Day 159- If Red Bull doesn't give you wings, what does it give you?

They use marketing statements such as, "gives you wings," "unleash the beast," "is it in you?," "feel the energy at work." The bottles draw the attention of the younger population, with neon or bold colors. The names are young and hip like, "Rockstar," or "Amp." You see them sponsoring sporting events or concerts. They are handed out for free during all kinds of various promotions. Energy drinks have taken over the market, especially when it comes to the younger generation. In a 2008 article written in Science Daily, states that "The market for these drinks stand at an estimated $5.4 billion in the United States and is expanding at a rate of 55 percent annually."

You can purchase these beverages at grocery stores, quickie marts, gas stations, or even order them at a bar. Energy drinks are everywhere. But are these energy drinks as safe as drinking a cup of coffee?

"A regular 12-ounce cola drink has about 35 milligrams of caffeine, and a 6-ounce cup of brewed coffee has 80 to 150 milligrams of caffeine. Because many energy drinks are marketed as "dietary supplements," the limit that the Food and Drug Administration requires on the caffeine content of soft drinks (71 milligrams per 12-ounce can) does not apply. The caffeine content of energy drinks varies from 50 to more than 500 milligrams." - Science Daily

Most parents wouldn't allow their children to drink coffee at a young age, but it seems that energy drinks are alright to consume, even though some brands may contain close to 5 times more caffeine than a cup of coffee. You don't even have to be of a certain age to purchase energy drinks. You see energy drinks used almost like an accessory amongst teenagers, getting hooked on caffeine and energy at such a young age. The excessive amounts of caffeine and sugars contained in these drinks, can screw up their blood sugar, exhaust their adrenals; in turn leading to a whole mess of more serious issues down the road.

"But these drinks aren't recommended to either athletes or children under the age of 12. Energy drinks don't hydrate the body efficiently, because they have too much sugar. And caffeine doesn't necessarily improve physical performance. In high quantities it can increase the risks of fatigue and dehydration." - Stephanie Cote, nutritionist

The energy drink market, advertises the added nutrients that their drinks provide, such as B vitamins and natural stimulants like, ginseng and guarana seed. The stress that these drinks cause on your body makes the B vitamins that it provides obsolete. The natural stimulants combined with caffeine can stimulate both the cardiac and nervous systems, which has been seen to result in seizures.

So besides the excessive amount of caffeine that energy drinks provide, they are also packed full with sugar! In most cases more than 80 grams per serving. Talk about spiking your blood sugar for a huge crash shortly after. Think that the "sugar free" option solves that problem? Guess again, all the sugar-free version does is substitute sugar for the artificial and chemical version.

Although there are not many long term studies that have been conducted on energy drinks, researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the University of Queensland in Australia found:

"Four documented cases of caffeine-associated death have been reported, as well as five separate cases of seizures associated with consumption of energy/power drinks. Additional reports include an otherwise healthy 28-year-old man who suffered a cardiac arrest after a day of motorcross racing; a healthy 18-year-old man who died playing basketball after drinkig two cans of Red Bull; and four cases of mania experienced by individuals known to have bipolar disorder." -NY Times

Granted there are only a small amount of reported cases this far regarding the dangers of energy drinks, and most likely there were other underlying factors involved in these cases that were not mentioned. But still is that spike of energy, really worth the crash that you will experience once your "buzz" has worn off? Is it worth putting stress on your pancreas and liver with all the sugar that the drinks provide? Is it worth the jittering feeling and stress that is put on your adrenal glands? Sure you can continue to consume these beverages until substantial research and data has been collected, but do you really need that evidence before you can see that these drinks provide no health benefits what-so-ever?

So if Red Bull doesn't give you wings, what does it give you?

"Just one can of the popular stimulant energy drink Red Bull can increase your risk of heart attack or stroke. The effect was seen even in young people. The caffeine-loaded beverage causes blood to become sticky, a pre-cursor to cardiovascular problems such as stroke. One hour after drinking Red Bull, your blood system become abnormal, as might be expected from a patient with cardiovascular disease. Red Bull is banned in Norway, Uruguay, and Denmark because of health risks." -Reuters

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP