Energy Drinks have taken the world by storm the past couple of years, but sadly, just like the rising popularity in smoking cigarettes and taking steroids, most people aren’t really considering the massive negative health effects that energy drinks have on the human body, or the equally effective and far healthier alternatives to these problematic, powerful and popular pseudo-poisons.

These energy drinks supposedly help us out when we’re physically tired and / or mentally exhausted, providing an inordinately “amped-up” amount of brain and body stimulation to get us through those times when a revved up jolt of energy might prove to be of some assistance.

For centuries, the human race relied on a nice, hot cup of premium quality, gourmet coffee

To do the trick, but over the years, the “so called” wonders of science has created these new fangled, alternative concoctions, which often include some positive and healthy human helpers, such as vitamins, minerals and some herbal compounds that naturally assist in giving us a momentary, temporary shot of high velocity power and energy.

Here’s the problem, while a choice blend of all natural coffee grounds will give you that extra added kick of energized intensity, in a strictly way that your body can healthfully deal with the experience of being “plugged in and temporarily turned on” it turns out that, according to the findings of numerous University and premier Medical Center research, some of the ingredients with energy drinks do some serious damage to the human body, particularly our endocrine system.

So much serious damage, in fact, that several sports leagues and teams have already, or are currently the process of banning these energy drinks with the same serious severity as those bans that currently exist regarding other health hampering “hors d’oevres” such as steroids, human growth hormones and other dangerously detrimental drugs.

For those of you who don’t remember back to Biology Class, the foundations of our endocrine system are basically our hormones and glands. These work as our body’s natural chemical messengers, as our hormones transfer information and instructions from one set of cells to another.

While we have numerous important hormones constantly circulating through our blood-stream, each hormone affects only the cells that are genetically programmed to receive and respond to its unique and specific message.

When you mess with the Endocrine system, you automatically knock the body all out of whack and create chemical chaos, leading to problems with everything from our proper glandular release of hormones that regulate the bodies numerous vital activities to even incurring the wrath of a rash of all kinds of infections, stress, anxiety, heart disease, respiratory problems and inability to develop immunity to disease and infection.

Medical tests and University research show energy drinks having a severe effect on the health and functionality of our Hypothalamus, which controls the pituitary gland by producing chemicals that either stimulate or suppress hormone secretions from the pituitary.

Though no larger than a pea, the Pituitary Gland, located at the base of the brain, is the most important part of the endocrine system or “master gland” that makes our hormones that control several of our bodily functions. The anterior lobe of the pituitary regulates the activity of the thyroid, adrenals, and reproductive glands, which produces our growth hormones for our internal organs, bones, skin and all other body tissues, and the ability for women to produce milk.

It also secretes endorphins, the chemicals that reduce sensitivity to pain and controls the development and healthy regulation of our sex organs. Meanwhile the posterior lobe of the pituitary releases anti-diuretic hormone, which helps us to control body water balance through its effect on our kidneys and urine output, as well as oxytocin, triggering s the contractions of the uterus that occur during labor.

Also negatively affected by energy drinks are our Thyroid and Parathyroids, control the rate at which cells burn fuels from food to produce energy and the speed at which all chemical reactions occur within our bodies, as well playing a key role in bone growth and the development of the brain and nervous system.

Then there are our Adrenal Glands, which produce corticosteroids that regulate salt and water balance in the body and the body’s response to stress, metabolism, the immune system, and sexual development and function, as well as our ability to defend ourselves from toxins and allergens, produce adrenaline and regulate our blood pressure and heart rate while under stress.

Our Pineal Gland and Gonads secrete the necessary melatonin, regulating sleep and manufacture our sex hormones, making us and keeping us the gender that we are and allowing us to function sexually.

Our Pancreas produces both insulin and glucagons, which work together to maintain a steady level of glucose, or sugar, in our the bloodstream and to keeps our body supplied with the vital fuel to produce and maintain our life sustaining stores of energy.

Other than that, Energy Drinks are sugary stews of strangely simulated sustenance. So I don’t know about you, but I’ll stick with the delightfully delicious energy boost I get from a nice invigorating cup of gourmet coffee. How about you?

Signing off and Pigging out,

Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock