Mamajuana

While doing a final search of something to write about for my blog I found this weird drink called Mamajuana energy shot. Lately, I have been hearing of energy drink which contains hemp so I wanted to look into this. I guess Mamajuana is a sexual performance energy drink with various herbal extracts as part of its ingredients. As part of the ingredients lists it gives a list of ingredients for the "energy blend" as well as a separate list called the "sexual blend". It contains numerous ingredients which are said to be popular aphrodisiacs for this country as well as in other countries. It does contain a warning label about not consuming more than one can per 12 hours though! In the personal testimonies for the product many say that the drink has saved their sex life and you can "boost sexual performance without a prescription". This drink was named after the Carribean legend called "mamjuana" which is featured on their website. It is only a 2 ounce shot but I guess it packs alot of energy! Take a look at the website for more information!

http://www.mamajuanaextreme.com/index.php

Slap..

Slap, among Bawls, The Beast, Who's Your Daddy, Roaring Lion, Virus of Beauty, Blue Jeans, Beaver Buzz, Bionic Boink, Deep Throat, and Howling Monkey all have something in common: they are all energy drinks! As you can see, some energy drinks have really weird names, some so weird I probably wouldn't even consider trying it. My main question was why name them these awful names? Well, companies say that the name acts as a slogan itself. Who wouldn't be attracted to a weird named energy drink just for the sake of saying you've tried it? Looking into some of these weird energy drinks I found that alot of them come from different countries and some even contain ingredients that are not in your average "American" energy drink. For example, "Virus of Beauty" is made in Belgium and is a "juice based energy drink which contains aspartame". One company even came up with an energy drink called "Great". I'm sure that took alot of thought! However, one of the ingredients in this drink is called "sulphite ammonia caramel". Looking this up, I found that it is a food coloring containing sulphite and ammonia. Sulphite is used as a food preservative, and is also one of the top 9 food allergens. It can cause irritation of the skin, headache, and breathing difficulty if consumed by someone who has this "allergy" and many people do not know if they have it because it has been banned for its usage in numerous products. Ammonia is obviously the bleach used in cleaners.Kind of made me skeptical about this particular energy drink, I think I'll just stick with Amp for now.

If you're feeling sinful...

The Kabbalah Centre (located in California) which is a non profit spiritual organization which teaches principles of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). It is followed by multiple celebrities such as Madonna and others but has also been thought to be a cult. However, they apparently have their own energy drink. Press releases had stated that celebrities such as Madonna, Demi Moore, Guy Ritchie, and Ashton Kutcher were drinking this energy drink (probably to get more publicity). The most interesting thing about this energy drink is that it has Kabbalah water in it, or holy water! Yet, I don't think that a "holy water infused" energy drink would be any more healthier for you because it still contains 100mg of caffiene, as well as taurine. It also contains a warning label about over consumption of the drink and how it is not recommended for child consumption or consumption by pregnant women. Many think that Kabbalah is not offering this product to promote their followings but rather to promote marketing and make some money (obviously!). The director of Kabbalah Enterprises states that this energy drink is different from others because it does contain Kabbalah water, which has blessings on it and is an added benefit, aside from the fact that it also tastes better than most energy drinks. My take on this drink is that it is certainly odd knowing that you are consuming blessed holy water while at the same time drinking something that can sure do a number on your health if over consumed.

Booty Sweat

Personally, I have never seen the movie Tropic Thunder with Ben Stiller. But, for those of you who have I'm sure you recall a commercial being aired in the movie for a fake energy known as "Booty Sweat". Well, I decided to search Perez Hilton's site again for interesting news on energy drinks and celebs and came across an article that said Paramount Pictures is now launching the energy drink as a REAL DRINK!! They did this to promote the movie which I think is a great idea because it kind of gets me wondering about seeing the movie since everyone is making such a big deal about this drink! I'm pretty sure "Booty Sweat" is already being sold (though I'm not sure if it was just a last years summer thing to run at the same time as a release for the movie?) but it was sold at locations like Hot Topic and Hastings.. and you can of couse buy it off Amazon! And according to Perez Hilton "lets hope it doesn't taste like ass" haha!

You can find the fake Booty Sweat commercial off of Youtube if you want! But here is a link to the Perez article: http://perezhilton.com/2008-06-27-this-is-not-a-joke-43

Gleukos Energy Drink

What is it? A New type of sports drink that is made from glucose as its main sugar. As the maker of this drink discovered, glucose requires no digestion. It naturally expends energy as it enters into the blood stream, and since it is naturally occurring, it does not use the chemicals which dehydrate you and gives you a natural boost of energy. This drink also claims to not result in a "sugar crash". According to Gleukos' website: "Gleukos is all natural and won't leave that overly sweet. syrupy taste in your mouth". Gleukos contains a large number of electrolytes which are vital to health. Gleukos even claims to be healthy for those who are diabetic! Although I have never seen this sports/energy drink, it can be found in places like CVS, Whole Foods Market, and 7 eleven.

This Gleukos energy drink is also the first to use a plastic, collapsable pouch. Supposedly the company used this because it is said to take up 50% less space and is 80% lighter. It also used a special valve to make the drink spill proof as well as leak proog. Here are some articles about this drink:

http://www.strangenewproducts.com/2005/11/gleukos-energy-drink-weird-bottle-bad.html

And its website:

http://www.gleukos.com/

Celcius Energy Drink

I just found out about this newest energy drink craze with a drink called Celcius. It has "negative calories" because it helps you burn calories as you drink it. Well, while researching this drink (which I had heard about while reading an article on Katie Holmes' new diet secret, which just so happened to be Celcius) I came across a website dedicated to this energy drink. It is called ilovecelcius.com and has tons of related articles to the drink! The drink has about 200 mg of caffeine, whereas normal energy drinks have about 80 mg per bottle. This drink has a total of approximately ten calories, and claims to burn well over 100 (I've heard stories of up to 500 calories burned per bottle). This site reccommends not consuming more than 3 bottles of Celcius per day and is not recommended for pregnant women, children under 12, or people sensitive to caffeine. However, the site does state that if you are used to consuming multiple caffeinated beverages per day, Celcius is the better choice because it is not filled with carbs or calories. The only thing really great that I found about this energy drink was that it has very little sodium (especially as compared to other caffeinated beverages), it contains no high fructose corn syrup, no chemical preservatives, and obviously, no carbohydrates. However, it still contains taurine, guarana, and other not so natural ingredients that can still be adverse to your health.

Swimming the Atlantic

I know I said it was dumb that energy drink commercials are all the same. They all have the same message: you can do the impossible if you drink our energy drink! Well, one woman may have proven this to be true! I found an article that was about the first woman to SWIM ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN!! She was 56 years old and swam from Africa to the British Virgin Islands. Apparently, the woman though that she would be able to swim the whole way if ever a plane went down in the middle of the ocean and wanted to prove to herself that she could do it. Well, she got the aid of energy drinks on her way! Of course, she had a crew with her the whole time on a boat nearby just in case she was too tired to do the whole trip. The crew would throw down bottles of energy drinks to give her the boost she needed to make it all the way! I id find this to be a bit odd since after the initial boost of caffeine, the body goes into crash mode(personally I thought bottled water would be a better choice!), but I guess I was wrong because she was able to complete her voyage. Maybe you can do the "impossible", as long as you have the right brand!

Smile Pretty!

Lately, I have been going to various news sites to see what I can find about newer articles on energy drinks. Well, today was my lucky day!! Usually, I find postings that are old, even though they are still useful. But, turns out, thebostonchannel.com just did an article on sports/energy drinks yesterday and the adverse effects on teeth! According to the article, New York University stated that "sports drinks can provide a boost of energy, but it can also expose your teeth to high levels of acid that erode teeth and cause oversensitivity". Ouch! Not only are you now paying up to 2.50 per can of this stuff, but your also going to be running up your dental bills too! In the article, the writer talks about a study that was going on that concerned cows teeth (which I guess are similar to humans?) and they cut one in half, left it sitting in an energy drink for a little over an hour and then when they took it out they found there was a significant difference and much erosion and softening done to the tooth. However, it is advised NOT to brush your teeth after consuming one of these sugary drinks because it can only worsen the condition since "softened enamel is very susceptible to the abrasive properties of toothpaste". Here's the link if you want to actually read the article!



http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/19114860/detail.html

Energy Drink Commercials

While bored on youtube, I found some interesting energy drink commercials that are actually airing on television (or have previously aired). I just thought it was funny to compare different energy drink commercials and see what they're all about. Okay so the first commercial I watched was one for Full Throttle. The main message of this commercial: "Let your man out". This I thought to be funny because the whole theme of the commercial is all of these people running after the full throttle truck to get their energy drinks because the commercial is basically saying "you're not a man if you don't drink full throttle". I find it interesting that these companies often advertise to men rather than women because they usually show buff guys getting energy to go work out or play some sports and the companies think that men will look at the commercial and think "wow, this energy drink will really help give me energy for the gym". But the truth is, it is actually dangerous to drink these before or during any type of physical activity because it causes dehydration and consuming too many can pump up your heart rate and can even send you into cardiac arrest. I also chose to look at a few Amp commercials. In one of them, this guy (formerly Donkey Lips on Salute Your Shorts hah!) decides to give his car a jump when its battery dies by drinking a can of Amp and attaching the jumper cables to his nipples. The message of this commercial was so obviously that Amp can give you immense power. All of the commercials are the same: energy drinks can make you do the impossible (like Red Bull gives you wings, Amp allows you to jump your car battery through your nipples, and Full Throttle gives you that extra manliness). However, what I feel these commercials fail to do is to alert younger crowds that these should not be consumed on a daily basis, or that the consumption of these drinks will not make you into a stronger, better person. Kids take these messages seriously sometimes, and I do not think that these commercials should be allowed to air if their is no advisory for them.

VERVE

"An insanely healthy energy drink!" According to verve.com, their energy drink is one of the first energy drinks which is a groundbreaking HEALTHY energy drink. It consists of only vitamins, minerals, and natural sugars to give your body the natural boost that other energy drinks can't give you. They have both the 8 ounce beverage and the energy shot containing just as much caffeine (the energy shot contains 125 mg of caffeine) as any "normal" energy drink so I don't see as how that can be much healthier? However, unlike the average energy drink it contains only 72 calories, vitamin A, C, D, and E. Yet.. even still.. it contains taurine and guarana? So my question is.. what makes this energy drink the "healthiest energy drink out there". To me, all energy drinks, aside from sports drinks, are all the same! They all advertise themselves as being the best (and now the "healthiest") but
I don't see how this energy drink can really be healthier than any other. The only thing I really found appealing about this drink was its can and its name which is kind of catchy!

Red Bull Ban Upheld

While doing some research for this blog I came across an article that stated that France tired to put a ban in effect against Red Bull. The country was concerned about the number of deaths in Europe that was linked to the energy drink and did not want its products sold. However, the European Commission challenged the ban because "they complained it was imhibiting imports". The European Court of Justice then told France they must remove the ban until health risks could be proven. Only 2 other countries have banned this drink: Denmark and Norway.

My take on this is that I do not beleive France has a right to ban Red Bull. I feel as though the government could have gone another route and requested that warning labels be placed on the cans and then leave it up to the public to decide. If people want to risk their health while drinking Red Bull, then as long as they know the potential consequences, then that is their choice. It was definitely an interesting article though!

Rethink energy drinks!

Tonight I came across some youtube videos that advise against drinking energy drinks. They are a little weird but are pretty amusing too. The first one's slogan is "Energy drinks cause 11 times more harm to your teeth than pop. Don't be a dummy, stick with water". The first "commercial" is kind of lame, it is just a dentist working on a dummy's teeth that are perfect, then she goes and drinks some amp and her teeth are destroyed. Then the dummy calls her a dummy for drinking energy drinks. It's pretty silly. Here is the link to this one if you wanna watch! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k6PuZsWb0Y&feature=related

The second "ad" is a little bit better than the first. I shows how much energy drinks can really damage your dental health. It shows a man putting a tooth inside a cup of water, a cup of milk, a cup of V8 and a cup of red bull. As soon as the tooth hits the red bull it immediately dissolves as if it is an alka seltzer tablet. It is obviously a bit extreme, but gets the point across. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CUgQwI26GQ&feature=related

The third ad (there are 4) is also pretty clever. It shows a guy who wants to race another guy in a car. The music goes up and one kid begins drinking his Nos energy drink, and without finishing it, adds the rest of the can to his gas tank to give his car an "extra boost". When the race begins, the other guy takes off, and the kid with the energy drink's car just dies. The ad then says "Nos: as good for your teeth as it is for your car". This is my personal fave.. heres the link! :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03eNRxTBCsw

The fourth of the videos is a little gross. It shows some guys teeth bleeding all over the place as if it is a trailer for a horror movie and when the fridge opens to show the bad guy it is a can of Monster. This one was my least favorite because it is disgusting! Here's the link.. I hope all of these work.. you guys should check out one of them! (or all of them!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qNf3pIokFE

