There’s a new study on the effects of smart energy drink ingredient, quercetin, by the Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. They found some great health benefits of quercetin which can be found in some energy drinks.

They were looking at the effects of quercetin on certain cells in the prostate. More specifically: cancer cells. Too early to make health benefit claims, but this study evaluating the effects of the dietary flavonoid quercetin certainly look promising. Quercetin inhibited cell proliferation and modulated the expression of genes involved in DNA repair, matrix degradation and tumor invasion, angiogenesis, apoptosis, cell cycle, metabolism and glycolysis.

Uh, that’s good for quercetin, bad for cancer.

In fact, they said that this may be an “efficacious anticancer agent” …. “to be used in the future nutritional transcriptomic investigations and multi-target therapy to overcome the therapeutic impediments against prostate cancer.” Basically, it should be used in future studies of genes (RNA) to help with the killing of cancer cells (in the prostate.) Notice: you have to say in the prostate, because no one knows if it works on other cancer cells, because only prostate cancer cells were used in the study. That’s because they are scientists. I’m not.

So if it works on one, I say why not try it? It’s not like you need a prescription for quercetin. It occurs naturally in some fruits and vegetables and is also in energy drinks. What could it hurt? (Please do ask your doctor first, I am making no medical claims, because besides not being a scientist, I am also not a doctor. What do I know? Maybe it could hurt. But I’m guessing it may help.)

Probably not the smartest move to drink very high caffeine energy drinks. The most recent trend has been the 50-60 ml energy shots filled with caffeine. And government agencies as well as health professionals are taking notice.

“Caffeine-loaded energy drinks have now crossed the line from beverages to drugs delivered as tasty syrups,” the Canadian Medical Association Journal says in an editorial that calls for prominent labels listing total caffeine content and an end to advertising targeting children. They are calling for much stricter guidelines in Canada for the higher caffeine energy drinks.

There’s a study from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, in Lima, Peru where they performed a 12-week double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial in which active treatment with different doses of maca was compared with a placebo. The men (aged 21-56) were observed by researchers to have an improvement in sexual desire with maca at eight weeks of treatment.

Maca is in some natural healthy smart energy drinks, such as Xe.

Mostly used for its energy properties, maca may also help with fertility in women, increased sex drive and helping with lubrication as well as increased libido in men. Other studies have shown treatment with maca resulted in increased seminal volume, sperm count per ejaculation, and sperm motility. Serum hormone levels were not altered.

Maca  is a root-like vegetable shaped like a turnip that grows at 12,000 feet and is only found in the high Andes of Peru and Ecuador. For more than two thousand years, native Peruvians have used maca root as food and medicine, to promote endurance and improve energy, vitality, sexual virility and fertility.

Maca is also rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and iron, and contains trace minerals, including zinc, iodine, copper, selenium, bismuth,
manganese and silica, as well as B vitamins.

We have to take care of our bodies. To do that, we can exercise, eat a good diet and also consume some health drinks. Just like food, such refreshments have to be prepared and here’s a tip that you can try out at home.

The first is green tea. Studies have shown that tea is healthier than coffee because it can help regulate your blood sugar and blood pressure, prevent certain cancers, fight plaque on your teeth, lower your cholesterol and slow down the aging process.

To make green tea, you will need one tea bag and then put this either in the kettle filled with warm water or straight to the cup. After letting it stand for about 3 minutes or so, you can already drink it. If you want to add flavor to your tea, you can try adding raw cane sugar crystals, honey and even a lemon wedge.

The next drink is the fruit smoothie. The mixture itself is similar to making milkshake but instead of the added calories, this is replaced with vitamins and nutrients. To do that, you have to buy some fruit, low fat yogurt, some crushed ice and water. All the ingredients are then mixed in the blended and when it is ready, this is poured into a tall glass.

Aside from those you can make, there are those that can be poured straight from the container. These health drinks are your basic fruit juices and you can find these in different variations such as apple juice, grape juice, orange juice, pineapple juice and a lot more. Watch out for the canned or container juices as many also add refined sugars and other non-healthful ingredients.

Although these health drinks have certain benefits, you have to remember that these products are highly processed which means these are high in sugar. These will surely cause your blood sugar to go up and drinking too much of these may cause damage to your heart and kidney over time.

There are also health drinks from vegetables which are better known as functional beverages. These are great to have since many of us don’t eat a salad daily. The only problem is that you get essential nutrients from various vegetables so you have to buy different products and take it alternately.

