National Nutrition Month: Caffeine and Energy Drinks
- Mar 29, 2017
- 5 min read
So many of us are dependent on the, arguably, life-saving qualities of a cup of coffee. Some of us are nearly un-human until we have had our caffeine fix. The last thing we are thinking about as we return to the human world is what the caffeine is doing in our bodies. Is it good? Is it bad? Do the benefits outweigh the risks?
Caffeine is a substance found in seeds, nuts, or leaves of different plants native to South America and East Asia. It is the world's most widely consumed stimulant of the central nervous system. It's primarily consumed through coffee, tea, and soda but it is also found in cocoa beans and guarana (more on that later).
The FDA considers 400mg per day of caffeine to be safe for adults to consume. However, everyone reacts differently to caffeine and some people can have reactions to much smaller levels than 400mg. Side effects of too much caffeine include: migraine, muscle tremors, insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, frequent urination or inability to control urination, upset stomach, and fast heartbeat.
Caffeine has a half life of 4-6 hours. A half life means that half of a substance is gone. So, half of the caffeine you drank is left in your system 4-6 hours after drinking it. Let's look at the following example:
It's a typical morning. You get up and ready for work and, like so many others, make a stop at Starbucks on your way to work. It's a 'go big or go home' type of day, so you order a Venti Caramel Machiato, and you're on your way.
This table shows that even though you got your caffeine fix at 6AM that morning, you may still be feeling that fix all the way into the evening hours. Not everyone may feel the coffee that late (especially if you're a Starbucks junkie), but it may keep some people up even hours after drinking it.
Let's expand on our example. You get to work and realize you have a big meeting with your boss and other employees. You don't want to appear sleepy, so you down some caffeinated liquid courage and grab a cup of coffee in the break room.
When you added the coffee in, you've also added more caffeine (duh, right?). Well, when you added more caffeine, you now have more in your system later into the day.
But let's bump it up a notch...you finish your meeting and it leaves you exhausted. You were up late last night preparing for the meeting and you still have work to finish and a soccer game to get to because you promised your niece that you would come watch (even though 6 year old's basically just run around the field all chasing the ball). So to make it through the day, you grab a 5 Hour Energy drink.
Depending on your level of caffeine addiction, the addition of that 5 Hour Energy may keep you up at night. This might seem like a lot when you look at the numbers, but this scenario is not that uncommon. Some people toss back caffeine like it's water.
But what about energy drinks? Are they any worse or better for you? They certainly are popular. It is predicted that the energy drink market will be worth $21.5 billion this year! Surveys have found that 30-50% of adolescents and adults consume energy drinks.
Energy drinks can provide energy through calories, but the energy they provide primarily comes from caffeine. Energy drinks also contain other additives like vitamins, taurine, theanine, herbal supplements, carnitine, creatine, sugars, and guarana, which is a plant product that naturally contains concentrated caffeine. These include drinks like Red Bull and
Monster. Energy shots contain more concentrated sources of caffeine, have fewer ingredient and calories, and are usually sold in small containers. 5-Hour Energy is the most popular of these.
Energy drink companies do not have to disclose how much caffeine is in their products, although some voluntarily do. 8oz of Monster and 8 oz of Red Bull have about the same caffeine level as a cup of coffee, but these energy drinks often come in larger cans, meaning that there is more than one 8 oz serving in each can.
Until recently, energy drinks were not under the same regulations as other beverages. They had been marketed as dietary supplements, which have much lower standards of regulation than beverages do. In 2013, Monster and Rock Star Energy chose to market their products as beverages which changes the way they are regulated. Despite this, energy drinks and shots, over-the-counter products, and coffee, are all regulated differently even though they all contain caffeine. For example, caffeine pills all not allowed to contain more than 200mg of caffeine per caplet and the FDA requires that warnings and directions be placed on the label. No warnings are required for energy drinks and shots, or coffee drinks, even though some of them may contain more caffeine per serving.
Aside from caffeine, energy drinks also contain guarana, which is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA up to a specific amount, but it's not clear how much guarana energy drinks actually contain and how much would be considered safe when it's added to a product that already contains caffeine, as guarana contains concentrated caffeine.
Taurine, another energy drink ingredient, is produced by the body and found in foods. The FDA has not formally assessed taurine or approved it as a food additive for conventional foods, but it's considered GRAS for flavor use. It influences several body functions including blood pressure, growth hormone production, and stimulation of the hypothalamus, which helps regulate the body. The European Commission found that people eating an omnivore diet had an average taurine intake of 40-400mg per day. However, those who drank 0.5 L per day of some energy drinks can result in a taurine intake that is five times higher! More studies need to be conducted to determine how much taurine is safe and determine whether the combination of taurine and caffeine is safe.
Some studies have found no clinically significant effects of energy drinks on body functions, particularly the heart. However, some studies have shown that drinking more than one energy drink can per day can increase heart rate and blood pressure which could lead to heart problems in the future. The majority of reports of negative effects from energy drinks have come with excessive intake of energy shots or drinks over a short period of time, and some consuming them with alcohol. Individual tolerances vary and people are generally affected by their tolerance. Use caution when consuming energy drinks (stimulants) with alcohol (a depressant).
In summary:
generally limit caffeine to no more than 400 mg per day
limit energy drinks to no more than 1 can (16.9 oz) per day
don't mix energy drinks with alcohol
try to time your caffeine intake for earlier in the day so it does not keep you awake at night
consider drinking smaller amounts of caffeine spaced out during the day, except at night
consider other ways to wake yourself up in the morning - water, orange juice, a walk, music, etc.
Sources:
1) "Caffeine." NCI Thesaurus. National Cancer Institute. https://ncit.nci.nih.gov/ncitbrowser/ConceptReport.jsp?dictionary=NCI_Thesaurus&ns=NCI_Thesaurus&code=C328. Accessed March 22, 2017.
2) Webb D. "The Truth About Energy Drinks." Today's Dietitian. 2013; 15(10): 62. http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/100713p62.shtml. Accessed March 21, 2017. Published October 2013.
3) "Caffeine Intake by the U.S. Population." FDA website. https://www.fda.gov/downloads/aboutfda/centersoffices/officeoffoods/cfsan/cfsanfoiaelectronicreadingroom/ucm333191.pdf. Accessed March 22, 2017. Published December 2012.
4) Mort J and Kruse H. "Timing of Blood Pressure Measurement Related to Caffeine Consumption." Ann Pharmaco. 2008; 42(1). http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1345/aph.1K337
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