Sugar Free Energy Drinks

I never really understood the concept of a sugar free energy drink. I don't imagine them to taste very good! However, I decided to do some research on them (particularly Amp Sugar Free because Amp makes my favorite energy drink) because they contain different levels of ingredients, and even some different ingredients altogether than some of the regular energy drinks do. According to Amp's website, this drink contains only 5 calories, no carbs or sugars, and only 71 mg of caffeine, as compared to the 80 mg in your average can. I have never tried this drink because I am not usually a huge fan of sugar free drinks, but according to most web reviews, it tastes almost exact to the original and still is considered a tasty drink, minus the calories! However, this drink also contains phosphoric acid, which your average amp does not. According to studies, phosphoric acid is known to lower bone density, and has even been linked to kidney stones and kidney disease. Reading up on this, I found that drinking an average of 2 soft drinks containing phosphoric acid per day more than doubled your chance of contacting kidney problems. The drink also contains sucralose which is an artificial sweetener. I also did some research on this, but the food and drug administration have found no links with sucralose causing adverse health effects when consumed over a lifetime on a daily basis. Well, at least that's good! So, I don't really think I am interested in ever trying Amp Sugar Free (and I;m sure my kidneys will appreciate that!), but i wanted to research it since it contains so many "new"ingredients.

"More Power to You!"

There is a new energy drink to hit the shelves recently! It is called Amp Lightning and is packages in a yellow can to represent it's "lemonade" flavor. The slogan for their newest drink is "More Power to You", which I have used as my blog heading. Personally, I decided to give this energy drink a try on Friday and I must say it was pretty good! It has a citrus kick to it, and I am not a huge lemon fan but I liked it, despite the fact that the color of the drink looks like someone let a highlighter explode inside. It is bright yellow, just like the color of this font!However, red amp still has my heart, I really don't think they could make another energy drin k as good. I compared some of the nutrition facts of this amp compared to others It still contains the same amount of caffeine, sodium, sugar, and carbs as Amp Overdirve (my favorite), but contains less sodium than Amp's orange drink "relaunch", so I guess that's a good thing! According to some of the other reviews on this drink it taste's like "Mike's Hard mixed with 7-up". Overall, there are definitely better energy drinks out there, but if you're interested, give this one a try!

Redbull gives you more than just wings!

Apparently, it can give you blood clots too! An artjicle on "Times Online" states that a study done on college students drinking Red Bull can cause heart damage. The study was done on thirty university students between 20 and 24 years old. I guess the results showed that drinking only one can of Red Bull (sugar free) can increase the stickiness of your blood, making it easier for blood clots to form. According to the article: " Using tests to measure blood pressure and the state of blood vessels around the body, the Australian researchers said that after drinking one can participants had shown a cardiovascular profile similar to that of someone with heart disease" That's really scary! Red Bull of course denied the claims. Just something to think about the next time you grab a can of Red Bull!

Energy Alcohol Drinks

The company Miller-Coors has put a stop to their Sparks energy drink which contains alcohol. My first question is: why did they do that to begin with? So many people warn against the dangers of using alcohol with energy drinks, as one is a stimulant and the other a depressant. Knowing that their could be fatal risks, I am happy the company pulled these off the shelves.

Apparently, the company agreed to remove the drinks stimulants, such as guarana and caffeine, and not to target underage drinkers to have this product by cutting back on advertisements. According to the article I got this information from, "studies show that these types of drinks lead to binge drinking (especially because effects of being drunk are less noticeable when consumed with an energy product), car crashes, sexual assaults, and other risky behavior". The company agreed to have all stimulants in this product to be removed by January of this year, so hopefully some changes have been done. The company also agreed to change its marketing so that it shows no intentions of encouraging people to mix the drink with any other drink containing stimulants. At least this company is on it's way to helping others know the dangers of mixing energy drinks with alcohol!

"Know your energy drink"

"Most people who are prescribed a drug ask about the side effects, yet people happily consume a beverage with ingredients they can't pronounce". I thought this was funny because it is SO TRUE!!


I found this quote on an article from ABC news which discusses the fact that you should "know your energy drink". The articles main focus was to talk about how energy drinks and the hot weather of the summer are NOT a good mix! It discusses the physical dangers of drinking these drinks in the summer because if you are participating in strenuous physical activity, it can cause you to collapse or even suffer a heat stroke ( not a risk I'm willing to take!). The article also tells of a company which produces the energy drink EndoRush who openly states that one should not consume an energy drink if they are unsure of their physical health condition without contacting a physician first. If the producers of these drinks know of the danergous effects, why still create them!? One last thing I found to be interesting about this article was the part where it discussed how often, these plants that these companies use, are really not natural and healthy like some may assume. Companies often claim these ingredients, such as Guarana, to be natural and coming from plants to make them sound as though they are found all over and that obviously if they come from nature, they must be somewhat healthy (or at least not bad for you). But, instead, this is just a way for the company to make more money, because honestly, who is going to buy a drink they know has the worst health risks for them?

