Red Bull claims to give you wings, but what is the price of this flight when it comes to our health? While many are flying through their day pumped up on sugar and caffeine, there is a rapid come down from energy drinks, which can lead to anxiety, irritability, insomnia, headaches and even nausea.
Despite the side effects we continue slurping on these cleverly marketed substances. Market research carried out by Mintel found that sales of energy drink across 16 markets in western Europe amounted to €3.5bn in 2013. Also a report by Zenith International estimates that by 2016 global consumption of energy drinks will amount to 6.5bn litres.
While these figures are no doubt alarming, they seem a bit abstract, don’t they? What do these big numbers mean to you and your family? In this week’s Irish Country Living, we’re looking at the effects that a can of energy drink has on your body.
Up for Assessment
Meet our candidates for the comparison. The leader of the pack, and the brand that most people are familiar with, is Red Bull, then its friend Emerge, the colourful Focus BPM Energy bottle and the big brother of the pack, Monster.
Sugar and caffeine are the ingredients that are under focus as these are the components that really give these energy drinks their buzz, but we’re also looking at the size of the containers.
Back when energy drinks first landed in Ireland, we were used to seeing a smaller and more compact can. Indeed, the standard bottle of Red Bull (250ml) comes in smaller than the average can of coke (330ml). However, over the years, portion sizes have literally doubled and when Irish Country Living went shopping we picked up Monster and Focus BPM Energy in 500ml containers.
Size Matters
Safefood is undertaking research on energy drinks for the Department of Health and Dr Marian Faughnan, chief specialist in nutrition, says this is a very obvious issue.
“Worryingly, research into portion sizes in general indicates that when bigger portions are presented to consumers we tend to consume more.”
So with the large containers of Monster we are drinking twice as much caffeine as with the smaller cans, which is the equivalent of two cups of instant coffee. Dr Faughnan points to research undertaken by the World Health Organisation (WHO), listing the dangers associated with caffeine overdose.
“These include palpitations, nausea, vomiting and even convulsions. Those most at risk are pregnant women and children, who are advised to limit caffeine intake.”
And this isn’t necessarily related to consuming something absurd like 10 cans. Many people will start to feel the not-so-pleasant affects of caffeine after just 200-300mg of it, which is just a can and a half of Monster.
Caffeine Crash
In fact, caffeine overdose is much more likely to affect energy drinkers than coffee drinkers. This is because coffee is generally consumed hot and drank slowly – and mostly drunk by adults. On the other hand, an EFSA study showed that 18% of children and adolescents consume energy drinks.
“Again, the WHO outline that there are harmful consequences of too much caffeine among children and adolescents including effects on the neurological and cardiovascular systems, which can cause physical dependence and addiction,” says Dr Faughnan.
It’s also important to look at the combination of caffeine and sugar. While many people add a teaspoon or two to their cup of coffee, the amount of sugar in some of these drinks is astonishing.
In the 500ml bottle of Focus BPM Energy, we found 17 teaspoons of sugar. The rest, on average, had six teaspoons of sugar per 250ml (an average of 14 teaspoons per 500ml). Combined with caffeine, they give our body a burst of energy and a spike in our blood sugar and insulin levels, to give us that delicious sugar high.
However, the effect is very short-lived and the quick crash leads to increased feelings of anxiety and irritability.
Jagerbomb Binge
Combine this with alcohol and the effects are even more severe. Every weekend, packed pubs and clubs serve up Jagerbombs, while many opt for the popular concoction of vodka and Red Bull. However, it can be a deadly concoction. Just last month, an 18-year-old from Somerset, Britain, ended up in a coma after experiencing three cardiac arrests. The night before she had been drinking Jagerbombs which doctors attribute to her condition.
While this is an extreme case, the WHO points to a study that was undertaken among US college students, who combined energy drinks with alcohol.
Dr Faughan says: “The study shows that those who consumed energy drinks with alcohol (compared with those who just drank alcohol), were most at risk.”
The study found they were more likely to be taken advantage of or take advantage of someone sexually, ride with an intoxicated driver and be hurt or injured.
