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Friday, March 27, 2009

There are healthy energy drinks

Commercial energy drinks are all the buzz and have been for a number of years now. Those quick energy poppers at the grocery check out are probably in the same class. Most of these contain sucralose (a toxic hydrochlorocarbon) or a blend of aspartame and sucralose or aspartame and acesulfame K (all highly toxic artificial sweeteners)
According to Wikipedia, Red Bull, the most advertised of these drinks, has health risks.

However, in an effort to stem this tide, herbalYODA developed an herbal sports tea blend shortly after creating Formula One (sold as ADVENTURX) in 2004. sportZtea is a blend of 5-6 herbs that provide you with nutrients supplying vitamins and minerals to support your health and hydration. No stimulants and no artificial sweeteners.

And for the man from Austria (not Dr. Mueller-Toeroek) that brought you Red Bull, remind him that you don't need all the stuff in RB to relieve jet lag. I guess you didn't consult this favorite herbalist.
"[edit] Origins of Red Bull
Red Bull was inspired by an energy drink from Thailand called Krating Daeng. Red Bull is the literal translation of Krating Daeng in Thai. (Krating = Bull, Dang = Red) The logo of redbull is even the same as logo of Krating Daeng. Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian entrepreneur developed the Red Bull Energy Drink brand. Mateschitz was the international marketing director for Blendax, a toothpaste company, when he visited Thailand in 1982 and discovered that Krating Daeng helped to cure his jet lag.[2] Between 1984 and 1987, Mateschitz worked with TC Pharmaceutical (a Blendax licensee) to adapt Krating Daeng for the European market. At the same time Mateschitz and Chaleo Yoovidhya founded Red Bull GmbH; each investing $500,000 of savings and taking a stake in the new company. They gave the remaining 2% to Chaleo's son Chalerm, but it was agreed that Mateschitz would run the company.[3] Red Bull GmbH launched the Red Bull in 1987, which is carbonated and not as sweet as Krating Daeng, the Thai energy drink. Red Bull entered its first foreign market (Hungary) in 1992, and the United States (via California) in 1997.[4]

Red Bull has taken almost half of the US market for energy drinks, and up to 80% of the market in some other countries.

In 2006, Forbes Magazine listed Chaleo as being the 292nd richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of over $2.5 billion[5] while Mateschitz was listed at number 317.[6]

[edit] Product
Marketed as an energy drink "to combat mental and physical fatigue", it contains, per 250 mL (8.4 U.S. fl. oz.) serving, about 21.5 g sucrose, 5.25 g of glucose, 50 mg of inositol, 1000 mg of taurine, 600 mg of glucuronolactone, vitamin B — 20 mg of niacin, 5 mg of vitamin B6, 5 mg of pantothenic acid and 5 μg of vitamin B12 , 80 mg of caffeine. The caffeine in one serving is similar to that found in an average cup of brewed coffee (typically 100 mg/250 ml cup, but 72 mg for a U.S. regular 6 fluid ounces cup of coffee) or twice as much as found in a can of Coke (40 mg/330 ml can). A sugar-free version has been available since the beginning of 2003. Sugar-free Red Bull is sweetened with aspartame and sucralose, as opposed to sucrose and glucose.

Red Bull has the flavor of a carbonated guarana drink. It is commonly used as a mixer with alcoholic drinks such as vodka, and is the base ingredient in a Jägerbomb.

[edit] Ingredients
A can of Red Bull from the United Kingdom states the ingredients as: Water, sucrose, glucose, sodium citrates, carbon dioxide, taurine, agave, glucuronolactone, caffeine, inositol, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, caramel and riboflavin. In comparison, a can of Sugar Free Red Bull from the United Kingdom states the ingredients as: water, acidity regulator sodium citrates, carbon dioxide, taurine, glucuronolactone, sweeteners (acesulfame K, aspartame), caffeine, inositol, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, thickener xanthan gum, colours (caramel, riboflavin).

Taurine is a naturally occurring organic acid in the human body and is also present in foods like poultry, fish, and scallops. In addition to being an antioxidant, it is mainly used by the body during physical exertion and stress.[7] In its natural form, taurine is derived from animal tissue, having been first isolated from bull (Bos taurus) bile, hence the name "Red Bull"; however, the taurine used in the Red Bull drink is produced synthetically. It is also the first energy drink to list glucuronolactone in its ingredient list. Glucuronolactone is a carbohydrate involved in detoxification. The chemical naturally occurs in the human body, but is also present in foods like grain and wine.[7] It has often been referred to have a similar taste to Dandelion & Burdock, a traditional British soft drink, drunk in the British Islands since about 1265. Traditionally it is made from fermented dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and burdock (Arctium lappa) roots, and is naturally carbonated.

[edit] Health effects
A review published in 2008 found no documented reports of negative health effects associated with the taurine used in the amounts found in most energy drinks, including Red Bull.[8]

Commonly reported adverse effects due to caffeine used in the quantities present in Red Bull, are insomnia, nervousness, headache, and tachycardia (see Caffeine intoxication). In cases of extreme over consumption, death is possible.

A 2008 position statement issued by the National Federation of State High School Associations made the following recommendations about energy drink consumption, in general, by young athletes:[9]

Water and appropriate sports drinks should be used for rehydration as outlined in the NFHS Document “Position Statement and Recommendations for Hydration to Minimize the Risk for Dehydration and Heat Illness.”

Energy drinks should not be used for hydration.
Information about the absence of benefit and the presence of potential risk associated with energy drinks should be widely shared among all individuals who interact with young athletes.
Energy drinks should not be consumed by athletes who are dehydrated.
Energy drinks should not be consumed without prior medical approval, by athletes taking over the counter or prescription medications.

[edit] Anaerobic muscular endurance and work
A study conducted in 2007 on 15 healthy young adults, found that Red Bull consumption led to an acute increase in upper body anaerobic muscular endurance; however, no effect was found on either peak lower body anaerobic muscular work, or average lower body anaerobic muscular work.[10]

[edit] Cardiovascular effects
The results of a single study conducted in 2008 showed that the ingestion of one, 250mL can of sugar-free Red Bull, in a sample of 30 healthy young adults, had an immediate detrimental effect on both endothelial function, and normal blood coagulation. This temporarily raised the cardiovascular risk in these individuals to a level comparable to that of an individual with established coronary artery disease.[11]


Based on their results, researchers involved with the study cautioned against the consumption of Red Bull in individuals under stress, in those with high blood pressure, or in anyone with established atherosclerotic disease.[12]

Red Bull representatives, however, stated that this observed increase in cardiovascular risk was not felt to be different than that associated with drinking a regular cup of coffee. They also stated that they believed that Red Bull must be safe, as it was felt the only way Red Bull could have such substantial global sales is if various health authorities had concluded the drink safe to consume.

There has been at least one case report of Red Bull overdose causing postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome in a young athlete.[13]

A February 3, 2009 article in The Daily Telegraph called, "Red Bull 'may have triggered heart condition that killed student'" reported on the death of a 21 year-old woman who died after drinking four cans of Red Bull and several VKs, a vodka based drink which also contains caffeine. It was believed, but had not been proven, that she suffered from a rare heart condition called long QT Syndrome[14]. She was on medication for epilepsy. A medical examination found that there were no illegal drugs in her system. The article quoted a doctor as saying, "The QT levels may have grown over a few years, or it may have been artificially pushed over the limit by caffeine." [15]

Energy Drinks May Be Harmful To People With Hypertension, Heart Disease

ScienceDaily (2009-03-26) -- People who have high blood pressure or heart disease should avoid consuming energy drinks, according to a new study. Researchers found that healthy adults who drank two cans a day of a popular energy drink experienced an increase in their blood pressure and heart rate. No significant changes in EKG measurements were reported. ... > read full article


Natural Health News has 38 posts with information about the toxic effects of sucralose (Splenda) and aspartame.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Have you reviewed XOWii Energy? All-Natural, Low Calorie and 5,200 ORAC Score.

EnergyByXOWii

This product contains FRUCTOSE, an ingredient that promotes obesity and diabetes. It would not make my list no matter the ORAC units.
hY

Alden said...

Thanks for providing such useful information.

DCKneuro@gmail.com said...