Spike Shotgun Energy Drink

Warning: Recommended use is to begin with one 1/2 can daily to discover tolerance, never exceed one can per day. Caution: This product contains strong stimulants and should not be combined with any other stimulant or weight-loss supplement or medicine.

Would you drink something that came with a label like that? The drink is called Spike Shooter, and it is an energy drink supposedly unlike any other. The back of the can then continues with another warning that states:

Warning: Do not use if you are under the age of 18 or elderly. Discontinue if you experience dizziness, headache, nausea, or heart palpitations. If you have trouble sleeping, do not take within 6 hours of bedtime. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

The drink also continues to warn against use with prescription medications or if you have any serious health conditions. Honestly, who would drink that!? I personally would NEVER try that. Well, I was reading articles about this dangerous drink and came across an article about a highschool students who had this and had to go to the hospital from falling over, stomach aches, and seizure. Apparently, this drink also has a chemical called yohimbine which is said to increase sexual performance? How can a drink that causes seizures possibly increase sexual performance? The article I read also states that we need to take notice that drinks like these are available for young kids to buy despite the labels, where we have laws prohibing the sale of tobacco and alcohol to minors. I feel as though drinks like Spike Shooter should also have an age of 18 necessary to purchase.

Here is a link to the article if you want to read more about what happened to these students: http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/7391636.html

Organic Energy Drinks

Is it good for you? Supposedly. The organic energy drink that is becoming popularized is called Syzmo. Apparently, it is good for you because it is low on the Glycemic Index. Apparently, food and drinks that have a low number on the GI scale, release sugar into the bloodstream at a steady rate throughout the day. This makes it so you have less mood swings, more energy, and leaves you satisfied, so you are more likely to eat less. Drinks/food that are high in this tend to give you a rise in blood sugar and run you down (AKA most other energy drinks).
Syzmo comes in 6 different flavors!!
1.Blue Agave (and that is great because agave is known for having antioxidants!)
2.Coffee Fruit (definitely sounds like a flavor I wouldn't really prefer)
3.Green Tea Extract (another great way to get antioxidants)
4.Caffeine
5. Guarana Extract (maybe not so healthy?)
6. Yerba Mate Extract

It prides itself on having no artificial preservatives, no refined sugar, no artificial flavor, and no artificial colors. Unfortunately, since this is such a new thing, the website provides no information of where you can purchase syzmo yet, it is "coming soon".

Check it out! http://www.syzmo.com/

Energy Drink Recipes

While doing some research I came across some energy drinks you guys can try and make at home! This one site had a couple I liked so here they are:

This first one is one for a chocolate energy drink (interesting?). These two energy drinks I'm going to post recipes for arefar more healthful than a can of Monster. They actually have real fruits so you're getting NATURAL energy.. not an energy drink from caffeine or other unhealthy addatives...

1 tbsp of cocoa
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp of vanilla
2 cups of milk

Mix well and serve.

This second one is one full of fruits! It is my favorite because it contains frozen strawberries (my favorite fruit!). Enjoy!

1/2 cupof frozen strawberries
2 tbsp of honey
1/3 cup non fat dry milk powder
2 long peach halves
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup of ice cubes

Place all ingredients (except icecubes) into a blender, and blend until fruit is pureed. Then, add icecubes and continue blending until ice is finally chopped.

I'll provide the link to the site if anyone is interested in looking at some of the others. #3 on the list seems a little more of a traditional energy drink because it involves ingredients you may need to buy at GNC. Take a look! There are about 6 different types of energy drink recipes and further down the page are even recipes for energy bars!

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,energy_drink,FF.html

Free Energy Drinks

So, Monster was handing out free coffee flavored energy drinks last week across campus. Obviously, being on such tight budgets being college students, who is going to refuse a free drink? One of the top concerns though is having college students being the targeted group for these products, because it is common to find students mixing energy drinks with alcohol. This is dangerous because as we all know, alcohol is a depressant and often makes you tired or drowsy. An energy drink is a stimulant and is meant to give you a boost with that extra shot of caffeine. This can cause an immense amount of health risks, and can "slow reaction times and slow motor functions". Studies have also shown that energy drinks can increase blood pressure and also heart rate, and long term effects are still unknown. If we are trying to promote a healthy lifestyle among students, then why are college campuses allowing these energy drink vendors to hand out free samples to students?