The study may have taken place in America, but arguably the same results are being experienced by young adults in towns across Ireland every weekend.
Yet, despite these dangers, these drinks have powerful marketing machines behind them and continue to be enjoyed and indulged in.
Dr Faughnan says: “It is clear we need more education around these products. Our safefood study into this area should be presented to the Department of Health in the summer. We’re researching the caffeine content of energy drinks, the effects of marketing and labelling, as well as serving sizes of these products in Ireland.”
Irish Country Living will follow up on the issue once the results are released.
Energy drinks v sports drinks
Red Bull versus Lucozade Sport, Monster versus Powerade. As these products often appear beside each other in the drinks fridge, and all appear to give us energy, how do we know which are sports drinks and which are energy drinks? The big difference is that sports drinks do not contain caffeine, are generally fizz-free and highlight their hydrating effect. As we often see our favourite health-conscious sports stars heading onto the pitch with bottle of Lucozade Sport in hand, you might think it’s safe to assume that these drinks are good for you. However, fitness expert Karl Henry says it all has to be taken in context.
“The thing is these sports drinks are packed full of sugar and the body doesn’t need sugar for small spurts of energy. It has enough built up in the body to get you through an hour walk or a good workout at the gym. In these situations, it’s far better to stick with water. It’s when you get into a high-intensity sport that is over an hour – the likes of a long-distance cycle or a triathalon – that these sports drinks start benefitting people.”
Karl says that if you’re keen to lose weight, but are taking these sports drinks out on your half an hour brisk walk, it is counterproductive.
“An energy drink could have 140 calories in a bottle and more often than not it’s high in sugar. For you to burn off that amount it could take a half an hour workout at the gym, so it really is best to opt for water. It’s important to realise that the guys promoting energy drinks are high-intensity athletes. These drinks are suitable for their level of fitness, so I don’t have an issue with them marketing the products. But I do feel there needs to be better education around it.”
Labels
New labelling laws now
require energy drinks to highlight the following:
• High caffeine content.• Not recommended for children, teenagers, pregnant or breastfeeding women and people sensitive to caffeine.
Red Bull claims to give you wings, but what is the price of this flight when it comes to our health? While many are flying through their day pumped up on sugar and caffeine, there is a rapid come down from energy drinks, which can lead to anxiety, irritability, insomnia, headaches and even nausea.
Despite the side effects we continue slurping on these cleverly marketed substances. Market research carried out by Mintel found that sales of energy drink across 16 markets in western Europe amounted to €3.5bn in 2013. Also a report by Zenith International estimates that by 2016 global consumption of energy drinks will amount to 6.5bn litres.
While these figures are no doubt alarming, they seem a bit abstract, don’t they? What do these big numbers mean to you and your family? In this week’s Irish Country Living, we’re looking at the effects that a can of energy drink has on your body.
Up for Assessment
Meet our candidates for the comparison. The leader of the pack, and the brand that most people are familiar with, is Red Bull, then its friend Emerge, the colourful Focus BPM Energy bottle and the big brother of the pack, Monster.
Sugar and caffeine are the ingredients that are under focus as these are the components that really give these energy drinks their buzz, but we’re also looking at the size of the containers.
Back when energy drinks first landed in Ireland, we were used to seeing a smaller and more compact can. Indeed, the standard bottle of Red Bull (250ml) comes in smaller than the average can of coke (330ml). However, over the years, portion sizes have literally doubled and when Irish Country Living went shopping we picked up Monster and Focus BPM Energy in 500ml containers.
Size Matters
Safefood is undertaking research on energy drinks for the Department of Health and Dr Marian Faughnan, chief specialist in nutrition, says this is a very obvious issue.
“Worryingly, research into portion sizes in general indicates that when bigger portions are presented to consumers we tend to consume more.”
So with the large containers of Monster we are drinking twice as much caffeine as with the smaller cans, which is the equivalent of two cups of instant coffee. Dr Faughnan points to research undertaken by the World Health Organisation (WHO), listing the dangers associated with caffeine overdose.
“These include palpitations, nausea, vomiting and even convulsions. Those most at risk are pregnant women and children, who are advised to limit caffeine intake.”
