By Katie Cunningham
The finish line for school is so close you can almost taste it, but first you must hurdle obstacles such as finals and semester projects.
College students often spend long, sleepless nights finishing papers and cramming for tests, followed by even longer mornings spent in class learning more lessons.
Unlike older adults who use coffee to keep them awake, many younger students turn to energy drinks for a late night and early morning boost.
What exactly do energy drinks such as Red Bull, Rockstar, Full Throttle and Monster contain? They’re packed with stimulants, sweeteners, amino acids, B vitamins and herbs, according to Consumer Reports on Health.
In Consumer Reports tests of a dozen popular energy drinks, the amount of caffeine in an 8-ounce serving ranged from 50 milligrams to 145 milligrams.
By contrast, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration limits caffeine to 71 milligrams in 12-ounce soft drinks. The restrictions don’t apply to energy drinks because they are classified as dietary supplements.
Energy drink ingredients that contain caffeine include guarana, green tea and yerba mate. Some drinks also add ginseng, which may amplify caffeine’s affects, according to Consumer Reports.
Too much caffeine can cause health problems such as anxiety and heart palpitations, the magazine notes. Another side effect is withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop consuming caffeine.
Energy drinks are also loaded with sugar, which boosts calories and causes a short-term jump in blood sugar levels. Some drinks also contain glucuronolactone, a naturally occurring sugar-like sweetener.
Consumer Reports said glucuronolactone is safe when consumed in moderate amounts. However, energy drinks contain several hundred times the amount you would get from food, so its safety is unknown.
Taurine, a protein, is another ingredient with unknown health effects. Some energy drinks use up to 10 times the usual daily intake of taurine, which is plentiful in foods. There’s no evidence that other added amino acids such as arginine, glutamine or leucine have health benefits, according to Consumer Reports.
Energy drinks also contain B vitamins, essential nutrients for extracting energy from food. However, Consumer Reports said most people get enough B vitamins from their diet.
Some people believe ingredients such as ginkgo biloba, milk thistle and bee pollen help improve memory or boost immunity. According to Consumer Reports, there is no evidence to back the claims or ensure the safety of the supplements.
It can also be dangerous to mix alcohol with energy drinks, the magazine warns. Research shows that people who do so become just as intoxicated as others but may feel less impaired. That might make them more likely to drink to excess or take risks.
Consumer Reports concluded that an occasional energy drink is safe for most adults, but it’s not a good idea to drink them regularly.
http://aztecpress.blogspot.com/2009/05/whats-in-energy-drinks-anyway.html
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