Alarming Info on Energy Drinks

[Keith Carter]

I was on another forum and this was a post regarding energy drinks published by GNC.. I had an idea that they couldn't be "health food" by any means, but this was indeed shocking. I know that in most tests like this, it's purely an extreme scenario with the damage done (a la the movie "Supersize Me") but it still puts a better perspective on what they're capable of.

"We received a free GNC magazine at the office today and they had an article about how bad energy drinks really are for you here are some of the statistics the study came up with..

Top 5 worst energy drinks are:

1) MONSTER

2) Sobe No Fear

3) Amp'd

4) Full Throttle

5) Rockstar

Red Bull with no sugar was rated as the best energy drink for you, but rightfully enough it had the least effect on your body..(gave you the least energy). here's some other scary statistics it showed in the article..

For every 20oz. of Monster you drink it takes 6.3 gallons of water to flush it out of your kidneys. The average person drinks 6.3 gallons of water in 23 days.. for every 20oz of Red Bull, with no sugar, you drink it takes .9 gallons of water to flush out your kidneys and the average person drinks .9 gallons of water in about 2 days. (I have no idea who an "average person" is, but anyway...)

Another study showed...

If the average person drank 5 Monsters a day, and did not drink 1 gallon of water per day he/she would have kidney failure within 5 years...

Some more...

The average energy drinker drinks 2 energy drinks a day to equal the sugar in 2 Monster you would have to eat 13 scoops of ice cream a day.. Red Bull, with no sugar, it would take 2 scoops of ice cream in a day to equal two red bulls with no sugar..

Those are real scary numbers. I think I'd lay off the Monster... even the best energy drink for you which is Red Bull with no sugar, even it looks real bad for you..."

[formulasuper]

Think I'll stick to my 2 scoops of ice cream!

[MarkM]

Interesting Keith. Do you have a link? What about them is so tough on the kidneys? I knew they had a ton of sugar, but I thought I was "safe" with the sugar free.

[Keith Carter]

Sorry, I don't have a direct link to the article because it was said to be from a GNC magazine that someone had received. Moderation is the key with anything and you also have to keep in mind that GNC does have their own dog in the hunt with their own energy drinks available. I'll see what I can dig up though.

[RussMcB]

Dang. That's depressing. I love my Monsters. I probably drink 5 a week. Guess I'll have to cut back.

[Matthew Inge]

i guess no more yager bombs.

[Keith Carter]

i guess no more yager bombs.

Nah.... Red Bull is the "healthiest"

[Thomas Copeland]

It's the caffeine in these drinks that pumps up your alertness meter not so much the sugar. So why not just pop a couple of No Doz's? I used the doziers when I was still in school to cram for tests or to stay alert when going out clubbing....one side effect from dozier use...ya woke up the next morning with some parts of your body (mostly in the neather regions) seriously buzzing...

I would be more concerned about the chemicals in those drinks that all that sugar is trying to mask. Wonder how long it takes to flush that outta your system...the health drink industry is completely unregulated in this country and there might be a reason why Red Bull is banned in France.

[gt250]

Interesting article in tomorrow's NY Times. No mention of Energy Drinks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/au...ef=automobiles

[Mark H]

I wonder how many beers a day it takes to flush out 5 Monsters a day?

[dc]

It's the caffeine in these drinks that pumps up your alertness meter not so much the sugar. So why not just pop a couple of No Doz's? I used the doziers when I was still in school to cram for tests or to stay alert when going out clubbing....one side effect from dozier use...ya woke up the next morning with some parts of your body (mostly in the neather regions) seriously buzzing...

I would be more concerned about the chemicals in those drinks that all that sugar is trying to mask. Wonder how long it takes to flush that outta your system...the health drink industry is completely unregulated in this country and there might be a reason why Red Bull is banned in France.

Don't get me started on the stuff that the FDA allows in this country. Between Aspertame and the fuzzy regulations on caffeine, it's obvious that the FDA isn't that far removed from the purse strings of big business, and namely the major pharmaceutical companies.

