Energy drinks can be generally characterised as containing caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, inositol and a variety of B vitamins, including thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid and riboflavin. Caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone are regulated as Natural Health Products under Schedule 1 of the NHP Regulations. The product Red Bull exemplifies a typical energy drink, where a single can serving of 250 ml contains 80 mg of caffeine, 1000 mg of taurine, 600 mg of glucuronolactone and several B vitamins .
Hazard assessments on energy drinks are based on individual ingredients, with caffeine being identified as the ingredient with the greatest potential for intakes of possible health concern. Excess consumption of energy drinks is expected to result in health consequences similar to those from excess intake of caffeine. The mild and transient health effects include anxiety, headache and insomnia, all of which can become chronic conditions. More severe health consequences include irregular heartbeat, heart attack and rarely, death. There is a concern that some individuals, who may have increased sensitivity to the ingredients in energy drinks, may have acute physiological response, such as increase in heart rate and blood pressure.
A limited number of studies have assessed the behavioural affects following consumption of energy drinks containing both glucose and caffeine. These studies identified improvements in performance of attention and/or
• Determine under what conditions each of the “energy drinks” might be useful to the consumer.
Energy drinks are comprised of the following primary ingredients: caffeine, sugar, ginseng, taurine, and guarana. Caffeine is the most commonly used legal drug in the world that does not discriminate among the races, ethnicity, or gender groups. Babu et al. (2008) stated that a lethal dose of caffeine in a healthy adult can range from 5 - 10 g with 9 - 28 mg of caffeine per ounce in an energy drink (Rath, 2012). The human body does not block caffeine. The body acts like a sponge and absorbs caffeine and then quickly distributes it throughout the body (Rath, 2012). Individuals have the tendency to excessively consume caffeine. The caffeine when combined with sugar can cause psychological and physiological effects in people such as mild to moderate euphoria. Drinking one energy drink is not considered excessive. Drinking two or more drinks in a day is considered excessive.
In the past few years, according to Diana Koelliker from Telluride Medical , a number of energy drinks have entered the market to provide all of us with a quick boost of energy, easily. These drinks usually contain high levels of caffeine and other additives that act as stimulants. Sometimes we need the extra pick me up to get us through the rest of the day or to help us stay awake while studying for an exam. So, what better way to do that then to grab a Red Bull or a Monster? Well studies have shown that energy drinks just may not be our best option.
Over the last decade, drinks containing high amounts of caffeine, sugar, and other ingredients that increase energy have been rapidly growing in popularity. Clearly these beverages are known as energy drinks. Energy drinks have gotten so popular that it is extremely rare to find a convenience store that doesn’t sell a variety of them. Students use energy drinks to cram the night before a test, athletes use them to exercise, party animals mix them with alcohol to drink more than humanly possible, and some people just drink them to stay awake at work after a sleepless night. Red Bull, one of the most popular energy drinks in the market, claim to enhance
Caffeine’s mental appeal is just as trendy as its physical purpose. Caffeine has been proven to stimulate the central nervous system. Caffeine stimulates the Central Nervous System at high levels, like the medulla and cortex, and even has the ability to reach the spinal cord in larger doses. The effect of caffeine in the cortex is a clearer thought process and also can rid the body of fatigue. This gives people a greater ability of concentration for 1-3 hours. For athletes competing in sports where quick thinking and rapid reactions are necessary, caffeine can provide a huge edge. However, these results are much more inconsistent than the experiments done on caffeine in endurance sports. (http://www.garynull.com/Documents/CaffeineEffects.htm)
Sherryn Furter argues that energy drinks are more harmful and dangerous than it seems. By drawing an anecdote that highlights the contradicting view on energy drinks and coffee she elaborates that energy drinks not only contains caffeine but “twice the amount” as in coffee. While this quote exhibits Furter as knowledgeable on the topic, it also creates a sense a fear in adults since they are likely to know the effects of
Ever since Red Bull entered the market in 1997, there's been a boost in the sales of these caffeinated energy drinks. These are marketed to increase energy, aid weight loss, improve stamina, concentration, and athletic performance, some even claim to give you superpowers. But not a slight hint is given to the consumers about the high caffeine amounts in them which can lead to serious consequences in both adults and
(Citations, expert) The International Journal of Health Sciences says there are many potential adverse effects of energy drinks in relation to their ingredients such as:
Energy drinks are a kind of refreshments that are advertised as soft drinks that boost energy. The truth is these kinds of drinks are full of many harmful ingredients, such as sugar, stimulants, and other herbal supplements. Energy drinks are targeting high school and college students who may use this kind of drink to keep them awake for a midterm, or even give them a hallucination feeling any other alcoholic beverages will do. Many studies showed the disadvantageous of these drinks, yet this industry has wildfire between underage kids who used it to show their rebellious side through a safe and cheap way. A new study shows that 34% of youth between the ages of eighteen years old and twenty- four years old consume energy drinks regularly
Answer: Energy drink manufacturers advertise energy drinks as booting your energy levels, sleeplessness, and to help you become more aware. However, the larger amounts of caffeine and other supplements are sometimes not properly reported. In a study of over 3, 600 adults, the excessive amount of caffeine predisposed the participants to anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and many more.
