They Call It An Eye Opener

May 20, 2009 by JD
Filed under Health, Information

The wife and I went out to dinner the other night. While sitting at the bar waiting for a table to open up, I noticed a group of twenty somethings sitting at a table. They were talking Mavericks basketball, so i jumped in with a couple of choice comments around the playoff performance of our local team. I ended up asking them what they were drinking and a couple of them pointed to what looked like cokes and said Red Bull and vodka, or an “Eye Opener”.

I asked how many of those they might drink in a night. One of the guys said he’d do 4-5 on a good night out.

Wow!

I know the whole energy drink market has exploded and everyone from children on up are sucking down brands such as Red Bull, Full Throttle, and the one that started the craze here in the states, Jolt Cola. Students use them to pull all night study sessions. Athletes use them before games. Gym rats use them to get up for marathon workouts. And many people just drink them because they taste good.

So what do these energy drinks have that makes them so popular?

Well they definitely do have a kick to them. Most energy drinks contain at least as much caffeine as a regular 8 0z cup of coffee, which equals out to roughly 80mg of “light me up juice”. This compares to a 12 oz soda which typically contains 18-48 mg of caffeine.

But the our energy drink cocktail doesn’t stop with loading up on caffeine. They also come packed with high concentrations of sugar and typically contain a mix of “natural” herbs and vitamins that include:

Carnitine - A metabolism accelerating amino acid
Ginko Biloba - Extracted from the seeds of the gingko biloba tree, it has been shown to heighten mental awareness and enhance mood
Taurine - An amino acid that is naturally produced by the body, it serves to regulate heart beat and muscle contractions. The effects of the long term supplementation of the body’s natural supply are unclear
Guarana Seed - A plant-based stimulant harvested in Venezuela and Brazil that contains high levels of caffeine
Inositol - One of the substances in the B-complex vitamins, it improves cell to cell communications
Ginseng - A root based herb known to reduce stress and increase energy levels.

So, the typical energy drink contains a Starbuck size serving of caffeine plus multiple other “natural” stimulants. That’s quite an energy punch in a can. Caffeine, sugar, and lots of other “natural” metabolism kicking substances.

It’s pretty easy to see that what’s being marketed as all-natural is really just an overly caffeinated soft drink with a few additional questionable pseudo-nutritional ingredients. And like any supplement, there is no control over the quality or toxicity of these herbal additives. Energy drink manufactuers are not required to disclose ingredient purity, storage controls, or processing standards.

The primary risk in the energy drinks, is that people tend to abuse them by drinking several at a time or mixing them with alcohol. The caffeine alone in these concoctions is enough to cause an over stimulation of the cardiovascualr and nervous systems. This can lead to severe bouts of physical anxiety, potential heart overload, and damage to the nervous system.

Caffeine is also a strong diuretic.This means that caffeine encourages your kidneys to expel extra fluid from the body, leading to potential dehydration issues. Couple that with alcohol, which is also a strong diuretic, and you have a drink that can lead to severe fluid depletion in the body. I can tell you that they will cause one heck of a hangover due to this.

Energy drink manufacturers typically claim that the ingredients in their products can improve stamina, energy, and memory. Most health professionals recognize that those effects come primarily from the high levels of caffeine and sugar. The other “natural” ingredients only serve to increse those caffeine levels while providing little to no nutritional value.

Overloads of caffeine can certainly help you get through an all night study session. But there is risk when you down too much caffeine. It will lead to irritability, physical anxiety, and mental stress. It can lead to heart attack and death.

I think I’m going to stick with my Snapple Tea.