A newer health drink is called the cell renewal formula because it is a combination of fruit and vegetable extracts mixed with herbs and other plant compounds. There are only a few of these products so far in the market and a most of these don’t taste that good so it takes time for someone to get used to it.

Among all the different health drinks available, the one thing that you don’t see included in this group is energy drinks. If you read the ingredients on the label, these consists of artificial sweeteners, caffeine or ephedra and in some cases a combination of all three.

You have probably drank a few of these in the past and although they taste good, the reality is that it may replenish your electrolytes after a workout but it does not have give you any vitamins and nutrients which are good for your health. This does not mean you should give up drinking energy drinks but consume very little, unless you can find healthy energy drinks.

So are there healthy alternatives for energy drinks? Yes.

If you read the free report The Truth About Smart Energy Drinks (look to your right column and you can get it emailed right to you), you’ll discover that in the history of smart healthy energy drinks, there have recently been new developments which can keep a drink healthy AND give you natural energy. If you drink some of these once or twice a day, you will have amazing long lasting energy as well as feeling noticeably healthier after only a week or two of regular drinking. One high antioxidant drink is even tested for ORAC levels.

There are some very healthy energy drink choices and several that may not be so good for us. Use the guide to decide for yourself how healthy you want to be.

Today, people are more conscious about their health more than ever. From food, lifestyle, and down to their fluid intakes—many people are cautious to maintain a healthy body. This thinking led to the emergence of various products that can veer them away from certain diseases such as health drinks.

Into healthy practice

Nowadays, more and more of people are getting into diets that lower down the excessive intake of fats and other chemicals that may cause illness. Many are also those who get into workouts to keep their bodies fit and healthy. And there are also those who use products such as vitamins, dark cocoa and other health supplements to improve their bodies’ resistance to illnesses.

But many are not aware that drinking commercial healthy drinks don’t always guarantee a healthy body. In fact, many of the so-called “healthy drinks” in the market contain chemicals and additional substances that may be harmful to the body. Also, make sure that you buy these from reputable stores and manufacturers to ensure your body’s safety. Check the label. If there are chemical names you can’t pronounce, it’s probably not good for you.

The wonders of coconut water

If you are one of those who are into healthy drinks, the best way to ensure that you are getting vitamins and minerals with harmful chemicals is to drink natural-based drinks such as coconut water.

For the uninitiated, coconut water is the natural juice found inside the coconut, as opposed to coconut milk, which is made by boiling equal amounts of water and shredded coconut together until foamy, then straining, or coconut cream, which is made in the same manner with a ratio of four parts of shredded coconut to one part water. Milk can also be used in place of the water for a richer mix.

In tropical islands such as those in the Caribbean, Southern Asia, Pacific Islands, South America, and Central America, coconut water is considered as the most popular drink not only during summer but also for the whole-year. Aside from being abundant, people in these areas drink lots of it not only because it is the purest natural drink available but also because of its health benefits.

When freshly obtained from unripe coconuts, coconut water is a rich source many organic compounds that are good for a person’s total well being. Experts agree that this is one of the best health drinks out there because it is basically 99 percent free from fat, have low amounts of sugar content and low in carbohydrates which is among the major culprit in gaining weight.

For people who are on-the-go or those who undergo rigorous workout, this is an ideal health drink because it maintains the body’s normal temperature, re-hydrates the body well, and easily replenishes the lost fluids in the body after a series of exercise.

Considered as a natural isotonic beverage, coconut water is considered as one of the best natural health drinks out there aids fast but healthy metabolism, it improves the body’s immune system, while cleansing the your digestive tract very well.

For those who are into maintaining physical beauty, coconut water is a healthy drink because it greatly helps in the rejuvenation of body cells and maintaining the pH levels of the body while acting as an effective natural detoxifying supplement.

Doctors and other professionals in the medical field will also agree that coconut water is very effective in keeping a healthy body. People who want to protect their bodies from various illness, coconut water is a very effective healthy drink because it contains anti-viral properties which protects the body from diseases such as flu, herpes, and others.

It is also useful in maintaining sugar counts for diabetics, effective for those with kidney stones and other urethral conditions, and can reduce the risks of having cancer as well as in the enhancement of the blood’s proper circulation. Although it has lots of health benefits, coconut water is usually not classified as an energy drink.

If you don’t like drinking coconut water, try using it to cook in. It can be delicious!