Do a little research on what caffeine, a seemingly harmless substance, does to your nervous system and nerve endings. The fact that a tasteless, flavorless, pointless substance is ADDED to so many things that it is not naturally found in (soda, energy drinks, meal bars, etc.), is frightening. Besides being horribly addictive, it masks a lot of other things your body produces naturally, like adenosine (the chemical in your body that triggers sleep). What it all winds up doing is screwing with your body's natural systems, and wreaks havoc with your ability to rest. By doing that, you are consistently fighting your through your daily ability to stay awake, which in turn, triggers you to seek more caffeine or stimulant. You're actually making it harder on your body to sleep (recover and rest), and creating a more tired feeling during the waking hours.


in the last 2 years, I quit two major dietary plaques in my life; fast food and caffeine. Quitting junk fast food was easy—just go watch the previously mentioned Supersize Me. I'm almost at 2 years without having McDonalds or anything similar (read: nothing ever with a drive-through), and the quality state of physical condition has increased noticeably.

Quitting caffeine was a little bit more effort. It was easily one of the single hardest things I have ever done. I was suffering migraines almost weekly and as suggested by a doctor, quitting caffeine or regulating my intake was the only solution that would work. Fourteen straight days of headaches and nausea later, I was through the withdrawal. I have read that it is akin to quitting heroin, and I would believe it. Almost instantly, I began to notice that I was less restless at work, suffered less grogginess during the day, I fell asleep easier, woke up easier, and I didn't toss and turn all night trying to get comfortable. The migraines stopped completely and I have had one mild low blood sugar headache in the 8 months since I gave it up completely. And by completely, that means no tea, no coffee, no chocolate, no soda with any chance of caffeine (and that is most of them), and no Excedrin or other drugs with caffeine.

I convinced my wife to do the same, and while she needed three different passes at quitting, she is now off of it completely and will tell you the exact same thing I will—it's one of the best things you can ever do for yourself and your physical health.




It's poison, and our government doesn't feel the need to regulate it, for some reason. It's jammed into orange soda and "energy" foods because "the public demands it" not for any other reason than we have all become addicted to it.






It reminds me of a saying, "the world wouldn't need so many lawyers if the world didn't have so many lawyers." It's kinda the same thing... we wouldn't demand so much caffeine to stimulate ourselves through our daily lives if we didn't have so much caffeine in the first place.

I'll get off my soapbox now, but if you want to really challenge yourself to be healthier, and have a higher quality of life, do yourself a favor and give it up completely. You don't need it and your body doesn't want it. You'll perform better in every facet of life, and realize that caffeine and all of these stimulants that we have come to use so effortlessly are not needed at all.







My next attack is on High Fructose Corn Syrup. Ever try to buy foods without it? Wanna kill an entire country, just feed it HFCS.

[D.T. Benner]

When I was a kid (1940's) I remember every morning watching my parents get up and be useless until they had their coffee and a cig.
Even at that age I could figure out that was not such a good way to start a day!
Although I do have a cup of tea from time to time I can't tolerate Caffine and find if I drink 1 Snapple Ice tea I will be up till 3 am trying to get to sleep.
By not being a caffine addict I wake up in the morning like turning on a light switch,wide awake and ready to go!
Friends say I have more energy then anyone they know (that is my age ) and I think you are right about what we put into our bodies having a big effect on our everyday life.
Hey I'm not a health food person just aware of what we should and should not do to keep the old body going for as long as I can.

[Bob Coury]

Interesting article in tomorrow's NY Times. No mention of Energy Drinks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/au...ef=automobiles

Jeez-we made the permanent hyperbaric chambers for hospital use at my last job-I wonder if I can get a discount? Some could hold 10-12 drivers!

[MarkM]

Nice rant Doug. While caffiene is still one of my vices, your discussion is right on point.

In this country (including the FDA), the answer is always "follow the money". Don't assume that what they tell you is "safe" actually is and conversely just because they condemn something doesn't mean it is bad.

[Thomas Copeland]

How about a thread on the terrors of Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil!?

