Energy Drink Ingredients And Your Health

So you had to get up early but you have plans for tonight when the afternoon blahs kick in and you need a kick-start. Burning the candle at both ends will double the light right? One legal way to get this boost that has gained popularity is with one of the many brands in a whole fleet of energy drinks. I end up drinking 3-4 sugar free energy drinks a week for one reason or another. Leading the way of this popular movement is Red Bull, which has worldwide appeal, but also has skeptics of its benefits particularly in Europe. Countries like Norway, Denmark and France, who banned the drink, are concerned about the negative effects that are possible due to the lack of testing on what might occur from mixing the various chemicals that are in the drink. According to the Red Bull website the drink is Vegan, Kosher (Jewish for “ok to eat”) and Halal (Muslim version of Kosher). It is not made from bull testicles either! I’m glad to know this, but I never considered it either till I read the company’s rebuttal to what must be a rumor somewhere. Regular Red Bull contains sucrose and glucose. The Sugar free version contains aspartame and sucralose. Recent study results show that aspartame does not cause cancer.

Some or all of the following chemicals plus other chemicals are may or may not be in other energy drinks in various combinations. I took a look at a couple of sources for information on the ingredients in Red Bull. I began at www.RedBull.com. Here’s what the site said about the leading “medicinal” ingredient in Red Bull, Taurine at 1000mg. Taurine is also found in scallops, fish, poultry, and added to most baby food.


Taurine – a conditionally essential amino acid which is naturally occurring in the human body. “Conditionally essential” means that in some situations or under certain conditions, as for example, in situations of high stress or high exertion, increased amounts of taurine are eliminated from the body and cannot be replaced by the body in sufficient amounts. Taurine is involved in vital functions of the human body. Taurine acts as an antioxidant and has been shown to promote detoxification by binding together with harmful substances and thereby accelerating their exertion from the body.

In an on-line article by The Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) that took an independent critical look at the ingredients of the drink and hired a laboratory. In this report they quote French nutritionist Isabelle Van Rullen, who works with the country’s food safety agency, says France banned the brew because of how the ingredients in Red Bull interact: “There are various side effects for each one of these three substances, which vary in degrees of severity. And they can also interact with each other.” Meaning there’s no long-term research on how caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone interact in the body. Here’s what CBC said about Taurine alone:

An amino acid, taurine is important in several metabolic processes of the body. Also known as 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid. Taurine functions in electrically active tissues such as the brain and heart to help stabilize cell membranes. It also has functions in the gallbladder, eyes, and blood vessels and may have some antioxidant and detoxifying properties.

So apparently Taurine is an amino acid that we may or may not need at any given time, and it may or may not work as an antioxidant. There were other description variations between the two sources that begged comparison such as the ingredient Glucuronolactone at 600mg in Red Bull. It may or may not help detoxify the body. The whole question with Red Bull is if it’s toxic or not so, this is ironic, don’t you think? It also does occur naturally in grains and red wine.

Redbull.com first: Glucuronolactone – a carbohydrate that occurs naturally in the human body where it is involved in detoxification processes, supporting the body in eliminating waste substances from the body.

Then CBC: Glucuronolactone - A naturally occurring substance manufactured by the human body. Like taurine, glucuronolactone is supposed to detoxify the body. Little research has been done on the effects, and the only relevant studies have been conducted on animals so the risk to humans cannot be adequately assessed. Glucuronolactone has received some notoriety due to rumours that it was a Vietnam War era drug manufactured by the American government and led to several brain tumour deaths at the time. These rumours are not based on documented facts.

Caffeine is a substance that most people are familiar with. There are usually 80mg of caffeine in coffee. This is the same amount in a can of Red Bull. It’s found in coffee, chocolate, and tea. Here’s what Red Bull.com says about caffeine “…known for it’s beneficial effects on mental and physical functions…” There are 65mg of caffeine in a can of tooth-rotting regular Coca Cola.

There are often B Vitamins in energy drinks. B Vitamins are valuable for processing carbohydrates plus other physical and mental functions but they are water-soluble and diuretics (cause increased urination). This combination is like taking a B-Complex vitamin with a cup of coffee. The diuretic effects of the caffeine in combination with the vitamins will have you using the bathroom in no time, and you won’t even need to turn on the lights because you’re urine will be glowing like an alien spacecraft. Then there’s the option of making an alcoholic drink with Red Bull. CBC also reported on the growing trend of combining energy drinks with liquor, particularly the “Vodka Red Bull.” The concern is dehydration effecting the heart muscle. A Red Bull spokes person said that the drink is not marketed to be mixed with alcohol, but still is actively sold in liquor stores.

Other Energy Drink Ingredients

Inositol - necessary for the formation of lecithin and functions with Choline. Since it is not essential in the human diet, it cannot be considered a vitamin. Inositol is primarily used in the treatment of liver problems, depression, panic disorder, and diabetes. Neurotransmitters such as seratonin in the brain depend on Inositol to function properly.

Ginseng - Frequently used as a potent preventative rather than a curative, it also demonstrates therapeutic benefits for a wide number of conditions in some cases. If taken regularly it is said to increase vitality, and extend life span. But these claims are not proven.

Guarana - comes from potent South American berries that when extracted, consists a crystallizable agent called guaranine, which is identical to caffeine and exists in the seeds of the berry. Guarana is useful for mild forms of diarrhea, but its primary use is for headache, especially if of a rheumatic nature. Some retailers promote it as an aphrodisiac; however, there is to current evidence to support this claim.

Ginko Biloba – supposedly increases blood flow to the brain and throughout the body's network of blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the organ systems. It is also supposed to increase metabolism efficiency, regulates neurotransmitters, and boosts oxygen levels in the brain.

Damiana - used as a general tonic for the nervous, hormonal, and reproductive systems. It has an ancient reputation as an aphrodisiac. Some claim damiana tea has a relaxing effect not-unlike low doses of cannabis.

L-Carnitine - An amino acid usually created by the liver and kidneys and supposedly helps increase metabolism and energy levels. There is no scientific conclusion on whether or not one needs to supplement with it unless there is an unusual diet, but you can take 2-6 grams without worry D-Carnitine is “inactive” and may actually hurt endurance levels.

In conclusion, I think it is just better to eat well and drink lots of water when exercising. Most of the energy drink ingredients are either not proven to be beneficial or are already in healthy foods. It’s better to just drink water than drink something that will cause you to lose even more water while already sweating out your reserve in the summer sun.

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/redbull/ingredients.html

www.erowid.com

http://www.energydrinkdirectory.com

http://www.energyfiend.com/energy-drink-ingredients

(The above "report" is the same my report to be turned in tomorrow in a health care class I took this semster as prerequisite to entering the EMT program in the Fall '06)

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