What Are Other Sources of Energy?

​Let's take a look at some other popular sources of energy:

• Caffeine
• Carnitine
• Guarana
• Taurine

I AM AN OVER EATER recommends consulting your physician before using any dietary supplements.

Caffeine
(Sources: U.S. National Library of Medicine; Mayo Clinic)

SOURCES
Found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, kola nuts and certain medicines

PURPOSE
Stimulates the central nervous system

DOSEAGE
Up to 400 mg of caffeine/day appears to be safe for most healthy adults

• Roughly 4 cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or 2 “energy shot” drinks

Heavy caffeine use, more than 500-600 mg/day, can cause unpleasant side effects

SIDE EFFECTS
Insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, headaches or dizziness, upset stomach, fast heartbeat or abnormal heart rhythms, dehydration, muscle tremors

INTERACTIONS
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and norfloxacin (Noroxin)

• can interfere with the breakdown of caffeine which may increase the length of time it remains in your systems and amplifies its side effects

Theophylline (Theo-24, Elixophyllin, others)

• tends to have some caffeine-like effects and when combined with caffeinated foods/beverages may cause adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting and heart palpitations

Echinacea

• is an herbal supplement which may increase the concentration of caffeine in your blood and increase the unpleasant effects of caffeine

Carnitine
(Source: National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements)

SOURCES
Found in animal products like meat, fish, poultry and milk
L-carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine and propionyl-L-carnitine are available over-the-counter as dietary supplements

PURPOSE
Plays a critical role in energy production

DOSAGE
Body makes sufficient carnitine to meet the needs of most people
Some may be deficient for genetic or medical reasons; please see your physician to determine if you are deficient
Healthy children and adults do not need to consume carnitine from food or supplements

SIDE EFFECTS
At doses of approximately 3 g/day, carnitine supplements can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and a “fishy” body odor
Rarer side effects include muscle weakness in uremic patients and seizures in those with seizure disorders

INTERACTIONS
Carnitine interacts with pivalate-conjugated antibiotics such as pivampicillin that are used in the long-term prevention of urinary-tract infections

Guarana
(Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine; Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database)

SOURCES
Plant named for the Guarani tribe in the Amazon
Other names include Brazilian Cocoa, Cacao Brésilien, Guarana Seed Extract, Guaranine, Paullinia cupana, Paullinia sorbilis and Zoom

PURPOSE
Contains caffeine as well as theophylline and theobromine, which are chemicals similar to caffeine
Effectiveness based on scientific evidence for Guarana is “insufficient evident to rate effectiveness” for anxiety, mental performance, weight loss, malaria, diarrhea, fever, headaches, heart problems, improvement of exercise endurance, improvement of short-term, high-intensity performance and power, increasing blood pressure for people who have low blood pressure, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), joint pain, fluid retention and other conditions

DOSAGE
At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for guarana
Guarana is likely safe for most adults when consumed in amounts commonly found in foods
Guarana is possibly safe when taken by mouth in medicinal amounts for a short time
Guarana is possibly unsafe when taken by mouth in high doses for a long time
Guarana is likely unsafe and even deadly, due to its caffeine content, when taken by mouth of injected in very high doses
Doses greater than 250-300 mg daily have been linked to side effects
In a typical dose, side effects may include insomnia, nervousness and restlessness, stomach irritation, nausea, vomiting, increased heart rate and blood pressure, rapid breathing, tremors, delirium and diuresis.
In a large dose, side effects may include headache, anxiety, agitation, ringing in the ears, pain when urinating, stomach cramps and irregular heartbeat

INTERACTIONS
​Guarana interacts severely with stimulant drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine and ephedrine
Guarana interacts moderately with Adenosine (Adenocard); antibiotics (Quinolone antibiotics) such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), enoxacin (Penetrex), norfloxacin (Chibroxin, Noroxin), sparfloxacin (Zagam), trovafloxacin (Trovan) and grepafloxacin (Raxar); Cimetidine (Tagamet); Clozapine (Clozaril); Dipyridamole (Persantine); Disulfiram (Antabuse); Estrogens; Fluvoxamine (luvox); Litium; medications for asthma (Beta-adrenergic agonists); medications for depression (MAOIs); medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet drugs); Nicotine; Pentobarbital (Nembutal); Phenylpropanolamine; Riluzole (Rilutek); Theophylline; Verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan)
Guarana interacts minimally with alcohol, birth control pills, fluconazole (Diflucan), medications for diabetes, mexiletine (Mexitil), terbinafine (Lamisil),
Guarana also interacts with herbs and supplements

• Bitter orange
  • Can increase blood pressure and heart rate
• Caffeine-containing herbs and supplements
  • Can increase both the harmful and helpful effects of caffeine
• Calcium
  • Guarana increases urinary calcium excretion
• Creatine
  • There is some concern that combining caffeine, ephedra and creatine might increase the risk of serious side effects such as stroke
• Ephedra (Ma huang)
  • Can cause overstimulation
• Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet herbs and supplements
  • Guarana seems to be able to slow blood clotting therefore combined with other anticoagulant/antiplatelet herbs and supplements may increase risk of bleeding
• Magnesium
  • Guarana increases urinary magnesium excretion

Taurine
(Source: Mayo Clinic)

SOURCES
Found naturally in meat, fish and breast milk

PURPOSE
Supports neurological development and helps regulate the level of water and minerals in the blood
Some studies suggest taurine supplementation may improve athletic performance
Other studies suggest when combined with caffeine, mental performance is improved

DOSAGE
Up to 3,000 mg/day of supplemental taurine is generally considered safe

SIDE EFFECTS
Little is known about the effects of heavy or long-term taurine use