Published: January 30, 2008 03:36 pm            

Stimulating question: Do caffeine drinks, pills give an unhealthy buzz?

JOPLIN, Mo. — It’s quickly becoming of one the most popular, legal liquid drugs in the country.

With dozens of varieties on the shelf and an advertising budget reaching into the billions, the energy supplement market is taking the teenage and young adult crowd for one wild and potentially dangerous ride.

Regarded by some as “carbonated cough syrup,” the high doses of caffeine and promises of increased stamina, reaction speed and concentration have lured students, athletes and bar hoppers looking for a way to add a jolt to their increasingly busy lives.

While Richard Brown, a sophomore at Missouri Southern State University, is skeptical of those claims, he finds them “helpful for cramming.

“They taste better than pop and have a lot of sugar in them to keep you going longer,” says Brown, “When I don’t have time to sleep, it’s just more convenient to grab a can.”

It’s not a new concept. Society demands something so a company manufactures it. It all stems from “society’s motivation to do more, do it longer and do it better,” according to Dr. Ron Smalling, St. John’s Regional Medical Center.

The question remains: Are energy drinks the answer?



Caffeine by comparison

An 8-ounce strong cup of coffee has about 125 to 150 milligrams of caffeine. A 12-ounce can of cola has 35 to 38 mg An 8.3-ounce can of “Cocaine” energy drink, however, contains 280 mg. While most experts suggest limiting caffeine intake to 300 mg a day, Smalling says that number is geared toward adults and should be considerably less for children and teenagers.

One of the biggest problems, according to health officials, is the fact that the FDA does not regulate the industry. Keeping that in mind, the manufacturers of these drinks have been careful not to cross the line from “functional food” to “medicinal drug”. The problem comes, says Smalling, when people drink these products without taking other factors like their blood pressure, current medications and undiagnosed medical conditions into consideration.



Energy cocktails

Energy drinks are being used in nightclubs and restaurants as a mixing component.

Jennifer Horn, general manager at Applebee’s Neighborhoold Grill and Bar in Joplin, says that restaurant added energy cocktails to its menu about a year ago.

“We mix Red Bull and 180 with vodka, Jägermeister or Wild Turkey,” says Horn. “They sort of became popular over time. Guests started coming in and asking for them.”

Smalling says the combination may be a dangerous one. Although there have been no conclusive studies on the effects of mixing the two, caffeine is a stimulant and alcohol acts as a depressant. So mixing the two is, as one study suggests, like getting into a car and stepping on the gas and the brake at the same time.



The pills

In addition to the headaches, stomach aches and jitters they can cause, some also find the taste of energy drinks less than desirable.

That’s why a caffeine pill is available. Lining checkout counters at gas stations and supermarkets across the country, pills offer the dosages of the drinks in a “one-swallow serving.”

One type contains four 200-mg caffeine pills. While the warning label advises that the product is not recommended for minors, the suggested use reads: Take one capsule after meals, do not exceed three daily. Three pills is twice the amount of caffeine health professionals recommend for adults in a day.

When it comes down to it, Smalling regards the subject of energy supplements “a big question with not a lot of answers.”

Being an informed consumer may be the best answer for now. Smalling says, “Parents need to find out how much of these drinks their children are drinking, while adults need to consume them in moderation, understanding the potential risks of using an unregulated drug.”



Valerie Melton writes for The Joplin (Mo.) Globe.

        

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