Please provide the data on your statement on Sucralose:

"sucralose (a toxic hydrochlorocarbon"

I have researched this for a couple years. There have been hundreds of in depth clinical tests on Sucralose. Only huge doses has it shown any negative a negative effect. If it is just sucralose with no additives then it is 99+% inert and passes right through the body.
Aspartame is a different story and has been shown to be very unhealthy

Anonymous said...

To DCKneuro -

Unfortunately it has been documented that sucralose is NOT inert and it is metabolized by the body.

I'd suggest you do more effective research as this information is readily available.

Unknown said...

To the sucralose supporters who clearly are not open to the research -
Splenda Study Raises Health Worries
Sep 23, 2008
Splenda, an artificial sweetener, has been tied to a host of ills by researchers at Duke University, The New York Times reported today. According to an article published on The Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health website, Splenda contributes to obesity, destroys “good” intestinal bacteria and prevents prescription drugs from being absorbed.
Splenda is a no-calorie sweetener made by McNeil Nutritionals. Splenda is 600 times as sweet as table sugar), twice as sweet as saccharin, and four times as sweet as aspartame. Unlike other artificial sweeteners, Splenda remains stable under heat and can be used in baking or in products that require a longer shelf life. Since its U.S. introduction in 1999, Splenda has overtaken Equal in the $1.5 billion artificial sweetener market, holding a 62% market share.
Splenda’s main ingredient is sucralose, which is manufactured in laboratories. While a sugar molecule is used in the process, there is no sugar contained in the end product. In 2004, the Sugar Association, and industry lobbying group, sued McNeil in federal court, alleging that the Splenda slogan, “made like sugar, so it tastes like sugar" misled consumers. The Splenda slogan has since been changed to “it’s made from sugar. It tastes like sugar. But it’s not sugar.”
The Sugar Association also funded the Duke University study of Splenda health affects. The study was conducted using male rats over a period of twelve weeks. The researchers found evidence that, in the animals studied, Splenda reduced the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50%, increased the pH level in the intestines, contributed to increases in body weight and affects the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the body in such a way that crucial health-related drugs could be rejected.
Because it was funded by the sugar industry, McNeil has dismissed the Duke study. The company also criticized the fact that the Splenda study used lab rats as test subjects. But the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also tested Splenda on rats before approving it for sale to the public.
One of the lead researchers of the study, Dr. Mohamed B. Abou-Donia, told The New York Times that the Sugar Association had “no input” into the study’s findings and conclusions.
One group that is taking the Duke Splenda study seriously is Citizens for Health. The public advocacy group asked the FDA to accept a petition it filed over a year ago and initiate a review of its approval of Splenda. Citizens for Health also wants the agency to require a warning label on Splenda packaging cautioning that people who take medications and/or have gastrointestinal problems avoid using Splenda.
"The new study makes it clear that Splenda can cause you to gain weight and lose the benefits of medications designed to improve and protect your health. The FDA should not continue to turn a blind eye to this health threat," James Turner, chairman of Citizens for Health said in a statement.

Typical that the drug industry that distributes Splenda and gets profit from it at the expense of people's health will speak against this study.

Unknown said...

This came from some one who started off with an ad hominem attack so we have edited out that pert in keeping with our policies. Clearly this person is not up to date on the science of Splenda.

"What does it mean "It has been documented". I did look at the "information readily available" There is a lot of nonsense. If there many clinical studies please give me 3 links to them and I will be glad to read them.

Over 80 nations have researched the clinic study data and have found that sucralose is a very safe sweetener.

Here is the answer to the two key questions on safety and absorption.

How was the safety of sucralose determined?
Regulatory authorities globally have very specific requirements in terms of scientific studies to demonstrate safety of new food ingredients, including sweeteners. Sucralose underwent all of the required scientific studies and the data has been reviewed by scientific experts representing regulatory authorities around the world. Every regulatory authority that has reviewed the safety data on sucralose has concluded that sucralose is safe for human consumption.

What happens to sucralose in the body?
Although sucralose is made from sugar, the body does not recognize it as sugar or a carbohydrate. It is not metabolized by the body for energy, so it is calorie-free. The vast majority of ingested sucralose is not absorbed and simply passes through the digestive system. The small amount of sucralose that is absorbed is rapidly eliminated in urine as sucralose."