Quick energy fix (Dextro Energy Tablets)

Member Name: salem_witch

Product:	Dextro Energy Tablets
Date:	20/12/07 (687 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: They are absorbed into your body quickly and with no side effects

Disadvantages: They don't always work and only help so much

Several weeks ago I was talking to my Aunt who suggested energy tablets to me. Not just for the energy boost but for other health benefits. For almost 4 years now I've suffered with dizziness, which at the moment is the best it's been in a long time. I'm starting to get my life back in shape and I'm really eager to get back into work. I find that some days I'm really fatigued and it's normally on when I'm really dizzy that it overwhelms me. Not wanting to give in to it I've tried a variety of things to help me. When I was really bad I'd have to go for a sleep as I was so dizzy and tired all of a sudden it's the only thing I could do. The days it didn't hit me so hard I fought it and slowly over the months I've more or less mastered what I can do and what my limits are. My average day isn't exactly strenuous but the days I am really busy I can find it knocks the life out of me and can trigger my dizziness of really badly.

So after a short conversation to my Aunt about this and how I'd started taking vitamin B supplement she suggested energy tablets to give me an extra helping hand. She had also suffered with a spate of dizziness (not for that long though) and said that when she started to feel really bad she'd take one and it would help her dizziness as well as giving her energy. Willing to give anything a shot I got a few packets of Lemon Dextro from my chemist when I was there next. Remembering how I used to munch through a packet of these really quickly when I worked loads of overtime on nights I wasn't overly bothered at any side effects. I'd not had any back then (as opposed to coffee, which makes me really hyper and pro plus gives me the shakes!) So I felt happy that I wasn't taking anything that could make me worse. And if it did I'd just blame my Auntie!

Dextro claims that by taking an energy tablet it "provides a quick and systematic energy boost, guaranteeing mental and physical performance at crucial moments." To understand how they work and how best to take them you need to know about dextrose. This is the main ingredient in Dextro making up 88% of the tablet. Dextrose works by keeping your blood sugar levels constant and when these dip so does your energy levels as well as your concentration. So whether you're just using more energy or not eating balanced meals this can happen. The main appeal for me was that dextrose is natural and fast acting (dextrose is absorbed into your bloodstream). Because of the tablets being fast acting and going directly into the blood they are ideal for diabetics who have really blood sugar levels. I have no direct experience of this so anyone who is a diabetic I'd suggest you check with your doctor or look on their website before taking them.

So that's the science part explained, now on to the tablets themselves. They are fairly big compared to normal sweets but they don't take very long to eat, The texture can only be described as a powdery chalk. When you put one in your mouth the impulse is to start munching it. If you don't then it wouldn't take long for it to start to melt. I doubt that anyone is patient enough to do that though! When I first put the tablet in my mouth I detected a slight lemon flavour. Once I bit into it the tablet started to disintegrate and released more of the lemon flavour. Personally I like the taste and texture and I can see how you can want another one just for the taste rather than for the energy. The lemon flavour isn't too strong and leaves a nice taste in your mouth. Your taste buds get going and leaves your mouth feeling refreshed. If anyone has had an Aquadrop then you'll know what I mean only it doesn't flood your mouth so much.

Dextro comes in several flavours - original, lemon, orange, blackcurrant and tropical. Each packet contains 14 tablets, which I find ample. I tend to only take them when I feel my energy levels are really low and I need that extra boost. They're also handy to have in my handbag when I've got a busy day ahead of me or I'm doing something physically demanding. Years ago when I worked in a physical job on nights I found these invaluable when I was working overtime and when it was busier than usual. The main thing to remember is they are designed to give you more energy and not keep you awake. I had a colleague that only had a couple of hours sleep and then expected a few tablets to give them enough energy to make them feel alert. Dextro does help but they 're not designed for that.

More recently I've been using them to give me extra energy, as I've been more active in general. Due to my health I've lacked really energy and I've found they've helped me get through some really busy days. Last week I was so busy and did things that I'd have normally have spread over 3 weeks. Dextro isn't the only thing helping me though and for the last 2 months I've been taking vitamin B which is designed to give you more energy. So if you're looking for something to help you all the time then I'd suggest taking vitamins over energy tablets. Having said that the energy tablets are there for when you need that extra help.

The other nice thing about Dextro is they contain vitamin C, which we all know helps your body fight things like colds. Vitamin C is water soluble and therefore only stays in your system for a day. So if you don't get your daily intake through your diet then you can get some from Dextro. A packet will give you your recommended daily allowance but I don't suggest munching through a whole packet in a day! Dextro suggest that you take half a tablet if you need some energy and if you're doing something really physical like sport then take up to two tablets in a day. This information isn't on the packet so people maybe taking more than they should. I'd like to see a suggested amount added on the packet like you get with medicated cough sweets. Common sense tells you not to take too many but you do get a handful of people out there that'd think nothing of eating a packet just like that. Although you can't do serious harm by having a few more than you should they won't be as effective, which defeats the whole purpose of taking them in the first place. If your sugar levels are pushed up too quickly then they'll go down just as quickly leaving you thinking they're not working. Personally the most I'd take in a day would be two and that would really be rare. Taking a tablet helps most of the time but I have taken one before and not noticed and real difference. This is probably due to me having the tablets too close to each other and my sugar levels rising and dropping quickly.

Overall I do think that Dextro energy tablets are good. You just need to know how they work so you can use them efficiently. They help me through busy days where I'm doing more physical things. I've also noticed they've raised my concentration levels, which is great if I'm driving long distances. Also if I've been rudely awoken at evil o'clock (my cat has a tendency to think this is fun!) and I can't get back to sleep then by taking a couple of tablets throughout the day really does help. However, they're not a substitute for sleep so they can only help to some extent. I'd rather take them or have a Luzozade than having a coffee or an energy drink like Red Bull as they don't give me any side effects or stop me from sleeping that night. I wouldn't like to say if they've directly helped with my dizziness but they have helped me feel more alert and have more energy. When I feel tired I can get really dizzy so indirectly they must be helping me. I'd certainly recommend them for those who have hectic lives, exercise or for those days where you just need a helping hand.

59p from Tesco

www.dextro-energy.com/uk/

Summary: A good way to get extra energy