Nutrition | 5 min read
Energy Drinks That Can Boost Your Health With Immunity
Medically reviewed by
- Table of Content
Key Takeaways
- Common energy drinks often contain a lot of sugar and can also become addictive.
- Green tea is a popular drink in India and around the world and is sought after because of its health properties.
- way to err on the side of safety is to run your new diet by a nutritionist, dietician, or physician.
When thinking of an instant energy drink, you may have in mind a sleek can packed with ingredients like caffeine and taurine. However, common energy drinks often contain a lot of sugar and can also become addictive. It is smarter for you to consider natural energy drinks like coconut water as an alternative to even the best energy drink that you can purchase. In fact, healthy drinks like carrot juice serve as an immunity booster and the nutrients they contain promote a range of health benefits.
Here are 5 natural energy drinks that will boost your health and immunity.
Green Tea
Green tea is a popular drink in India and around the world and is sought after because of its health properties. It is rich in antioxidants, like the catechin epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), and good polyphenols. One reason for green tea’s health benefits is the fact that it is made from unoxidized leaves and with little processing. Green tea has even made it to traditional Indian and Chinese medicine and is one of the natural energy drinks you can consume to gain caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes brain function. Apart from hydration, possible benefits of green tea include:
- Better fat burning and weight loss
- Reduced risk of some cancers
- Anti-aging of the brain
- Prevention of diabetes type 2
- Prevention of cardiovascular disease
Tomato Juice
Tomato juice is something that you can make easily, even without a juicer, and contains an abundance of nutrients such as vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. A powerful antioxidant present in tomato juice is lycopene, the pigment from which tomatoes get their red colour. Potential benefits of lycopene start with sun protection but extend to heart health and cancer protection too! The nutrition chart for a cup of tomato juice reveals an impressive range of nutrients such as:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin B6, B9
- Potassium
- Magnesium
As you can see, tomato juice is packed with a ton of essential nutrients and what makes it an immunity booster is that a single cup of tomato juice fulfils a lot of your daily nutrition requirements. Moreover, folate, which is Vitamin B9, helps keep infections at bay and magnesium acts as an anti-inflammatory, while promoting heart health along with potassium.
Coconut water
Coconut water is among the healthy drinks naturally available and it is even touted as the natural sports drink. Coconut water is preferred as an alternative to commercial sports drinks as it contains no added sugars or sweeteners. It replenishes lost fluids and provides you with moderate amounts of sodium and carbohydrates. But, even if you aren’t a sports person, coconut water has plenty of ingredients that promote health and immunity. For one, it contains potassium, which is vital to heart health and the musculoskeletal system.
Coconut water also contains Vitamin C, magnesium, sodium, calcium, manganese, a small some protein and fibre, and carbs. In terms of helping your body fight and prevent disease, coconut water may help:
- Reduce blood sugar levels
- Increase insulin sensitivity
- Avoid kidney stones
- Lower heart disease
- Control blood pressure
Watermelon-mint juice
This combination makes for the best energy drink that you can get in summer! The fact that 92% of a watermelon’s weight is water makes the fruit a great option for hydration. Watermelon contains a healthy amount of Vitamin C and Vitamin A, alongside other nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Arginine, an amino acid, is also present in watermelon and it has the capability of boosting your immune system. Like tomato, watermelon has lycopene, the ingredient that gives it a red colour, and the antioxidant is linked to several health benefits. Based on the benefits of eating watermelon, potential benefits of drinking watermelon-mint juice include:
- Cancer prevention
- Better heart health
- Reduced inflammation
- Improved eye health
- Relief from muscle soreness
- Healthy skin and hair
- Asthma prevention
- Reduced blood pressure
- Regular digestion
What’s great is that watermelon contains very little calories and so, with a watermelon and mint leave juice you aren’t drinking your calories at all!
Carrot juice
One doesn’t easily think of carrot juice as an alternative to a commercial beverage. But, apart from giving you better eyesight and glowing skin to boosting your immunity, promoting heart health, and helping prevent cancer, carrot juice has been linked with several health benefits. A cup of canned carrot juice gives you protein, carbs, fibre, fat, and nutrients like:
- Potassium
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B1
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
Linking carrots to vision is not a myth as, in fact, the beta-carotene content in carrot juice promotes good eye health. Carrot juice does more than give you stronger vision. It also helps keep at bay vision loss and blindness. The juice also acts as an immunity booster thanks to its Vitamin C content and antioxidants. Some of the other benefits of carrot juice include:
- Better metabolism
- Reduced cholesterol levels
- Healthier pregnancies
On seeing the health benefits of these natural and easily available drinks, you’ll agree that it’s a good idea to try some out. In fact, once you know how the nutrients work together, you can concoct an instant energy drink or an immunity booster by blending fruits and vegetables together.
Can there be any side effects to natural drinks? For sure. Too much beta-carotene, for instance, from carrots, can alter your skin colour. Moreover, you need to have all nutrients in optimal amounts. Too much of Vitamin C could leave you with an upset stomach.
A way not to err on the side of safety is to run your new diet by a nutritionist, dietician, or physician. Today, you can easily get in touch with any relevant doctor or health expert on the Bajaj Finserv Health platform. You can not only search for doctors near you but also set up appointments, partake in video consultations, and share personal health records for the best diagnosis and advice.
- References
- Disclaimer
Please note that this article is solely meant for informational purposes and Bajaj Finserv Health Limited (“BFHL”) does not shoulder any responsibility of the views/advice/information expressed/given by the writer/reviewer/originator. This article should not be considered as a substitute for any medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your trusted physician/qualified healthcare professional to evaluate your medical condition. The above article has been reviewed by a qualified doctor and BFHL is not responsible for any damages for any information or services provided by any third party.
