Best and Worst Energy Drinks

Those Energy drinks are all over the news these days, associated with deaths of youths who basically become addicted to the sugar and caffine high that these drinks provide.

The Shine on Yahoo published a report, titled "Best and Worst Energy Drinks", which is a fair report if un-complete.

Recent headlines over the potential health hazards of energy drinks have led the FDA into intense investigation. The stimulus? A Maryland mother who filed a request to see whether the energy drink, Monster, had been tied to any deaths in recent years, after a fatal incident with her own 14-year old daughter. Health and nutrition expert Aimee Raupp joined “The Shine” to advise on which energy drinks should be avoided and which to embrace.

Aimee points out that that FDA and the Federal government have raised real concerns about the health effects of these energy drinks. In fact, energy drinks are not FDA regulated because their sold as nutritional supplements, not food so that’s why they can exceed the FDA-mandated 71 milligrams of caffeine.

Which beverages should we stay away from? Aimee says to avoid the following energy drinks at all costs. These are the most popularly sold energy drinks in the United States:

Red Bull
Monster
Rockstar
Full Throttle
Sobe No Fear
Amp

One of these energy drinks is the equivalent to 4-7 cups of coffee. Aimee says that is way too much caffeine for one sitting. The reaction is alarming – after consuming one of these, your body will go into overdrive – pupils start to dilate, heart rate increases, and all you want to do is move, move, move (and not in a good way!). These drinks can also cause a lack of mental focus and increased hunger.

On the flipside, there are a number of “good” energy drinks that provide positive health benefits, and Aimee recommends the following:

Cellnique
Sambazon
Steaz
Scheckter’s Organic Energy

Of this group, Aimee’s top pick is the Cellnique because it’s the lowest in added sugars and the ingredient list here is quite clean and super naturally energizing. Regardless, all of these choices are organic and contain energizing sources like acai, yerba mate and guarana.

MyAchingKnees: These "good" energy drinks are still food grade products with all the usual problems associated with that manufacturing process.

Are you completely weary of energy drinks altogether? If so, here are some great alternatives. Coconut water is one of the best – it’s completely all natural, no preservatives – you can’t get any better than this. Also go for Kombucha ( do be aware though it’s an aquired taste – “effervescent” as Aimee puts it), Yerba Mate, green vegetable juice (with cayenne pepper or ginger or turmeric to really invigorate circulation and boost energy), an energizing smoothie with banana and spirulina, green tea (organic), organic coffee, or dark chocolate.

MyAchingKnees: Slice up a Cucumber and place in pitcher of water in the fridge - you'll be suprised how good it tastes. Better that that, invest in a Vita-Mix type blender and make your own smoothies of vegetables and fruits. You'll get all the nutrients not just the juice from a juicer. The natural sugars you'll get will be released slower and limit the energy drop you get with refined and high fructose corn syrup type drinks. Not to mention minimizing the crazy blood sugar levels and path towards diabetes. One of my favorite smoothies is beets, carrots, bananna, grapes and blue berries.

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Energy Drinks,....BAD!! for you

Although this report is from Fox News, we have been writing posts on the bad idea to consume Energy Drinks for the past couple years. "FDA says 5 deaths, heart attack reportedly linked to Monster Energy Drink"

The highly caffeinated Monster Energy Drink has been cited in five deaths and one non-fatal heart attack, according to reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating.

The reports claim that people had adverse reactions after they consumed Monster Energy Drink, which comes in 24-ounce cans and contains 240 milligrams of caffeine, or seven times the amount of the caffeine in a 12-ounce cola.

Although the FDA is investigating the allegations, which date back to 2004, the agency said the reports don't necessarily prove that the drinks caused the deaths or injuries.

"As with any reports of a death or injury the agency receives, we take them very seriously and investigate diligently," Shelly Burgess said in a statement.

News of the FDA's investigation follows a filing last week of a wrongful death suit in Riverside, Calif., by the parents of a 14-year-old Hagerstown girl who died after drinking two, 24-ounce Monster Energy Drinks in 24 hours.

An autopsy found that Anais Fournier died of cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity that impeded her heart's ability to pump blood. She suffered from an inherited disorder that can weaken blood vessels. But the child's parents claim Monster failed to warn about the risks of drinking its products.

Monster Beverage Corp., which touts on its web site that the Monster Energy Drink is a "killer energy brew" and "the meanest energy supplement on the planet," puts labels on cans that state that the drinks are not recommended for children and people who are sensitive to caffeine. The company, based in Corona, Calif., did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment on Monday, but said last week that it is "unaware of any fatality anywhere that has been caused by its drinks."

Monster is among a growing group of energy drinks on the market. Energy drinks are a tiny part of the carbonated soft drink market, representing about 3 percent of sales volume, according to a recent report by industry tracker Beverage Digest. But at a time when soda consumption is declining, energy drinks are becoming more popular: Last year, sales volume for energy drinks rose by nearly 17 percent.

The dangers of energy drinks

Monster has benefited the most from the rise in popularity. Last year, Monster had a 35 percent share of the energy-drink market based on volume, while Red Bull had 30 percent and Rockstar had 19 percent, according to Beverage Digest. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are far smaller players in the arena, with about 5 percent each.

Investors have warmed up to the drinks as well. In the past two years, Monster's shares have more than tripled, from about $22 and hit a high of about $79 in June. But on news of the FDA investigation, Monster's shares plunged $7.59, or 14.2 percent, to close at $45.73 in trading on Monday.

The increase in popularity has brought heightened scrutiny. The levels of caffeine in the drinks have raised worries: Although the FDA caps the amount of caffeine in soda to 0.02 percent, there is no such limit for energy drinks.

In August, New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued subpoenas to energy drink makers, including Monster, as part of the state's investigation of the industry. And in September, Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked the FDA to take another look at the effect that caffeine and other ingredients in energy drinks have on children and adolescents.



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Reply to Energy Drink Comment

MyAchingKnees.com received a comment on the Energy Drink post,...the reader wrote: "Energy drinks should not be banned such that they give energy to many persons and many persons are depending upon them."

I thought long and hard about even replying to this comment, but thought maybe,...just maybe, the reader wanted to write more but instead hit the "send" key. So I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

Go ahead and drink the Monsters,...the Red Bulls and all the other high glycemic "energy" drinks with their high levels of caffiene, processed fructose and Spendra. Just don't fool yourself. These drinks,...well, they suck. They give you a sugar high, then make your pancreas work overtime to produce insulin to take the sugar out of the blood stream,..then comes the crash. And I'll be you do it all over again.

I'll stick with a low glycemic, natural fructose and natural caffeine, and, no artificial flavors, sweeteners, preservatives, or in my drink,..the Rev 3.

Rev3 has unique components that separate it from other energy drinks: Rev3 contains L-Carnitine, an ingredient that has an important function in energy production. L-Carnitine helps shuttle fatty acids (fats) into the mitochondria where they can be turned into energy. It also helps to transport the toxic byproducts of energy combustion out of the mitochondria to prevent accumulation.

Rev3 also contains CoQ10. CoQ10 is involved in the production of 95 percent of the energy required by the body.

A Revolution in Energy Drinks, Rev3 is also low glycemic and formulated for a sustained energy. With a high glycemic load, typical energy drinks spike your blood sugar levels, giving you a quick feeling of energy but soon leading to a crash that leaves you feeling drained. Rev3 has a total glycemic load that is three to four times lower than traditional energy drinks. This means that Rev3 does not lead to a debilitating sugar crash but rather leaves you feeling a sustained level of energy throughout the day.*

Proprietary Energy Complex Rev3 was developed with a complete and proprietary energy complex that includes L-Carnitine, malic acid, citric acid, Korean ginseng, and rhodiola. These ingredients are necessary for normal functioning of the Krebs energy cycle (citric acid cycle) and electron transport systems.*

Proprietary Phytochemical Blend. The unique phytochemical blend of Rev3 includes 61 milligrams of additional all-natural ingredients. This includes pomegranate, acerola, grape-seed extract, and USANA’s patented Olivol® olive-fruit extract. Olivol provides highly bioavailable phenolic antioxidants that have been shown to protect low-density lipoproteins (LDL) from oxidation.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat,
cure, or prevent any disease.

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“Energy Drinks” – Aren’t Really Energy Drinks

It seems like the whole planet is going crazy and drinking “Energy Drinks”. You can’t walk five minutes down town without see someone with a Red Bull or a Rock Star drink in their hand.
Whoever invented these drinks should be both praised for their business acumen and scorned for putting junk in the hands of the masses.
Simply put, the “energy boost” you get from these drinks is a sugar high,…which of course will be followed by a low. The worst thing about it is the roller coaster ride you give pancreas fits creating and releasing insulin into your body to remove the blood sugar from your system.
MyAchingKnees.com is going to look at three common energy drinks,…Verve, Rock Star and Rd Bull and compare it to non-commercial healthy energy drink.

One of the great things about Rev 3, besides it's low glycemic sugars, is the ingredient L-Carnitine that offers two important energy functions: Helps shuttles fatty acids into the mitochondria where they can be turned into energy; and, helps to transport toxic by products of energy combustion out of the mitochondria to prevent acculmulation. Rev 3 also has grape seed extract, olive oil and pomengranate as ingredients.

If you are interested in hearing more on Rev 3, contact me through the contact link to the right, or click here.