Kate Heyhoe | Caffeine and You

Supplements in Energy Drinks

January 3, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

The “energy” in energy drinks and energy shots comes from two sources: caffeine (including the caffeine in guarana, yerba mate, and kola nut) and glucose, or sugar. The following ingredients are also common in energy drinks and “dietary supplement” products.

Taurine

Taurine is an amino acid, obtained in meats and fish, and helps regulate water and mineral salt levels in the blood. Studies on rats suggest caffeine and taurine have a synergy, enhancing caffeine’s stimulant properties, but not enough research on humans has been done. European nations once banned Red Bull out of concern over taurine’s safety, but continued research has not shown any ill effects. Taurine is not included on the FDA’s GRAS list (generally regarded as safe). At best, taurine’s impact in energy drinks is unknown.

Ginseng

Ginseng is an herb. Traditional herbalists say it enhances mental wellbeing, boosts the immune system, and improves stamina. In energy drinks, ginseng probably won’t improve athletic performance. One study did show 200 mg of ginseng gave cognitive test-takers a mental boost, but only at that dose. Ginseng is shown to lower blood glucose and may interact with blood-thinning drugs like wayfarin, so consumers should consult their doctor before use.

Inositol

Inositol is a nutrient found in plants and animals that plays a role in brain, heart, muscle, and nerve cell functions. Insufficient evidence exists to support functional claims in dietary supplements, and quantities in energy drinks are too small to make an impact. The FDA lists it as “generally regarded as safe.”

B Vitamins

B vitamins help regulate metabolism, convert food to energy, and include thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and cobalamin among others. They’re also believed to help maintain mental function. People get plenty of B vitamins in a normal diet, and excess is usually flushed from the system. But some amounts can be unsafe. B-6 is known to cause numbness and nerve damage in hands and feet when taken in large quantities over time. The FDA recommends 1.3 mg per day for most adults, and sets the tolerable upper limit for B-6 at 100 mg per day, but supplements often exceed that amount. (A 5-Hour ENERGY shot contains 40 mg of B-6.)

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo biloba has been a favorite traditional herbal medicine for thousands of years, even though it’s not on the FDA’s GRAS list of safe ingredients. It’s taken to enhance memory and improve circulation. It can interact with other drugs and cause unwanted side effects, especially with anti-depressant medications and blood thinners. Energy drinks generally contain too small an amount to be of benefit.

L-Carnitine

L-Carnitine, a nutrient synthesized by amino acids in the body, converts food into energy, and helps move fat into cells to burn as energy. Some studies suggest it boosts metabolism, energy levels, and athletic endurance, but research is not conclusive. Most people on a normal diet produce adequate amounts, but physical stress may reduce available L-carnitine. It may cause gastrointestinal distress in some people.

Bottom line: Some of these ingredients may provide health or performance benefits, but probably not in the amounts found in energy drinks. People with health conditions or on medications should consult a doctor before consuming these substances.

Caffeine Basics: Table of Contents

5-Hour ENERGY Shot: More amps than advertised?

January 3, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

“It contains about as much caffeine as a cup of the leading premium coffee,” say the ads for 5-Hour ENERGY shot. But how much caffeine is that? The company won’t reveal how many milligrams of caffeine each 2-ounce shot contains, but CBS News had a bottle analyzed by ConsumerLab.com. The result: 207 mg – far more caffeine than in a cup of coffee. For comparison:

207 mg caffeine:

= 5-hour ENERGY Shot

= 2 cups average brewed coffee

= more than a Starbucks “short” (180 mg/8 ounces)

= six-pack Coca Cola

Want a bigger buzz? Extra-Strength 5-Hour ENERGY claims to have as much caffeine “as a 12-ounce cup of coffee.” No lab results are available, so it’s unclear how much caffeine this version actually contains.

Warning: 5-Hour Energy has come under federal scrutiny as a contributing factor in 13 deaths, due to the high caffeine content and other ingredients. The company claims its product is safe, but the Center for Science in the Public Interest issued a 2012 report warning consumers to avoid it until the FDA can resolve safety issues.

Caffeine Basics: Table of Contents

Taking Risks: Energy Drinks and Alcohol

January 3, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

Got a thirst? Need a boost? Slurp down a can, or two – or more – of a refreshing, cold energy drink. Within minutes, moderate to high amounts of caffeine are churning through your brain and body. A moderate dose can be safe, even desirable. Too much caffeine, though, and you get the shakes, hands tremble, heartbeat races, and caffeine intoxication takes over. Like alcohol, the effects are intense, and they diminish over time.

This 16-ounce can of Xenergy contains 208 mg caffeine, considered very high; a same size Coke has 45 mg

Then there’s the problem of mixing caffeine with alcohol. Energy drinks and alcohol together are double-trouble. Caffeine does not reduce the effects of alcohol. You may feel more alert, but you’re just as impaired by the alcohol.