Caffeine is a serious drug as I discovered once on a trip to Lisbon. There they don't water it down so much like they do in this country, After one late night the next morning like a fool I downed 3 caffe lattes (they were really damn good) and I wasn't right for the next 3 hours. Blurred vison, everything was totally spacey. The doziers only kept me awake and alert, this stuff weirded me out. Effects of caffeine overdose. It is after all, a cousin to the cocaine plant. Guess you can get the same high from 6 monsters. That might be the attraction of drinking that many in one day.

Not sure I could ever quit the caffeine vice completely but I gave up the No Doz years ago as being a very unhealthy form of substance abuse, even if legal in this country(but not in some European countries as I discovered!).

[Daryl DeArman]

In this country (including the FDA), the answer is always "follow the money". Don't assume that what they tell you is "safe" actually is and conversely just because they condemn something doesn't mean it is bad.

Remind anyone else of the SFI and Head and Neck Restraints?

[Larry]

Many years ago I had a job where my main responsibility was to drink coffee (actually, it was an Air Force Command Post). When I was ready to leave the Air Force and hopefully get a job as a pilot, I took a separation physical. During the EKG, the corpsman ran out to get the flight surgeon and they both stared at the EKG tape for a few minutes...then they took me into the office and asked if I had heart problems previously. Two days later I was sent to the USAF hospital center in Europe for a medical evaluation of my heart. After 3 days of no coffee and extensive testing, I was told that my heart was excellent, and the arrhythmia that was seen was strictly a result of too much coffee.

I still love the stuff, but don't drink the 10+ cups a day that I did back then.

Larry Oliver
International Racing Products

[Eric E.]

The average person drinks 6.3 gallons of water in 23 days..

Wow I drink close to a gallon of water a day.

I had one of these energy drinks once and it felt like my heart was going to explode. I mean I get my heart rate up to 180 or so rowing or biking, but with the energy drink I felt like I was at 200 at REST! Screw that. My HR is usually 60 at rest. I don't drink coffee either, and that's working nights 11-7 for 6+ years. Everyone at work thinks I am crazy. All you need is the good ol H2O.

[logager]

I was drinking 2 of the red Monsters a day. I have ofter drunk one within an hour before going to bed with no sleep issues.
But, I love what health I have, and have now stopped. Thanks for the info.


Lyle

[Thomas Copeland]

WooWee!!!!

Forget the 6 monsters!

Robbie Williams--Happy sleeping pills, 36 expressos, 60 cigarettes, and

20 RED BULLS EVERY DAY!!!

Read it here---

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2007070393,00.html


I love the limey tabloids...they have all the low-down dirty scoops....

[EYERACE]

Did you do any independent reading/research in scientific/pharmacological/physiological literature after reading what you did in the other forum? If you did not, then IMHO what you did was react semiemotionally to the other site and then set up others to further react here............not exactly 'mass hysteria' but not sound science and method.

I read studies and research daily and must critique the articles as i do too, so as to see through the 'garbage science' > studies funded by a given commercial company, studies written just so some professor can fulfill the terms of a one year employment contract, studies done just so some doctor [who's now 'famous' because they're published] will be able to talk about that one topic 'on the lecture circuit' many times across the country for a nice fee, free plane ticket and a free suite at a nice convention center for the weekend. The doctor travels when it's not his weekend with the kids.

Your original post has a statement that must be explained to be understood......quote > "20 Oz of monster you drink it takes 6.3 gallons of water to flush it out of your kidneys" Exactly what is this it? Caffeine? Taurine? sugar? the entire collection of all contents of the can [which could be implied but not spoken of as even being all water molecules that were in that exact can]? ....and if it builds up in us.....what is the toxic aspect - you seem to speak of kidney failure......excess sugars can become triglycerides that make up some fat the body then stores. Taurine can be consumed up to 6 grams daily without adverse effect - one Rockstar has one gram of taurine and the amount of caffeine is about 50% greater than that of the average cup of instant coffee. Taurine is a semi-essential amino acid and was purposefully added to infant formula for its nutritional value since the 1980s because it is important for retinal and brain development along with heart myocardium and skeletal and smooth muscles. In short, having taurine in a drink is actually quite interesting and novel not scary.

