A recent alert in Science Daily heralds the switching of many schools from soda vending to sports drinks. The idea of course is that the drinks and bars are filled with additional minerals electrolytes, protein and other nutrients needed for energy and good health.

While that may be true, beware. In many cases these “Healthy” additives are not really needed. Do you really need to pile on the protein? How many B vitamins does your body require? Do some research before you pay for unneeded extra value.

Amazingly, these bars and drinks may have hidden amounts of sugar, sodium or fats. These additions make them taste great but counteract any health benefits. The United Press International quotes Margo G. Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington as saying that energy drinks are no more than water with high salt and high sugar. She suggests sticking to plain tap water for a healthy choice. Could there be other reasons that the added ingredients

My daughter suffers migraines and finds the highly caffeinated energy drinks help. She chooses the low carb variety to avoid the extra sugar. In the Monster drink, in my fridge, (which contains 2 servings per can) she receives twice the 180 mg of sodium or 16% of her Daily Value. Also Riboflavin 200%, Niacin 200%, Vitamin B6 200%, B12 200%, as well as Taurine, Panax Ginseng, L-Camtine, Caffeine, Guarana, and sugars (only 6g total). To her the relief is well worth it.

Others find the energy and metabolism boosting ingredients extremely beneficial to weight loss. Guarana, in particular, boosts energy and metabolism. Guarana is all-natural. It comes from a plant native to the Amazon basin. According to Weinberg and Bealer, authors of The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World's Most Popular Drug, each fruit contains about one seed, which contains approximately three times more caffeine than coffee beans. No wonder it gives a huge burst of energy!

Despite similar ingredients all energy drinks are not created alike. And not everyone needs the additives. Still if you are curious, or just believe all the hype, be sure to read the labels carefully, to know what your individual body needs and make an educated decision. Beware of assuming they are good for you simply because they are well marketed through trusted sources like your gym, school or health food store. Good fresh cold water and a healthy diet may really be all you need.

Keri K. Silk, Founder and President of the International Association of Weightloss Coaches, has been actively involved in the Chicago Coaching Community for over eleven years. She has presented numerous workshops and tele-classes. Keri has authored several published articles, an e-book Navigating the Grant Writing Maze. Her upcoming book SLIMTASIC: Finding the Skinny in You will be availalbe in 2008 Keri has lost over sixty pounds and in doing so discovered that weight loss can be fun! She shares this discovery with her Slimtastic.info clients and the International Association of Weight Loss Coaches. She can be contacted at 866-279-8666 or KeriKSilk@iawlc.com Websites include http://www.IAWLC.com and http://www.slimtastic.info This article may be used for your website or newsletter if the above bio and contact information is included.