Studies have found that the combination of energy drinks and alcohol is more dangerous than drinking alcohol alone; caffeine’s stimulating buzz makes people less aware of being drunk. They perceive themselves as more in control than they really are; they’re likely to drink more alcohol, or feel confident about driving safely, for instance.

The effects go beyond mental perception; the physical risks are real, too. Caffeine is a stimulant. Alcohol is a depressant. Together they send mixed messages to the nervous system and the heart. The combination is especially risky for people with heart rhythm problems.

Teen deaths have been attributed to minor or undiagnosed cardiac problems and high caffeine, delivered in extreme doses by energy drinks. High levels of caffeine can boost heart rate and blood pressure in some people, causing palpitations. Some teens weren’t yet aware they had cardiac conditions, which under normal circumstances had never proved problematic.

Energy Drink Regulations Teeter on Teen Safety

Energy drinks make high caffeine consumption easy, especially in young people.

When energy drinks were linked to teenage deaths, the FDA became pressured to increase regulation and even ban energy drinks altogether. Some, including U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, say energy drinks use FDA loopholes to circumvent rules about caffeine content.

Motivated by the prospect of increased regulation, companies have slightly modified how they market energy drinks and soft drinks, especially to teens – a few have even altered their caffeine content and reclassified their products with the FDA as soft drinks, rather than dietary supplements. Chapter 5 outlines how energy drink and soft drink makers are choosing to list caffeine, including new marketing strategies by the ABA (American Beverage Association).

Conclusion

Energy drinks are as sweet, cold and bubbly as soda pop. They go down fast and easy. Some come in large containers, double or triple the size of a standard cup of coffee. Anyone could slurp up several cans in a day, especially thirsty athletes. But there’s a difference: energy drinks are often many times more caffeinated than sodas. Energy drinks can range from 50 to 500 mg of caffeine per container – while a 12-ounce can of Coke contains 34 mg of caffeine.

Energy shots aren’t bubbly. Most don’t even taste good. But since a 2-ounce shot amounts to just 1/4 cup, you can slam down 50 to 200 mg of caffeine in one or two quick gulps.

And this is where most criticism lies: With energy drinks and shots, it’s easy to quickly consume too much caffeine – especially unintentionally. Most people don’t realize that caffeine is biphasic: it’s safe in low to moderate doses, but can be risky in high doses. Soft drinks have a legal limit to the caffeine they may contain, and most are about as potent as brewed tea. Energy drinks and shots have no such limit. And just finding the amount of caffeine a product contains requires keen eyesight to read tiny print on labels, or in some cases, some online research.

Both soft drinks and energy drinks reflect flavors, packaging, and marketing designed to appeal to teenagers and children. But young people have brains and bodies that are still developing and don’t handle the drug’s effects in the same way as adults. From chocolates to coffee, and sodas to energy drinks, caffeine’s an everyday part of society. But no one wins when caffeine is taken in unsafe amounts. Chapter 11 dives deeper into the effects of caffeine in young people, as well as newborns and pregnant women.

In the next chapter: Store shelves buzz with new caffeinated products, from MIO to maple syrup, keeping everyone from Israeli pilots to average drivers alert.

Caffeine Basics: Table of Contents

4. Hip New Products and Hidden Caffeine

January 4, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

If you’ve ever chugged down coffee to keep you awake while driving, you know the benefits of caffeine. But coffee spills can be messy. Now you can get caffeine’s benefits in more convenient – or at least more novel – forms.

For instance, there are energy gels used by runners and cyclists, energy bars, energy shots, diet pills, caffeinated gum, mints, jerky, maple syrup, and even aerosol sprays. (The U.S. Army hands out caffeinated gum to our soldiers.) What you may not know: over-the-counter analgesics like Excedrin, as well as some prescription medicines typically contain caffeine to make their painkilling properties more effective.

This chapter highlights today’s trendy caffeinated products. You can also find the most current product reviews in my BUZZ blog (or use the Tag Cloud and click on PRODUCT).

Coming up: Caffeine as snacks, candies, pills, liquids, gels and more…

Caffeine Basics: Table of Contents

The New Buzz of Niche Markets

January 4, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

New caffeinated products are surfacing faster than I can type – and some of them are disappearing just as fast. Most are more trendy than game changing, but collectively they’re part of a fast-growing industry.

Caffeine Without That Pesky Coffee or Tea

Their biggest appeal is delivering caffeine to people and age groups that choose not to drink coffee or tea. These niche products are portable and easy to consume anywhere; some aren’t even liquid, and most avoid tasting anything close to coffee or tea. Here’s a roundup of these big and little buzzers.

