The Hype:

Energy drinks are marketed for increasing one’s physical and mental performance.  They are very popular on an international level.  When I checked out some popular energy drink websites, I realized that I could really become the next superhero or rock star daredevil, if only I drink this stuff.  How exciting!  But then, alas, I quickly realized that this is only a beverage, and not a bona fide superpower.

So as I do, I scout around for the nutrition information.  First of all, it was not easy to find; and second, the information I did find was very vague.  Why are these drinks so popular, I wonder?  Is it the taste?  The physical and mental effects?  The wildly successful marketing?  Are people really flying and I just cannot see them because they have invisible powers too?

The Science:

I looked at some of the most popular energy drinks on the market and found that most of them contain the following ingredients:  caffeine, B vitamins, taurine, glucuronolactone, and guarana.  Have you heard of them?  And there are different varieties with many more ingredients and supplements added.  Let’s break it down:

Caffeine – I assume everyone knows that caffeine is a stimulant.  It is very common, and consumed by many, many people in coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate.  Caffeine is known to be safe, however because it is a drug (a stimulant), there are recommendations on intake.  According to the Mayo Clinic, 200-300 milligrams per day is considered safe, and one 8-ounce cup contains about 100-200 milligrams (1).  Excessive intake is known to cause irritability, stomach issues, and generalized nervousness/anxiety.  This makes sense to me, as it is a stimulant, and I’m sure many of us have experienced the coffee jitters before.

Taurine – an amino acid (a building block of protein).  In the diet, taurine is found in animal proteins such as eggs, milk, fish, and meat.  It is not considered an essential amino acid required in the diet, meaning the body can synthesize it as needed from within the body.  It is found in our muscle tissues all over the body, including the brain and central nervous system, the heart, and skeletal muscle.  It is found in abundance in human breast milk.  Taurine has been used clinically as an effective oral medicine for patients with congestive heart failure and hepatitis.  There is limited data suggesting that taurine combined with caffeine may improve mental performance (2).  Interestingly, the European Food Safety Authority reported that oral intake of taurine did not raise taurine levels in the brain (3), which is what I would assume would occur if it was going to enhance brain activity.   Bottom line – not much evidence that oral intake has any major benefits.

B Vitamins – Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folate, vitamin B12, patothenic acid, biotin.  These B vitamins together are basically essential for the normal function of every cell in the body.  They function as coenzymes inside the cells to metabolize proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, and are an important component for healthy neurotransmitters (AKA good brain function) (4).  They are water-soluble vitamins, which means that excess in the bloodstream will be taken to the kidneys for removal via urine.  They are widely distributed in our food supply in vegetables, whole grains, meats, dairy, yeast, and nuts.

Glucuronolactone – known as a structural component of connective tissues, this is apparently used in energy drinks for a detoxifying effect.  I did not find any research to support this, and in fact found very little data at all about this ingredient.

Guarana seed extract 25mg – more caffeine than coffee and a sweetener – Other than the high caffeine levels, guarana is being studied for potential antioxidant properties.   Caffeine = stimulant.

My two cents:

I read ‘‘lack of sufficient data’ several times in my quest for a better understanding of these drinks.  There is not any actual scientific evidence that an energy drink will significantly enhance physical and mental activity.  Other than everything we know about caffeine and it’s stimulant effects, there is a large grey area with vague claims by companies and little evidence from researchers.  I seem to have more questions than answers now…

Energy drinks are labeled as dietary supplements, not as beverages; which means they are not regulated by the FDA or anyone else except the manufacturer, and they are allowed to make ‘health claims’ on their labels (for the FDA’s regulation information, refer to: http://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/) (5).

There appears to be a consensus among many professionals that there are health risks associated with consuming large quantities of these drinks. Teenagers are consuming a lot of these drinks.  People like to consume them with large amounts of alcohol.  They are not suitable for pregnant or nursing women, people with diabetes, or people with heart disease.  I personally do not think they are appropriate for children and adolescents; let them develop their caffeine and stimulant addictions later in life!

One the other hand, having one once in a while should be just fine.  So, I think that moderation is the key here, as is typically the case.  As far as some of the ‘health claims’ on the cans promising super powers, do not believe everything you read.  Rather than Energy Drink, perhaps a more appropriate name is Stimulant Drink.

Here are a couple of additional resources I found interesting and informative:

A synopsis from the university of California division of agriculture and natural resources: http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/8265.pdf

A good information sheet from UC Davis: http://nutrition.ucdavis.edu/content/infosheets/fact-pro-energydrinks.pdf

 References

1.  Mayo Clinic:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/NU00600/METHOD=print

2.  Natural med. Comp database

3. European Commission on Food Safety: Opinions on Caffeine, Taurine, and D-Glucurono-g-lactone as constituents of so-called “energy” drinks.

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/935.htm

4.  Mahan L.K., Escott-Stump S.  Krause’s Food, Nutrition, and Diet Therapy, 10^th ed.  2000 W. B. Sounders Company.

5.  http://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/