One of the challenges associated with diabetes is learning to be extra-vigilant about the drinks that one ingests. Diabetics have to prepare special diabetes drinks for themselves or to make sure that drinks served by others or bought from stores fit the basic guidelines for drinks for diabetes.
This means that they have to engage in active label-reading, and to make sure that the listed ingredients are not problematic. This is not a skill that comes automatically. It has to first be learned, and then to be practiced again and again.
Many store-bought drinks and drinks served at bars, restaurants and clubs are chock-full of ingredients that diabetics should not touch. Thus, drinking away from home can become cumbersome for the diabetic who is used to taking a back seat and being passive. It is important for all diabetics to assert themselves to ensure that they are getting the right diabetes drinks in place of high sugar drinks or drinks with other problematic contents.
Diabetes, Energy Drinks: Do They Go Together?
Energy drinks are all the rage now. They are consumed widely by people who are looking for a pick-me-up and, in some cases, by people who think they have the superhuman capacity to get by on little sleep. Few people actually think of energy drinks as having potentially negative side-effects, figuring that since they are legal, they must be alright. However, this is far from the truth. Energy drinks contain various stimulants and vitamins, together with sugar and caffeine. Together, these help keep people awake and alert. But, for the average person, they are not healthy when taken in excess or in the long term. For diabetics, their effects are even more serious.
The refined sugars that can be found in most energy drinks make it impossible for them to be considered diabetes drinks. Furthermore, energy drinks tend to contain high levels of caffeine, which, when taken in high concentrations, can have negative implications for diabetics. So, if one were to ask, “Can energy drinks cause diabetes symptoms to worsen?” the answer would be affirmative: Regular energy drinks and diabetes do not go well together.
Some drink manufacturing companies are starting to take note of the large population of diabetics and their dietary needs. Their desire to tap into that market has led them to develop diabetes drinks that are similar to energy drinks, except that they have reduced sugar and caffeine levels. While many diabetics are opting to drink these, they are well-advised to do detailed research into the ingredients of these drinks as they may prove to be problematic.
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