Death by Energy Drinks?

Written by Megan Ullom

Friday, 03 October 2008

In such a fast paced culture it was only expected that someday scientists would come up with a super drink that could give us between a short three-hour burst all the way to forty-hours of energy. It all started in 1962, when a Japanese company released a drink called Lipovitan-D that contained a mix of B1, B2, and B6 vitamins along with taurine. These drinks grew in popularity and in 1987 an Austrian took the concept, added caffeine and sugar, and formulated Red Bull. This phenomenon reached the United States in 1997, when Red Bull made its debut in stores all across the country. Not long after Coca-Cola started work on their own drink, Rockstar, and everyone from rap superstars to religious organizations (seriously- there is an official Kabbalah energy drink) have followed in suit.

Now that you know where all these drinks originated, let’s find out what’s really going on inside those cans. While every individual drink is going to have different amounts of vitamins, flavorings, and colorings, there are a few major ingredients that show up in almost all of them. First, the obvious- caffeine. Commonly found in coffee, is in all energy drinks and sodas, but in much higher doses than your average Coke. For a comparison, Coke gives you 50mg of this stuff, while a Rockstar has 150mg, and a large McDonald’s coffee has 145mg. While this doesn’t seem like all that much keep in mind that at an intake of about 200mg, the body could be at risk for seizures and heart failure. Taurine, an amino-acid that is naturally produced by your body, and Guarana, a caffeine-like stimulant found in South America, are also common. Taurine is used by your body to help regulate heartbeats and muscle contractions, and studies have shown that the extra dose in energy drinks can be beneficial during times of high stress or illness. Guarana seems to get a lot of negative feedback in our country, but in reality it poses no real threat considering the small doses it is available in. Last, ingredients like b-vitamins, ginseng, and anti-oxidants are added to help boost your immune system and convert sugar into energy.

People have been drinking caffeine for thousands of years, and aside from a few artificial colors and flavorings in some of the products available, there isn’t much in these things to hurt us. But things will get dangerous if you are not responsible; large amounts of caffeine could possibly kill you. Head on over to www.energyfiend.com and click on “Death By Caffeine”, where you’ll simply enter your weight, choose your poison, and find out just how close you are to doing some damage. I personally would need to drink about 70 cans of my favorite, Rockstar, before kicking the bucket. Though please note that this tool isn’t exactly scientific, but it’s not safe to test how accurate it is either.

Bottom line? Energy drinks are convenient ways get a nice boost on tough days, the ingredients aren’t too harmful, and at most only contain about as much caffeine as a few cups of coffee. If taken in moderation you’ll be just fine, but the dangers still lurk in the darkness for those dumb enough to test the limits.

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