5 hour energy

I can't believe how much energy drinks have really come along these last few years. I mean, a shot of energy in a tiny little bottle? Really? I don't understand, why settle for a small shot that doesn't really taste THAT great when you can have a whole can of an energy drink that tastes just like soda and has the same effect? To me, the 5 hour energy shot seems almost like taking medicine. A quick fix that doesn't really taste good. The only benefit I'm seeing here is that supposedly the energetic boost lasts longer than that of a regular energy drink. Also, the "crash" that occurs after a regular energy drink is supposed to be either limited or non existent with the 5 hour energy shot. I was doing a little bit of reading on the energy shot today and apparently there is a chemical in it called niacin. This is a type of B-vitamin that makes you feel flushed and warm, and can be quite uncomfortable, but the company puts the chemical in the drink to let the user know that the drink is having an effect on their body. Yuck! I wouldn't want to take an energy shot at the expense of feeling like I'm having hot flashes. Why not just get a healthy boost of energy from exercise?

Relaxation Drink?

Okay, so I know I'm supposed to be writing about energy drinks, but while I was looking at some websites I came across a new type of drink called the relaxation drink. It is supposed to have the opposite effects of an energy drink. Instead of increasing stamina, they supposedly are meant to reduce stress and put the body into a calming state. One brand of this drink is called "Drank", how original, and it contains Valerian Root, Rose Hips, and Melatonin to "relax the mind, body, and soul". There IS a warning label on this drink saying that it may cause drowsiness to prvent people from drinking it just before driving or performing some other kind of labor. I had never heard of "Valerian Root" before so I looked it up and apparently it benefits those who suffer from "anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, mental strain, lack of concentration, stress, chronic headaches or migraines, and even bladder control issues". The drink is more commonly seen in the south, however, it is slowly making its way to New York City. I'm sure we will find it around Boston soon enough! Apparently, the creator of the drink says that he got his influence for making the drink by hip hop artists who need a more calm and relaxed lifestyle. Many hip hop artists have died from mixing together cough syrup, soda, and other such ingedients which have the same side effects of "Drank", only I'm hoping this relaxation drink is a bit safer.

Here's the link to it's website if you're interested: http://www.drankbeverage.com/

Death by Caffeine

There is a website out there called Death by Caffeine. It is a joke site (obviously) but I'm going to provide a link for it anyways. Apparently you can put your favorite energy drink and your weight, and it tells you how many cans of that drink you can consume before the caffeine inside will kill you. So here's the link: http://www.energyfiend.com/death-by-caffeine

Apparently, it would take 69 cans of Amp Overdrive to be the death of me. Interesting.

Not so bad after all?

Reading up on Redbull.com I came across a list of the top ingredients in Redbull drinks, making the drinks seem not ALL that bad for your health (maybe okay in small amounts?) as compared to the article I read before. Taurine is one of the main ingredients that can act like an antioxident to the body and promotes detoxification of the body. What's so bad about that? Taurine can even be found as an added ingredient to most baby food! Another no-so-bad ingredient is vitamin B- which is essential in the breakdown of carbohydrates and fat. Obviously caffeine is a prime ingredient, which can improve alertness in the body, and glucuronolactone which also boosts the bodies natural detoxification process. There are other ingredients that they don't give much background for. Maybe those are the ingredients we should worry about? Maybe I'll read up on those and post about them later? Here's the link if you're interested:
http://www.redbullusa.com/#page=ProductPage.Ingredients

Warning Labels?

So, I just finished reading this article on thebostonchannel.com about energy drinks and warning labels? I guess I never really thought about that before, but I guess it makes sense. I used to drink energy drinks on a daily basis until my recent health kick with the new year and all. I never used to really think they were THAT bad for you, but this article suggests warning labels should be put on energy drinks for the amounts of caffeine that are in them. According to the article, ""The caffeine content of energy drinks varies over a 10-fold range, with some containing the equivalent of 14 cans of Coca-Cola". WOW. "Caffeine intoxication causes nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, gastrointestinal upset, tremors, rapid heartbeats and restlessness, according to a news release. In rare cases, it can cause death." That's a little scary. I never really thought about them in a dangerous way, they seemed just as harmless to me as a can of soda. What do you guys think, are warning labels on energy drinks necessary? Or should we expect people to be knowledgable enough not to drink them in ridiculous quantities?