THE OTHER ENERGY CRISIS DRINKS CLAIM TO BE HEALTHFUL, BUT THEY'RE JUST LOW-DOSE SPEED.Byline: Fred Shuster Staff Writer The slogans for ``energy drinks'' promise benefits with instant appeal: Athletes will excel, partiers can stay on the go-go later, students will be alert enough to study till dawn, and you'll be more productive than that annoying co-worker in the next cubicle. In fact, canned energy in the form of Sobe Adrenaline Rush, Red Bull, Hype, 180 and countless other flashy caffeine- and sugar-choked beverages crowding the shelves has the potential not only to give you a lift but drop you on your own slim designer can. The need for speed The boost in these hip-sounding products comes largely from caffeine - about the same as a cup of strong-brewed coffee in each 8-ounce serving. ``It's entirely misleading to call them energy drinks,'' said Dr. Timothy Horita, a family medicine doctor at Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care organization, based in Oakland, California, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney R. Garfield. Woodland Hills. ``There are no benefits compared to the potential harm involved. All you're getting is a lot of caffeine and concentrated sugars.'' Kids chug (jargon) chug - To run slowly; to grind or grovel. "The disk is chugging like crazy." these sweet-flavored carbonated drinks to get through a day of classes, athletes gulp them before workouts and, on the social scene, barflies mix them with alcohol for a wide-awake buzz. Sherman Oaks hair stylist Lauren Vass, 30, said she has an energy drink or a Coca-Cola almost every morning. ``I need something that picks me up and gives me energy,'' she said outside a Van Nuys convenience store. Vass said she has not noticed any side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. from her morning dose of sugar and caffeine. Janis Metcalfe, 17, a North Hollywood High School North Hollywood High School, originally called Lankershim High School when it opened in 1927, is a secondary school in North Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. The school mascot is the husky, and the school colors are blue, white, grey. student, was buying a diet Pepsi Diet Pepsi is a low-calorie carbonated cola, introduced in 1964 as a variant of Pepsi-Cola with no sugar. Its current formula in the United States contains only the artificial sweetener aspartame, but the current Canadian formulation contains both aspartame (124mg/355ml) and , a box of powdered-sugar doughnuts and a can of Hype. ``Breakfast,'' she said with a smile. ``No, I eat better than this, but I have long days on Fridays. This keeps me going.'' She added that she sometimes has more caffeine in the shape of coffee or another soda in the late afternoon. A jolt of reality Besides caffeine, most energy drinks contain around 125 calories and 20 to 30 grams of carbohydrates, mostly in the form of sugars, and either guarana guarana /gua·ra·na/ (gwah-rah´nah) [Tupi-Guarani] the Brazilian woody vine Paullinia cupana, or a dried paste prepared from its seeds which is used as a stimulant and tonic in folk medicine and for the treatment of headache in or taurine taurine /tau·rine/ (taw´ren) an oxidized sulfur-containing amine occurring conjugated in the bile, usually as cholyltaurine or chenodeoxycholyltaurine; it may also be a central nervous system neurotransmitter or neuromodulator. . The latter ingredient is an amino acid amino acid (əmē`nō), any one of a class of simple organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and in certain cases sulfur. These compounds are the building blocks of proteins. naturally present in the human body and found in meat, red wine and other foods. Guarana, produced from the seeds of a creeping Amazonian shrub called the guarana plant, is a source of caffeine. So, in that sense, you are getting a ``natural source of energy.'' But like so much in nature, there are both positive and negative sides to these substances - and the beverages that utilize them. It's enough to give you the jitters jitters 'Butterflies' Psychology An episode of nervousness or anxiety that often precedes a public event; jitters is a type of performance anxiety which may affect actors in a stage production–stage fright or soloist musicians; it may respond to anxiolytics . In normal quantities, caffeine is a mild stimulant to the nervous system, producing an alert, focused state. Its toxic effects can include nausea, agitation and, in severe cases, seizures and heart palpitations. ``Caffeine in moderate doses is not dangerous,'' said Dr. Sam Chia, a doctor affiliated with St. Luke's St. Luke's or St Luke's can refer to:
The music video stars Shirley Manson, lead singer of the band Garbage. Track Listing 1. "These Things [Radio Edit]" - 3:17 2. should be sold as health drinks.'' It's hard to say exactly what they're selling. Although B vitamins B vitamins This family of vitamins consists of thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin, folic acid (B9), and cobalamin (B12). are usually part of the package, health may be last on the list. The drink Rockstar, for example, crows that one can ``party like a rockstar'' while hyping itself as ideal for everyone ``from athletes to rockstars.'' KMX KMX Kyocera Mexico KMX Knowledge Management Experts urges customers to ``be bold, stay focused, don't miss a beat.'' Hype, a ``complete-lifestyle'' drink, wants you to ``live life, love life, love Hype.'' And Piranha's ``bone-crushing citrus'' will ``bite back with a high-intensity taurine energy blend.'' Pepsi's Adrenaline Rush, on the other hand, has a one-track mind: ``Get it up, keep it up.'' Health experts, though, reserve their stiffest warnings for products with ephedra ephedra: see ephedrine. , a powerful herbal stimulant closely related to chemicals used in cold medications, Ritalin and street speed. The stimulant, used for centuries in Chinese medicine, is trumpeted on cans of such diet drinks as Metab-O-Lite (``with Ephedra!''). Yet, products containing ephedra are banned by athletic associations of nearly all stripes. ``Ephedra and caffeine is a lethal combo,'' said Dr. Michael Hirt, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine integrative medicine combines conventional medicine with complementary and alternative therapies. integrative medicine The 'new medicine' A term for the incorporation of alternative therapies into mainstream medical practice. at Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center. ``It's herbal speed and you can become addicted and end up with serious health problems. It's a powerful herb that needs to be treated with