is a good product and what a bad product is. Whether it's true or not, it sure seems like life is more hectic than it once was. For people always on the go, the idea of an energy pill is compelling. But firstly the stimulants and exactly what are the various names of stimulants.
Caffeine
Herbal sources of caffeine and related compounds like guarana, yerba mate, and kola nut
Green tea (also a source of caffeine)
Capsaicin (red pepper)
Asian Ginseng
Bitter Orange (specifically, the ingredient synephrine)
These are the legal stimulants that are packed into energy supplements that we buy. But energy supplements can and do a lot more than just keep you from falling asleep. There are also stimulants that can speed up your metabolism, substances that affect metabolism - specifically how the cells derive energy from nutrients.
Caffeine works by giving your metabolism a temporary lift. There is evidence to suggest that it can temporarily improve mental focus and, in athletes, help stave off exhaustion.
While some energy products are seen as natural alternatives to caffeine, many actually contain caffeine or similar substances with similar effects. These include kola nut, yerba mate and guarana. Green tea also provides a dose of caffeine, along with the related stimulant theophylline and the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).
Ginseng is not a caffeine derivative but it may act as a mild stimulant. While it has a history of use as a tonic, the scientific evidence for ginseng as an energy-booster is patchy. Capsaicin, the ingredient that makes chili peppers hot, is also sometimes used as a stimulant.
Bitter orange is another energy supplement unrelated to caffeine. Although it hasn't been studied much yet, some experts are concerned about potential health risks. Synephrine, the active ingredient in bitter orange, is chemically similar to ephedrine.
This is the active ingredient in ephedra (also known as Ma huang), whose sale in unlicensed dietary supplements is prohibited in the UK. Ephedra has been associated with serious adverse reactions including hypertension, strokes and heart attacks.
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Disclaimer: The information presented on this website is
intended only as guidelines. The instruction and advise represented herein is not intended as a substitute for medical
or other professional counseling or training. Consult your physician before starting on any diet, exercise program or
supplements.
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