Coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks, caffeine and people
The bigger the cup, the more sugar, calories, and caffeine it contains. Here’s a look at supersize fountain drink sizes, using Coca-Cola Classic as an example. (Mountain Dew, Sunkist Orange Soda, and Pepsi contain more caffeine; some drinks have none.) Note that ice in a cup will slightly dilute these numbers.
7-Eleven Fountain Drink Sizes
We tend to think that more is better, but that’s not the case with caffeine.
Caffeine is a biphasic drug; low to moderate doses are considered safe, while high doses can create adverse effects. Energy drinks range from moderate to extremely high levels of caffeine.
What are energy drinks? The term “energy drink” is a beverage-marketing category. The FDA classifies energy drinks (and energy shots) as “dietary supplements.” They contain caffeine and other ingredients intended to boost physical and/or mental energy.
What’s the difference between energy drinks, energy shots, and sports drinks? All three are designed to boost or restore energy. Energy drinks are like carbonated soft drinks, but more caffeinated. Energy shots typically come highly concentrated in 2-ounce bottles, and are not carbonated. Sports drinks contain ingredients to rehydrate, like electrolytes and nutrients lost in exercise, and contain no caffeine.
How much caffeine do energy drinks and shots contain? There is no standardized amount of caffeine for these products, and no limit. Energy drinks go from 80 mg of caffeine, which is comparable to coffee, up to 500 mg. They come in containers ranging from 8 to 20 fluid ounces. Formulas matter, too: Rockstar, for instance, makes more than a dozen varieties, with caffeine ranging from 120 to 240 mg per can. Energy shots span 100 to 500 mg of caffeine – as much caffeine as one to five cups of coffee, but swallowed in two gulps.
How much sugar do energy drinks and energy shots contain? Most energy drinks are sweeter than 12-ounces of Coca-Cola Classic (with 39 grams of sugar), and also come artificially sweetened. Energy shots are artificially sweetened, though some contain up to 7 grams of sugar.
What else do energy drinks and shots contain? All contain caffeine; some add guarana and yerba mate for their caffeine content. Other ingredients, like taurine and B vitamins, are shown in the next section. Their impact in energy drinks is questionable; quantities are usually small, and research on energy drinks has been sparse.
Are energy drinks and shots safe? The biggest danger comes from overconsumption of caffeine, and mixing with alcohol. Many, but not all, of the added ingredients are recognized as safe by the FDA.
I wanted to know how energy drinks compared to soft drinks and coffee in terms of caffeine amounts. After all, energy drinks are sweet, carbonated and refreshing, so it’s as easy to drink them as you would a Coke or other soda. And coffee is still the top banana when it comes to caffeinated beverages, but a Starbucks coffee tends to be more potent than a home brew.
Even though a single “mainstream” energy drink delivers a solid caffeine rush, most fall within levels that health professionals consider safe. However, kicked-up versions of the same brand can more than double the caffeine. And drinking more than one can of any energy drink can push caffeine into risky levels – especially when teens slurp them up like soda.
A “mainstream” energy drink contains 160 mg of caffeine per 16 ounces – according to the American Beverage Association (ABA, the industry’s lobbying group) – or half as much as a “coffee house” coffee (i.e., Starbucks) of the same size. But the ABA doesn’t mention that a regular coffee (the kind you’d drink at the office or brew at home) has about 100 mg of caffeine.
I compared the ABA’s typical “mainstream energy drink” against other drinks and found:
1 Rockstar or other “mainstream” energy drink (160 mg/16 ounce)
= 5 (12-ounce) Cokes
= 3 (16-ounce) Cokes
= 3 (12-ounce) Mountain Dews
= 2 (8-ounce) Red Bulls
The more powerful version of Rockstar is even more caffeinated:
1 Rockstar 2X (12-ounce)
= half a (16-ounce) “mainstream” energy drink
= 6-pack of Pepsi (12-ounce cans)
So, you could drink 1 “mainstream” energy drink like Rockstar, or 3 Cokes. Or for more punch, you could drink one Rockstar 2X and get the same caffeine as a six-pack of Pepsi, but faster.
I’m not against energy drinks and slurp them myself from time to time. But it’s important for people to have a clear understanding of what they’re consuming, and comparisons like these help frame the whole story.
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 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 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 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 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 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, 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.
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 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).
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.