Liquid caffeine

These products range from ultra-extreme to moderately potent. Mio Energy, made by Kraft foods, comes in a cute, droplet-shaped container that fits in your pocket. It’s a “liquid water enhancer” and half a teaspoon adds 60 mg of fruit-flavored caffeine to water, or whatever you’re drinking. “It’s so wild it could get you arrested on a plane, but it’s worth the lawyer fees,” says the website. Hip, edgy ads promote it as an alternative to ready-made energy drinks. It’s sold in supermarkets, minimarts, and gas stations. It’s a lot like self-medicating – add as much as you like, but it’s easy to accidentally add more than you intend.

Extreme liquid caffeine

You won’t see these products in 7-Eleven stores or Safeway; they’re way too concentrated to be let loose on the casual consumer. But you can find them online. Mix them into water, other liquid, or food for a nuclear-level caffeine trip. One brand delivers 500 mg of caffeine per ounce – but here’s the real shocker: it’s sold in gallon jugs or larger, and comes with a handy measuring syringe. Definitely pay attention to the warning labels, as this stuff really can be lethal.

Powdered caffeine

Anhydrous caffeine powder is white, concentrated, and comes in natural (from tea or coffee) or synthetic forms. It’s easy to buy online, easy to use, and even easier to overdose on. The story of a young man’s accidental death from powdered caffeine is recounted in the next section, Death By Caffeine Powder.

Inhalable caffeine

Put the end of a lipstick-size canister in your mouth, and get a puff of caffeinated air. Each Aeroshot canister contains six doses, a total of 100 mg of powdered caffeine (comparable to a cup of coffee), mixed with B vitamins and flavoring. You draw the powder into your mouth and swallow. The powder dissolves in your mouth on impact, so it’s not entering your lungs. But the FDA is questioning the product’s safety and status as a dietary supplement. A less publicized product, Primer Energy Breath Spray, works similarly, but is more potent: it delivers 33 mg of caffeine per spray; it comes in a larger container with a total of 1400 mg caffeine (about 14 cups of coffee).

Caffeinated water

It’s exactly as the name implies: water with caffeine in it. Though not easy to find, most brands may be ordered online. They typically contain about as much caffeine as coffee or tea, or an average energy drink but without the sugar or calories. Some taste like spring water, others have added flavors. If you’re sensitive to bitterness, you may be able to detect the caffeine, but only slightly.

Energy gels and chews

Athletes squeeze energy gel packets into the mouth or pop an energy chew during exercise – as when running a marathon or racing a bike. Energy chews are small, soft candy-like cubes. Most gels and chews contain 25-50 mg of caffeine per serving, plus assorted nutrients. Powerbar, Clif, and Hammer are some of the bigger brands. Not all gels contain caffeine; some simply deliver nutritional ingredients. Caffeinated flavors range from coffee and mocha to lemon-lime, grape, and green apple. Use these as directed for a safe, mild caffeinated bump. But some of the products warn of gastrointestinal distress, so test them at home before setting off on a 10K.

Caffeinated gum, mints, and strips

These are handy for a mild to moderate caffeine bump, especially when liquids are inconvenient (as when driving or traveling). Energy gums range from 35 to 100 mg of caffeine per piece, while mints average about 5 to 7 mg each. Energy strips are like mouthwash strips that dissolve on the tongue (and even taste like mouthwash; yum!), and range from 20-40 mg caffeine.

Caffeinated foods and snacks

You can find caffeine in Perky Jerky, maple syrup, waffles, potato chips, marshmallows, oatmeal and other victuals. Yes, the caffeine craze buzzes up traditional foods. Caffeine varies by product, so check the websites or labels for amounts.

Caffeinated candy, sweets, and ice cream

It may not say caffeine on the label, but any food with natural coffee, chocolate or tea contains caffeine. This includes candy, ice cream, pudding, yogurt, cookies, cake, brownies, and even your kid’s cereal.

Anti-Sleeping and alertness aids

Drugstores stock No-Doz, Vivarin, Jet-Alert and generic brands of caffeine pills. These pills have one purpose: to stay awake. Check the label; most doses deliver 100 or 200 mg of caffeine, about the caffeine in one or two cups of coffee. They make no nutritional claims.

Painkillers, medicines, and vitamins

Both over-the-counter and prescription painkillers add caffeine for its pain-relieving properties. Common brands include: Extra-Strength Excedrin, Excedrin Migraine, Extra-Strength Anacin, Alka-Seltzer Wake-Up Call, Midol Complete, and others. One-a-Day Energy, a multi-vitamin, adds caffeine and guarana seed as energy-boosters.

Weight-loss products and diet pills

Some people take caffeine pills for weight loss, due to caffeine’s appetite-suppression and metabolism boosting effects. Diet pills containing caffeine are available over-the-counter and by prescription. Research is all over the map on caffeine’s ability to produce long-term weight loss. But plenty of weight-loss products feature it, including such brands as Dexatrim, Twin Labs, Hydroxycut, and various green tea supplements and green coffee extracts. Caffeine per serving in these products ranges from 50 to 400 mg.

Next up: See how caffeinated gum is being used by soldiers and pilots around the globe…

Caffeine Basics: Table of Contents