And this isn’t necessarily related to consuming something absurd like 10 cans. Many people will start to feel the not-so-pleasant affects of caffeine after just 200-300mg of it, which is just a can and a half of Monster.
Caffeine Crash
In fact, caffeine overdose is much more likely to affect energy drinkers than coffee drinkers. This is because coffee is generally consumed hot and drank slowly – and mostly drunk by adults. On the other hand, an EFSA study showed that 18% of children and adolescents consume energy drinks.
“Again, the WHO outline that there are harmful consequences of too much caffeine among children and adolescents including effects on the neurological and cardiovascular systems, which can cause physical dependence and addiction,” says Dr Faughnan.
It’s also important to look at the combination of caffeine and sugar. While many people add a teaspoon or two to their cup of coffee, the amount of sugar in some of these drinks is astonishing.
In the 500ml bottle of Focus BPM Energy, we found 17 teaspoons of sugar. The rest, on average, had six teaspoons of sugar per 250ml (an average of 14 teaspoons per 500ml). Combined with caffeine, they give our body a burst of energy and a spike in our blood sugar and insulin levels, to give us that delicious sugar high.
However, the effect is very short-lived and the quick crash leads to increased feelings of anxiety and irritability.
Jagerbomb Binge
Combine this with alcohol and the effects are even more severe. Every weekend, packed pubs and clubs serve up Jagerbombs, while many opt for the popular concoction of vodka and Red Bull. However, it can be a deadly concoction. Just last month, an 18-year-old from Somerset, Britain, ended up in a coma after experiencing three cardiac arrests. The night before she had been drinking Jagerbombs which doctors attribute to her condition.
While this is an extreme case, the WHO points to a study that was undertaken among US college students, who combined energy drinks with alcohol.
Dr Faughan says: “The study shows that those who consumed energy drinks with alcohol (compared with those who just drank alcohol), were most at risk.”
The study found they were more likely to be taken advantage of or take advantage of someone sexually, ride with an intoxicated driver and be hurt or injured.
The study may have taken place in America, but arguably the same results are being experienced by young adults in towns across Ireland every weekend.
Yet, despite these dangers, these drinks have powerful marketing machines behind them and continue to be enjoyed and indulged in.
Dr Faughnan says: “It is clear we need more education around these products. Our safefood study into this area should be presented to the Department of Health in the summer. We’re researching the caffeine content of energy drinks, the effects of marketing and labelling, as well as serving sizes of these products in Ireland.”
Irish Country Living will follow up on the issue once the results are released.
Energy drinks v sports drinks
Red Bull versus Lucozade Sport, Monster versus Powerade. As these products often appear beside each other in the drinks fridge, and all appear to give us energy, how do we know which are sports drinks and which are energy drinks? The big difference is that sports drinks do not contain caffeine, are generally fizz-free and highlight their hydrating effect. As we often see our favourite health-conscious sports stars heading onto the pitch with bottle of Lucozade Sport in hand, you might think it’s safe to assume that these drinks are good for you. However, fitness expert Karl Henry says it all has to be taken in context.
“The thing is these sports drinks are packed full of sugar and the body doesn’t need sugar for small spurts of energy. It has enough built up in the body to get you through an hour walk or a good workout at the gym. In these situations, it’s far better to stick with water. It’s when you get into a high-intensity sport that is over an hour – the likes of a long-distance cycle or a triathalon – that these sports drinks start benefitting people.”
Karl says that if you’re keen to lose weight, but are taking these sports drinks out on your half an hour brisk walk, it is counterproductive.
“An energy drink could have 140 calories in a bottle and more often than not it’s high in sugar. For you to burn off that amount it could take a half an hour workout at the gym, so it really is best to opt for water. It’s important to realise that the guys promoting energy drinks are high-intensity athletes. These drinks are suitable for their level of fitness, so I don’t have an issue with them marketing the products. But I do feel there needs to be better education around it.”
Labels
New labelling laws now
require energy drinks to highlight the following:
• High caffeine content.• Not recommended for children, teenagers, pregnant or breastfeeding women and people sensitive to caffeine. 
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