(HealthCastle.com) Energy drinks are increasingly popular nowadays, with names like No Fear, Adrenaline Rush, Monster, and Rockstar suggesting that energy-boosting "powers" are contained in the products. What are the common ingredients in these drinks, and are they really worth the hype?
Top 5 Common Ingredients in Energy Drinks
1. Amino acids
Energy drinks often include amino acids such as taurine, glutamine, or leucine, claiming that they help replenish what our bodies lose through stress or extreme physical activities. Some drinks include levels way in excess of what you would get through eating regular foods, yet the effect of such mega-doses on the body is unknown. There is no evidence in the scientific literature of health benefits resulting from the consumption of any specific amino acids by healthy individuals. And let's face it, very few of us are exercising at the intensity that requires extra nutrient supplementation over and above what we get from eating.
2. Caffeine
Because energy drinks are classified as dietary supplements, there is no limit on how much caffeine can be added. This has resulted in wildly varying levels of caffeine per drink, ranging from 50 mg to over 500 mg (the amount of caffeine in a 20-oz bottle of Fixx Energy). For comparison, a small cup of brewed coffee contains about 130 mg. Most experts agree that 200 mg of caffeine a day generally poses no problems.
In a January 2009 review article, researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Maryland stated that the US has one of the most loose sets of regulation around labeling and health warnings for energy drinks, and warns of caffeine intoxication from energy drinks. While the health effects of energy drinks are not widely researched, researchers at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Arizona reported on four patients who had seizures after heavy consumption of energy drinks in 2007.
3. Sugar
Energy means calories. A can of energy drink means a can of drink loaded with calories: i.e., sugar. As a group, energy drinks are notorious offenders in this department, with some offering over 60 g of sugar (that's 15 teaspoons) in one can! Besides empty calories and a nasty assault on your teeth, drinks that are this sweet really don't help keep your body hydrated. There are many equally tasty options with much lower sugar loads out there, such as brewed tea with ice, tonic water with a splash of juice, or a homemade smoothie using yogurt and fruits.
4. Vitamins
Many drinks add B vitamins and Vitamin C to their formulations. These vitamins are plentiful in the foods we eat, and are water-soluble, so any extra amounts consumed will be excreted in the urine.
5. Herbal ingredients
Some popular additions include yerba mate, guarana, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, and milk thistle. There is presently no clear evidence of any superior health benefits conferrred by these items on healthy individuals, although some of these are starting to be studied.
The Bottom Line
No amount of vitamins or nutrients delivered by energy drinks even comes close to what you get from eating a diverse range of foods. In any case, whatever energy drink makers' claims, their products' hype is overshadowed by the unsavory sugar loads and huge fluctuations in the level of caffeine in the products. In addition, the health effects resulting from what seems to be a random mix of amino acids, herbal products, and vitamins are unknown.
Our vote? Keep it simple: get your energy from the foods you eat. Yogurt, crackers, or a piece of fruit will do the trick. A May 2009 article in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition reported that a bowl of whole grain cereal plus milk worked just as well as a high-carb drink in replenishing the glycogen content of the muscles of cyclists after exercise.
Energy drinks often include amino acids such as taurine, glutamine, or leucine, claiming that they help replenish what our bodies lose through stress or extreme physical activities. Some drinks include levels way in excess of what you would get through eating regular foods, yet the effect of such mega-doses on the body is unknown. There is no evidence in the scientific literature of health benefits resulting from the consumption of any specific amino acids by healthy individuals. And let's face it, very few of us are exercising at the intensity that requires extra nutrient supplementation over and above what we get from eating.
Because energy drinks are classified as dietary supplements, there is no limit on how much caffeine can be added. This has resulted in wildly varying levels of caffeine per drink, ranging from 50 mg to over 500 mg (the amount of caffeine in a 20-oz bottle of Fixx Energy). For comparison, a small cup of brewed 
Energy means 
Many drinks add B vitamins and 
Some popular additions include yerba mate, guarana, 
Feed
Recent Diet Tips
Food & Nutrition
