Is Herbalife liftoff bad for you?

In this brief guide, we will answer the query, “Is Herbalife liftoff bad for you?” and will discuss the side effects of Herbalife liftoff ingredients.

Is Herbalife liftoff bad for you?

Yes, Herbalife liftoff is bad for you.  Herbalife liftoff can cause allergic reactions when consumed in excess amounts.

What is Herbalife liftoff?

In the last decade, the popularity of energy drinks has skyrocketed. For the most part, the components in these goods are proprietary. Some beverages are packaged in cans, while others like Liftoff are packaged as tablets.

On the Herbalife site, it is said that Liftoff includes ingredients proven to improve mental function and increase vitality. However, these components might trigger adverse responses in persons who are sensitive to them. Make an appointment with a doctor before ingesting significant quantities of energy beverages.

Caffeine

Most energy drinks include caffeine, a stimulant that has been shown to improve alertness and performance. According to a December 2010 study in “Sports Medicine,” ingesting this stimulant may aid athletes in both individual and team sports. Several mechanisms for the ergogenic effects of caffeine have been proposed, including enhanced fat oxidation, sympathetic nervous system enhancement, reduction in central fatigue, attenuation of neuromuscular conduction block, and potentiation of muscular force output for given input (1). Caffeine, on the other hand, might have negative consequences. 

Caffeine has a negative effect on endurance events because of increased loss of calcium, which may lead to decreased muscle contraction, and loss of magnesium that may lead to muscle cramping. Withdrawal from caffeine can cause headache, fatigue and decreased vigor. Anxiety, nausea/ vomiting and craving occur with lesser frequency (2).

Numerous studies have shown that caffeine is capable of decreasing the perceived level of exertion especially in endurance athletes. These effects are likely due to caffeine-induced changes to the chemicals in the brain, neurotransmitters, which help transmit signals between nerves. These changes likely lead to increased excitability and alertness (2). Caffeine, a stimulant believed to enhance performance and alertness, is included in most energy drinks. According to a December 2010 study in “Sports Medicine,” ingesting this stimulant may aid athletes in both individual and team sports (1).

Guarana

Paullinia cupana, popularly known as ‘guarana,’ has remained popular despite worries about its potential for addiction, despite the plant’s name. In a study published in the journal “Phytotherapy Research” in February 2011, it was shown that regular users are less likely to develop diabetes symptoms. Over-the-counter supplements may cause renal damage. Investigations have shown that guaraná positively affects lipid metabolism, enhances weight loss and increases basal energy expenditure. Therefore, these data suggest that guaraná potentially conveys an antiobesity effect. Furthermore, guarana exhibits a cardioprotective effect due to opposition to platelet aggregation (3).

The bioactive compounds found in guarana include methylxanthines, tannins, saponins, catechins, and proanthocyanidins, as well as residual concentrations of other compounds that are also associated with health benefits. The benefits of guarana include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, hypocholesterolemic, and antiobesity effects.  Regarding the toxicity of guarana, in vivo studies using aqueous guarana extract in association with other plants have reported that these formulations have low toxicity and are safe in low dosages, even with prolonged consumption (4).

Despite health concerns, the Paullinia cupana plant, popularly known as guarana, remains popular.In a study published in the journal “Phytotherapy Research” in February 2011, it was shown that regular users are less likely to develop diabetes symptoms (3).

Ginseng

Increase in oxygen-derived free radicals is closely related to the aging process. Korean red ginseng decreases lipid peroxidation and restores anti-oxidant potential by reducing oxidative stress. Ginseng has been shown to be cardioprotective through its anti-oxidative, anti-arrhythmic, calcium channel-antagonistic, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties. Korean ginseng can improve certain psychomotor functions such as mental arithmetic in healthy subjects, as assessed by different tests of psychomotor performance. Moreover, Ginseng can protect against UV radiation-induced skin damage (5).

Taurine

Organic acid taurine is often added to energy drinks by beverage manufacturers. According to a February 2004 study in “Amino Acids,” these chemicals decrease tiredness and promote performance. Taurine also aids the body’s ability to break down sugar (6).

Taurine, 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is one of the most abundant free amino acids in mammalian cells. Taurine has cytoprotective and enantiostasis properties through its actions on antioxidation, detoxification, osmoregulation, membrane-stabilization and intracellular calcium flux regulation due to its molecular structure. It has been reported that taurine can protect against oxidative damage under many conditions, and attenuate cell necrosis and apoptosis. Therefore, taurine exerts a beneficial effect on the prevention of DNA damage in white blood cells due to exhaustive exercise induced oxidative damage. The action of taurine may be due to not only the direct scavenging of free radicals, but also indirect antioxidant and other detoxifying properties (6).

Ginkgo

Traditional communities relied on the Ginkgo biloba tree for a variety of therapeutic purposes. There is evidence to support some of these claims, according to modern scholars. According to a study published in “Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment” in 2011, ginkgo reduces the symptoms of dementia. The ringing in the ears of people with hearing loss could be lessened as a result of this treatment. Modulation of the serotonin system, increasing dopamine levels in prefrontal cortical areas, perhaps by inhibition of the norepinephrine transporter, attenuation of a hyperactivated hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal  axis, and improvement of neuronal insulin sensitivity may play a role, since these pharmacodynamic actions of Ginkgo extracts target pathomechanisms that are common to dementia and behavioral disorders (7).

Traditional communities relied on the Ginkgo biloba tree for a variety of therapeutic purposes. According to a study published in “Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment” in 2011, ginkgo reduces the symptoms of dementia (7).

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we answered the query, “Is Herbalife liftoff bad for you?” and discussed the side effects of Herbalife liftoff ingredients.

References

  1. Beedie CJ. All in the mind? Pain, placebo effect, and ergogenic effect of caffeine in sports performance. Open Access J Sports Med., 2010, 1, 87-94. 
  2. Sinclair, C. J., and J. D. Geiger. Caffeine use in sports. A pharmacol rev. J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 2000, 40, 71-79.
  3. da Costa Krewer, Cristina, et al. Habitual intake of guaraná and metabolic morbidities: an epidemiological study of an elderly Amazonian population. Phytother Res, 2011, 25, 1367-1374.
  4. Torres, Elizabeth AFS, et al. Effects of the consumption of guarana on human health: A narrative review. Comprehen Rev Food Sci Food Safe, 2022, 21, 272-295.
  5. Yang, Yong, et al. Ginseng: an nonnegligible natural remedy for healthy aging. Aging dis, 2017, 8, 708.
  6. Zhang, M., et al. Role of taurine supplementation to prevent exercise-induced oxidative stress in healthy young men. Amino acids, 2004, 26, 203-207.
  7. Bachinskaya, Natalia, Robert Hoerr, and Ralf Ihl. Alleviating neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia: the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761®. Findings from a randomized controlled trial. Neuropsych Dis Treat, 2011, 7, 209.

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