Energy drink

Energy drinks are soft drinks advertised as being specifically designed to provide energy. Generally they include a combination of methylxanthines (including caffeine), B vitamins, and herbal ingredients. Other ingredients commonly include guarana (extracts from the guarana plant) or taurine plus various forms of ginseng, maltodextrin, inositol, carnitine, creatine, glucuronolactone and ginkgo biloba. Some contain high levels of sugar, while most brands also offer an artificially sweetened version. The central ingredient in most energy drinks is caffeine the same stimulant found in coffee or tea, often in the form of guarana (as in Josta, for example) or yerba mate.

The average 237 ml (8 fl. oz.) energy drink has about 80mg of caffeine, about the same amount as a weak cup of coffee, with 480 ml (16 fl. oz.) drinks containing around 150mg, although recent drinks have created a stir by containing as much as 300mg of caffeine. The amount of quantitative 'energy' (as measured in Calories) found in these drinks is often lower than that found in regular soft drinks and currently there is no scientific basis for concluding that the non-caffeine elements in these drinks contribute to either short-term mental alertness or physical performance.

These drinks are typically marketed to young people, and people 'on the go.' Approximately 65% percent of energy drink users are under the age of 35 years old, with males representing approximately 65% of the market.

Side effects
Energy drinks may cause seizures in those who suffer from certain forms of epilepsy due to the "crash" following the energy high that occurs after consumption. France has banned the popular energy drink Red Bull after the untimely death of eighteen-year-old athlete Ross Cooney, who died after he played a basketball game shortly after consuming four cans of the drink. The French Scientific Committee concluded that Red Bull has excessive amounts of caffeine. Denmark has also banned that particular drink. Britain also investigated the drink, but only issued a warning against its use by pregnant women.

In addition to these complications, recent discoveries have linked excessive amounts of sugar found in energy drinks such as Rockstar, Hype, Monster, Cocaine, and Hulk to an increase in diabetes. Diabetes Mellitus in particular has seen an increase in energy drink consumers. Diabetes mellitus is caused by an excess of purines[citation needed] (caffeine and taurine, also sulfonic acid) which accumulate in the body and can not longer be processed by the kidneys. This leads to dumping of these proteins into the blood and urine, osmotic drainage of fluid, dehydration, damage to body and progression of diabetic symptoms[citation needed]. It may also cause nephrolithiasis.[citation needed]

In the United States, some states are cracking down on energy drink makers that have potentially hazardous ingredients, such as alcohol included in the mix

History
It may well have come from Scotland in the form of Irn-Bru, first produced in the form of "Iron Brew" in 1901. In Japan, the energy drink phenomenon dates at least as far back as the early 1960s, with the release of the Lipovitan. Most such products in Japan bear little resemblance to soft drinks, and are sold instead in small brown glass medicine bottles or cans styled to resemble such containers. These "genki drinks", which are also produced in South Korea, are marketed primarily to the salaryman set, to help them work long hours, or to stay awake on the late commute home.

In UK, Lucozade Energy was originally introduced in 1929 as a hospital drink for "aiding the recovery;" in the early 1980s, it was promoted as an energy drink for "replenishing lost energy."

In 1995, PepsiCo launched Josta, the first energy drink introduced by a major US beverage company.

In Europe, energy drinks were pioneered by Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian entrepreneur who developed Red Bull based on the Thai drink Krating Daeng, itself based on Lipovitan. Red Bull was introduced to the US in 1997 and is the dominant brand there, with a market share of approximately 47%.

By the year 2001, the US energy drink market had grown to nearly 8 billion per year in retail sales. Over the last 5 years, it grew an average of over 50% per year, totaling over $3 billion in 2005.
Diet energy drinks are growing at nearly twice that rate within the category, as are 16-ounce sized energy drinks. It is estimated to hit nearly 4 billion in 2006, and both Goldman Sachs and Mintel predict that the energy drink market will hit $10 billion by 2010. Major players such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Molson, and Labatt have tried to match the small companies' innovative and different approach, with marginal success.

Energy drinks have also become popular as mixers. Many malt beverages such as Sparks, 3sum malt beverage and Max capitalize on the effects of caffeine while drinking alcohol.

Derivatives
Smart energy drinks combine energy drinks with smart drinks. Drinks such as SmartPower and NOS claim that their ingredients modulate how the brain neurochemistry reacts to caffeine, enhancing its positive effects and reducing side-effects.[citation needed]

"Hair of the Dog" brand Energy Drinks are intended to supply liver detoxifiers and anti-oxidants in order to neutralize the effects of alcohol on the body. The combination of detoxifiers was originally developed by doctors to aid cancer patients taking chemotherapy drugs to combat the harmful effects of the drugs have on the liver.[citation needed]

Hybrids of energy and sport drinks, containing electrolytes and herbal extracts such as RELOAD and Vault are also available.

See also
List of energy drinks
from wikipedia.com