A quick literature search was not too scary. caffeine half life is not exactly the same thing as feeling it's effects or side effects but if you smoke, caffeine's half life in an adult is about 3 hours, if you don't smoke it's about 6 hours. i agree caffeine can be a nasty chemical but a dose a little stronger than a cup of instant coffee is not all that bad but 4 cups over the space of a couple hours is not smart - females thinking about becoming pregnant should avoid caffeine and if pregnant, also avoid caffeine. i would not drink caffeine race day and though i will drink khalua, i try to stop early evening the night before a race.

www.supplementwatch.com

www.lef.org/abstracts/codex/taurine_index.htm

www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/tau_0246.shtml

http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scf/out22_en.html

next time a hurricane makes me put in an entire day of chain saw and truck beds, i'll probably sip a rockstar over the space of many many hours so that i might finish one over the course of the day

and eric.....if a person is really quite caffeine free, they become oversensitive to caffeine - so drinking one energy drink if your body is unaccustomed to such - would be an effect much more stong in effect than the daily drinker

[Daryl DeArman]

talk about a buzz kill.

[RussMcB]

Good post, Eye.

[Brian]

I was having fun with the semi-hysteria... and you went and ruined it with science!

In Canada, up until recently manufacturers couldn't add caffine to a product that didn't have it naturally - like Mountain Dew. A guy came up to visit my buddy, and said he couldn't get going in the morning without his "Dew", so he went out and got a case of the big bottles. We told his wife that it had no caffine, she just laughed, we never told him - good joke we thought! Never noticed any side effects, but that might have been the case of beer he drank - a day...

Brian

[Keith Carter]

Ok, so I'm guilty of spreading the caffeine induced panic... Henny Penny, my Rockstar sky is falling!

It was posted on the Internet so it MUST be real, right?

[Thomas Copeland]

Bring back the panic!! Turns out according to the UK study listed in one of those links by Mr EYE, it's tea and chocolate that are the biggest offenders!

The results from the UK study:

The caffeine contents of 32 cola drinks ranged from 33-213 mg/l.

Twenty-six "energy" drinks had a broad range of caffeine contents from 0.5-349 mg/l, but most contained over 110 mg/l.

Tea infusions made from 14 samples of tea bags had caffeine contents ranging from 245-430 mg/l

Caffeine levels in 16 standard instant coffees were 210-340 mg/l Caffeine levels in 16 standard instant coffees were 210-340 mg/l, while 8 filter and percolated coffees were 105-215 mg/l.

Levels in 6 chocolate bars ranged from 110-710 mg/kg.



The conclusions in a in a NUTshell:

A possible intake of 160 mg caffeine/day from 0.5l of "energy" drinks containing the maximum level of 320 mg caffeine/l could represent a significant contribution to total daily caffeine intake. However, this should be compared with possible intakes from other caffeine-containing beverages such as tea or coffee, many of which have caffeine contents in the range 100-400 mg/l.

The intake of taurine from regular consumption of some taurine-containing "energy" drinks is several times higher than that from the rest of the diet. There is only limited information available either from human or conventional animal studies for risk assessment of taurine. There is a lack of scientific evidence to support the safety of taurine present in beverages at concentrations that may result in intakes several-fold higher than that usually obtained from the rest of the diet.

[Garey Guzman]

I checked out that article Thomas mentioned but it didn't say which soda's had the most caffeine. I seem to recall that Pepsi One and Mt Dew were at or near the top. Anyone know? Soda is much cheaper than Red Bull!

[dc]

I use this to help me identify what to stay away from at restaurants.

[TimW]

I checked out that article Thomas mentioned but it didn't say which soda's had the most caffeine. I seem to recall that Pepsi One and Mt Dew were at or near the top. Anyone know? Soda is much cheaper than Red Bull!

As Doug pointed out, Jolt is at the top for Colas. Its the necktar of the technology industry, including sponsoring the Jolt Software Developer Awards....

I work at a dot com again, which has free soda but no Jolt this time. Back in the way back by-gone boom era of 2000 Jolt was the free soda of choice for my teams...

[EYERACE]

right.....i forgot about Jolt Cola......you mean that stuff is still made? i thought it went away in the late 80s

Thomas C. > up to 6 grams of taurine a day appears allowable - maybe not all too desirable but allowable.....but that would be total from diet and energy drinks.

