Yemenis use energy drinks as a sexual stimulator [Archives:2008/1120/Last Page]
January 14 2008
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Many rural Yemenis travel miles to major cites in search of energy drinks, which they believe are a good sexual stimulant. A report by Hamed Thabet. The reporter can be reached at [email protected]
Married villager Hassan Al-Aowdi traveled from his village of Al- Sada'a in Ibb governorate to Ibb city to purchase an energy drink because he heard that such drinks will increase his sex drive.
He narrates, “Two years ago, no grocery store in my village sold energy drinks, so I had to take a two- to three-hour taxi ride to Ibb to purchase them. To satisfy my curiosity, the first time, I bought two cans and I've drunk them ever since. I really feel that my power in power in sex did increase once I started using them. That's why whenever I want to have sex with my wife, I drink one.”
Married Yemenis, especially those who are middle-aged, use energy drinks the most, with some preferring to drink them while chewing qat, a mild narcotic. Statistics show that seven million Yemenis (including both men and women) chew the green stuff
Nadim Al-Saqqaf, who used to work for energy drink companies in the Yemeni markets and now he is a sales manager for Juices Company in Aujan Industries observes, “The strange thing is that while energy drinks have spread nationwide within a very short time, there was no marketing in remote areas and villages years ago, but villagers still went to the cities to buy these drinks. They did and still are doing it for one reason only – to increase their sex drive.”
Al-Saqqaf express that according to some international studies which have been made on the Middle East, says that Yemen is the Middle East's top consumer of energy drinks. This study is Al-Saqqaf notes, “There are more than 100 varieties of energy drinks on the Yemeni market. Many say that impotency is increasing due to qat, so energy drinks provide needed power.”
Energy drinks have blanketed Yemen over the past 10 years. They are considered a health drink not causing any problems for the body or mind, when, in fact, no specialized studies or research have been done to confirm that these drinks actually possess their touted advantages.
However, the truth that only a few know is that these drinks actually play no role in boosting sexual energy. The majority of Yemenis think they become stronger by using these drinks because they lose nearly all of their energy when they chew qat. In reality, such drinks simply energize or empower the body's muscles, which are useful for those in hard jobs, such as laborers, builders, etc
According to 26-year-old Hani Al-Harazi, a habitual energy drink user who does so in order to have a good sexual relationship with his wife, “I drink a Red Bull whenever I chew qat and then one more afterward, after which I feel like I could fly because of the huge energy burst I experience. With all of this power, I become stronger and filled with power to do what I must and in the right way.”
He concludes, “I recommend all married men drink such drinks in order to have a good marital life.”
Other uses
Truck and taxi drivers who commute between cities and face lengthy travel times also use energy drinks to stay awake. Because they must return the same day, many such drivers either can't or don't want to have to stop and rest, so they consume such drinks.
Abdulwase'e drives a truck for a private company in Sana'a and must drive between Sana'a and Aden and sometimes Hodeidah, returning the same day. A roundtrip journey takes 10 hours.
“To stay awake, I drink Red Bull three times a day while I chew qat and it works,” he says, “But honestly, instead of gaining energy, I sometimes feel even more tired and get a strong headache, which may be caused by the energy drink or maybe because I'm so tired.”
Others consume energy drinks to enable them to study extra hours. For example, Sana'a University student Ibrahim Al-Wae'l says, “I have a lot of books to read in a little time and I get tired, so instead of chewing qat like other Yemenis, I drink Power Horse so that I can study more,” admitting that he sometimes gets a headache, but it works for him in the end.
Likewise, some businesspersons use energy drinks to overcome tiredness and enable them to work more than a normal individual. Moreover, some believe such drinks are beneficial in order to gain energy for the gym or to be more energetic throughout the day.
Health hazards
Energy drinks are designed to increase stamina and improve physical performance, with some being designed especially for elite athletes; however, most are produced and marketed for the general public.
According to Dr. Erfan Y. Al-Shammari, an internist and specialist cardiothoracic and vascular diseases, in Babylon specialized hospital in Sana'a, consuming such drinks poses numerous risks.
The 32 milligrams of caffeine contained in each bottle has a dangerous effect upon the body and mind. “People don't realize the negative effects that drinking such drinks can cause. Over time, this stuff catches up with you. Consumed regularly, they'll eventually cause problems such as heart disease and heart failure later in life,” Al-Shammari explains.
Caffeine is a stimulant that acts on the central nervous system to speed up the messages to and from the brain so that one feels more aware and active. Because individual responses to caffeine vary, these types of drinks should be treated carefully because of how powerful they are
The stimulating properties of energy drinks can boost the body's heart rate and blood pressure (sometimes to the point of palpitations), in addition to causing dehydration, and, like other stimulants, preventing sleep, as Al-Shammari notes, “The high amount of caffeine makes the heart beat faster, thus causing heart attacks and other heart problems.”
Additionally, he points out, such drinks cause gastritis, wherein the stomach secretes excess gastric acid
Those with bone-related health problems shouldn't consume energy drinks because they absorb and leech the calcium from the bones
The most important and negative effect of these drinks is that they fatigue the nerves and the mind, thereby causing lack of perception and an inability to understand. Such drinks are only able to keep one awake longer despite tiredness.
Many times, frequent consumers of energy drinks experience a change in urine color, with it turning either dark brown – the color of energy drinks themselves – or a dark yellow. All this happen in kidney filtration.
According to Al-Shammari, “The caffeine in energy drinks is approximately doubles that in other normal soft drinks.”
He goes on to say that while some consumers claim to be addicted to these drinks, studies and research done on them don't show that they are addictive; however, the caffeine in them is the most dangerous ingredient.
Bader Sallam, who favors energy drinks, says, “Because I have a lot of work to do and little time, I often drink energy drinks when I'm tired so that I won't fall asleep.In my experience, such drinks don't give me any added Power in sex and make no difference when I have sex with my wife.
Al-Shammari concedes that while using energy drinks in combination with qat does provide an energy boost, it doesn't boost sexual drive, as evidenced by those who “crash” or become extremely tired and exhausted after consuming both.
Marwan, a supervisor for Red Bull, indicates that most Yemeni purchasers of energy drinks are qat chewers, drivers, university students and those working in workshops. He emphatically confirms, “These drinks don't give additional power in sex, as many people think. They simply provide energy for hard work and long waking hours.”
He continues, “Based on my experience in this field, I can say that it's simply psychological when people believe they are energized only by consuming energy drinks, with some even saying, 'We're addicted to these drinks and can't live without them.'
As Al-Saqqaf points out, such drinks not only are widespread in Yemen, but also in the United States, where they don't chew qat, but consume alcohol instead
Al-Shammari references an international report, which indicated that Yemen has the highest percentage of divorce among Middle Eastern countries. The study found that when men chew qat, their sexual abilities decrease and they ejaculate quickly, as opposed to women, whose sexual appetite doubles when they chew qat, thus creating problems between couples because men can't satisfy their wives.
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