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Energy In A Bottle
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Do energy drinks really deliver all that they promise? At what price?
Gone are the days when an "energy drink" meant the bottle of cold, flavoured milk sold at Aarey milk booths under the brand name "Energee". A new fad that has seen a huge jump in consumption over the last five years is the high powered energy drinks.
With names like Red Bull, Full Throttle, Monster, Sobe No Fear, Sobe Adrenaline Rush, Amp and Monster XXL they are promising more energy with lower calories than your typical soft drink. Manufacturers of energy drinks claim that these beverages increase physical performance and mental awareness. They are marketed as functional drinks that stimulate the brain cells and increase metabolism.
Targeted at the age group 15-30 years, marketers are promoting the stimulating effects of these drinks to lure younger folk. Many teenagers admit to drinking more than one can the night before an exam in order to study for a longer period through the night. Young executives racing against time with their projects at work, find this an easy solution for those wee hours completing presentations. And the elite clubbing crowd is resorting to them for through the night nightclubbing.
Studies show that energy drinks do indeed improve mental and cognitive performances and increase alertness. This is due to their ingredients which include caffeine, ginseng extract, guarana and taurine. Guarana is a herbal stimulant, found in abundance in South America and is an additional source of caffeine. Taurine is an amino acid. The combination of taurine and caffeine has been proved to increase heart rate by a German study, but more substantial data is yet to be gathered. Manufacturers often advertise the inclusion of Vitamin B in the drinks which makes it sound healthy, but they fail to inform the miniscule amount present.
Caffeine contents in some energy drinks are alarmingly high. The amount of caffeine in a cup of brewed coffee can vary between 77 to 130mg. Energy drinks; on the other hand, have anything from 50mg to 500mg, which is equal to 10 cans of Coke. Some labels do caution you that the drink contains caffeine, but not how much. A recent study at John Hopkins University of Medicine, Baltimore has led researchers to call for manufacturers to give an accurate amount of caffeine on the label and they suggest a cap on the total caffeine so that a single product may not cause an overdose. Some companies have put cautionary labels to advise against use by pregnant women, children and those sensitive to caffeine. Symptoms of caffeine intoxication include nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, stomach upset, tremors, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat) and agitation.
What is surprising is many young adults do not know the difference between energy drinks and sports drinks. Energy drinks are geared towards providing a short term boost of energy while sports drinks (like Gatorade) are geared towards rehydration of bodily fluids by providing sugars, water and electrolytes that are lost after sports activities. Consuming energy drinks just before or after strenuous physical activity can put even more strain on the heart because contradictory to popular belief, they do not hydrate. In fact, they have a diuretic effect and dehydrate the body.
Another cause for concern is the mixing of energy drinks with alcohol. "When mixed with alcohol, people feel less intoxicated, so they misjudge the extent to which they are impaired, and people may end up consuming more booze", says researcher, Dr. R Griffith. Again, we all know alcohol dehydrates. Mixed with an energy drink the dehydration is two -fold, bringing on problems like heart irregularities.
Facts and figures about energy drinks:
- The caffeine content, per 8oz. serving in Coca Cola and Red Bull are 30mg and 80mg respectively. Others are even higher, like Rip It at 100mg and Rockstar Roasted at 120mg.
- Energy drinks are gaining popularity in India with an estimated market of Rs.500 crore, with Red Bull leading the pack. PepsiCo, Coca Cola and Amway are all set to introduce their brands in India.
- Over 500 new brands were launched worldwide in the last two years alone. The total annual consumption worldwide was 906 million gallons in 2006.
- France and Denmark have banned the sale of Red Bull. Norway has restricted sale at pharmacies only.
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Aarti Thadani
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