Doug - thanks for the this list, it will be posted in my kitchen.

Keith, thanks for starting this thread, the process of this thread maturing has been educational. I do believe the true essence of the kidney thing relates to caffeine being a diuretic. it is used as a standard in medical kidney work; i do not know at what dose however. In this day and age of stealth bloggers and the knowledge that dirty tricks is about as old as mankind, i suspect somone on the first page got it right......GNC now has their own 'energy' drink so the thought that the post you read elsewhere was somehow an attempt to discredit other such drinks is a real possibility. I still won't drink 'em but might under conditions of extended physical exertion for good cause.....otherwise getting some sleep might be a great alternative.

and in the back of my mind i'm sitting here rationalizing about how maybe the sugar and caffeine in Khalua might qualify it for a sort-of "energy drink" LOL

[BHerscher]

Doug, thanks for the info. Very helpful.

[Rick Kirchner]

A while back Outside magazine tried to determine the "best" energy drink acording to their standards. I believe they were looking for one that didn't upset the stomach, didn't leave you with jitters, etc. The result - Starbucks Frappuchino - a decent balance of fat, carbs and a bit of caffiene.

Tastes good too!

[Phil Picard]

XS Energy Drink

No caffeine, no sugar, no carb, No Bull, All B12

Great stuff!

[dc]

My wife works for a company that designs and manufactures nutritional supplements and other products for companies like GNC and others. She works directly with GNC for labeling and content, and has some very interesting things to say about the stuff they do. I don't want to get her in trouble with anyone, but let's just say that the things GNC says on their labels isn't always "scientific" or for that matter, even accurate.

Apparently, they don't even have anyone at GNC who is qualified to make scientific nutritional statements in any manner.


Sounds to me like that internet "list" from GNC is marketing hype and nothing else.








I still think that stuff is garbage to put into your body, but that's just me.

[Dennis Hand]

Thanks to one of my undergrad research assistants I've got a can of "Cocaine" energy drink here on my desk. This is the stuff that supposedly gives you the feeling of taking cocaine, complete with mouth numbing. The can is 8.4 fl oz. and here are the "supplement facts"

70 Calories
200mg Sodium
18g Sugar
1g Protein
750mg Taurine
100mg inositol
300% RDI Vitamin B6
600% RDI Vitamin B12
100% RDI Vitamin C
50mg L-Camitine
250mg D-Ribose
25mg Guarana


It claims to have roughly 280mg of caffeine. No Doz is 100mg/tablet.

I'm hesitant to try it, as I've never had an energy drink (except coffee). I'll post some info if it's a particularly special experience.

While it is true that caffeine is generally derived from plants in the coca family, the mechanism of action of cocaine differs from that of other stimulants (cocaine, amphetamine). So, caffeine isn't really like a weak form of cocaine as some people make it out to be, it just has similar behavioral effects.


-Dennis

[EYERACE]

cocaine is a neural membrane stabilizer and there in lies the danger - caffeine has a different mechanism of action

[dc]

Here's some wonderful news from my "inside source"...


The Food & Drug Administration does not regulate ANYTHING produced by these companies. So consider any product from protein powders to meal bars to energy drinks completely unregulated. They have no restrictions or policies to regulate what they produce, how they mix, what they market or even what they can claim on their labels. There is NOTHING telling them what they can and can't do in any of these products.

The scary truths are that many of these energy drinks and power "aids" are driven by the marketing department who is watching what other competitors are doing, and trying to one-up every product. They increase a little here and a little there, and before you know it, you have frightening products like that Cocaine energy drink. 280mg Caffeine, 750mg Taurine and 25mg Guarana are absolutely repulsive amount of those chemicals, natural or not. The manufacturer of things like this has no one to answer to except the lawyers and the courts when people start dying from overdoses of this kind of thing.

All they are required to do is have this somewhere on the product: "Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. You should read carefully all product packaging prior to use."






All I'm saying is that we all need to be more aware of the food and drinks we put into our bodies. It's a seriously screwed up industry with no parent to watch over it. The current fad of one energy drink trying to outdo the others is scary, at best. And don't buy into any of the marketing hype.