People around the world drink energy drinks on a daily basis not knowing of the ingredients and how they affect your body. more than 200 milligrams of caffeine can be dangerous, and energy drinks can include up to 500mg
Back in 1050, the first energy drink was created the “Black Drink.” The brand Coca-Cola is considered to be one of the first energy drinks. Later in 1987, the brand Red Bull was launched. Ever since the launch of Red Bull, it has been the top seller being followed closely by Monster. But, in the whole world Monster is the top of that chart. Athletes and sports organizations have been sponsoring Red Bull causing their market to boom (Energy Facts Everything You Need to Know). Recently research has shown that some of Starbucks drinks can be considered energy drinks. Along with some coffees, green teas with lots of sugars can be called energy drinks too. Minors most commonly drink soda and tea rather than energy drinks (What You Should Know About Energy Drinks). Energy drinks have evolved from just the energy drink itself to some other drinks being considered energy
The consumption of energy drinks is common throughout college students for many reasons, such as a need for energy while studying and working on major projects. Plus, now that they are gaining popularity, these issues are getting worse “...since the 1997 debut of Red Bull. More than 500 new energy drinks were launched worldwide in 2006 and beverage companies are reaping the financial rewards of the 5.7 billion dollar energy drink industry” (Malinauskas 2). Energy drinks have certainly grown in the past decade, causing college students to take advantage of this phenomenon. Although, they need to realize the long term effects they have on their bodies, especially when using them to stay awake.
Caffeine, however, is the most common stimulant. “Caffeine is the most widely used drug on the planet and has been used for centuries for its stimulating effects” (energy fiend.com). Most energy drinks contain between seventy to two hundred milligrams of caffeine each. For example, a full can of Rockstar contains one hundred sixty milligrams of caffeine. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, which gives the body a jolt of their senses, making them more alert. The use of caffeine can dehydrate the body and raise blood pressure and heart rate. Symptoms can commonly occur from consuming caffeine such as, heart palpitations, headaches, nausea, and the jitters. Taurine is an amino acid that is naturally produced by the body. Our body usually creates enough of this so you do not need a supplement. It is said to help with regulating the heart beat, energy and muscle contractions. A long time ago the use of taurine was banned in certain countries, but that ban has been lifted. The ingredient gaurana comes from a plant in South America. Some people say that gaurana works better than caffeine for an energy boost, but there are not many statistics on the fact. The last of the five common ingredients is all of the B vitamins that are used. These vitamins are pretty much the items that help you transform food into energy. The Vitamins B6 and B12 do not absorb well when you swallow them. Typically the amounts of B vitamins used in most of the energy drinks will have no
Sylvia Nena (2011) also stated that “Manufactures of these products claim to increase energy, endurance, burn fat and improve athletic performance. According to experts, many of them state that it is untrue that energy drink helps to increase energy. This is due to drugs that can be found in the drinks such as caffeine. Caffeine with high levels of consuming can cause some problems to the human body like palpitations, hypertension, vomiting, convulsions and even worst heart failure which can lead to death. Roland Griffiths (2012) a caffeine specialist said that high caffeine in use by young people can cause a cycle of rushes and crashes that can add “a degree of variance to their moods and psychological well-being that they don’t really need. Joao Breda(2014) from WHO’s Europe wrote that caffeine has a proven negative effect on