respect.'' Dr. Marc Lavin, an internal medicine specialist at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center, agrees: ``You put ephedra with caffeine and give it to someone who may have heart disease or hypertension and you could be precipitating heart attack or stroke. I see that with people who take ephedra by itself.'' From the makers of ... Of all the brands, Red Bull - which does not contain ephedra - is clearly the most popular, with a snug hold on almost 70 percent of the energy-drink niche. Sales of the products make up about $150 million of the $57 billion market for soft drinks in the United States, according to Bloomberg News. As a result, the biggest names in soda have entered the picture. Coca-Cola has KMX, Anheuser-Busch boasts 180, and Pepsi is making a stand with Adrenaline Rush. The slim-line cans cost around $2 to $3 in stores and $4 to $7 in bars and nightclubs. But despite the hot and heavy ad campaigns, there's apparently little value in flooding the body with stimulants and sugar. ``There's no true benefit from these drinks at all,'' Lavin said. ``The potential dangers clearly outweigh anything that might possibly be gained. And they're terrible for kids. Young boys who think this stuff will build muscle or give them increased energy are making a big mistake. And unless you're very, very careful, you're going to become dehydrated de·hy·drate v. de·hy·drat·ed, de·hy·drat·ing, de·hy·drates v.tr. 1. To remove water from; make anhydrous. 2. To preserve by removing water from (vegetables, for example). .'' The Food and Drug Administration so far has not gotten involved in evaluating the safety of energy or diet drinks, but some doctors believe a certain amount of oversight is needed. ``I think we have to recognize that just because it's natural doesn't mean it's safe,'' Hirt said. ``There's something wrong when you need a license to pick up a six-pack of beer but anyone can buy an ephedra drink. There's definitely something wrong with that.'' What's in your energy drink? Most of the energy drinks we found claim to contain about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. A 7-ounce cup of coffee has 115-175 mg of caffeine, according to Bunker and McWilliams in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association The American Dietetic Association (ADA) is the United States' largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, with nearly 65,000 members. Approximately 75 % of ADA's members are registered dietitians and about 4 % are dietetic technicians, registered. . An 8.3-ounce can of Red Bull has 80 mg of caffeine. By comparison, a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola has approximately 46 mg of caffeine and Pepsi has 37 mg, according to the National Soft Drink Association. However, energy drinks also contain sugar and other herbal boosters, including: Taurine: One of the most abundant amino acids in our bodies. Naturally found in seafood and meat, it is believed to help detoxify de·tox·i·fy v. 1. To counteract or destroy the toxic properties of a substance. 2. To remove the effects of poison from something, such as the blood. 3. and cleanse the system. Guarana: An herb that grows in the Amazon jungle in South America. Traditionally, guarana was used in herbal teas in Brazil and is still widely used in drinks. Its effects are similar to those of caffeine. Ginseng ginseng (jĭn`sĕng), common name for the Araliaceae, a family of tropical herbs, shrubs, and trees that are often prickly and sometimes grow as climbing forms. : A Chinese herb that is believed to stimulate mental and physical activity. - Daily News It's an upper and a downer' Party people are lining up for a trendy new cocktail that not only makes them tipsy but keeps them wide-eyed. It's the in-vogue blend of caffeine-loaded energy drinks like Red Bull, Hype and 180 as mixers. Blended with flavored vodka, whiskey, champagne, tequila, gin or rum, the turbo-powered combo packs a one-two punch that could end with a TKO. At local bars and clubs, customers ask for Long Island Hype-T (everything under sun along with Hype) and Vodka Red Bull. ``Vodka Red Bull is very popular and has been for almost a year,'' said Lisa Houston, manager of Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood. ``We go through about a dozen cases (of the energy drink) a week. People like the buzz, but we cut them off before they get too messed up.'' Medical professionals say one of the dangers of the new blend is drinkers often don't realize just how intoxicated in·tox·i·cate v. in·tox·i·cat·ed, in·tox·i·cat·ing, in·tox·i·cates v.tr. 1. To stupefy or excite by the action of a chemical substance such as alcohol. 2. they are. ``What happens is, the alcohol depresses the system at the same time the caffeine stimulates,'' said Amy Piotter, a registered dietitian registered dietitian, n See dietitian, registered. at Tarzana Hospital. ``It's a combination of altered states. You're drunk and wide awake, which is not recommended, of course.'' Dr. Michael Hirt, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center, calls the potent mix ``a witch's brew. It's an upper and a downer down·er n. A depressant or sedative drug, such as a barbiturate or tranquilizer. .'' One of the selling points of the new fad is the false belief that the Red Bull-and-Stoli buzz is somehow hangover-free. Not true, says Dr. Marc Lavin, an internal medicine specialist at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center. ``Then, there's the danger of people not realizing how drunk they actually are so they drink more,'' he said. ``It's just very dangerous.'' The toll on the drinker's system is high, warns Dr. Timothy Horita, a general practitioner general practitioner n. Abbr. GP A physician whose practice consists of providing ongoing care covering a variety of medical problems in patients of all ages, often including referral to appropriate specialists. at Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills. ``When you're on the rebound from acute alcohol intake, your body produces stimulants,'' he said. ``That's why binge drinkers get tremors the next day. So to add huge amounts of caffeine, it's an all-around bad idea.'' - Fred Shuster CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 2 boxes Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Sip 'n' spin High-octane drinks bring you up and drop you down, health experts warn (2) no caption (lineup of energy drinks) Tina Burch/Staff Photographer Box: (1) What's in your energy drink (see text) (2) It's an upper and a downer (see text) |
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