Energy Drinks: Safe or Not Safe?

2009 January 06 by:   Scott

In the past two years, over 500 new energy drinks have come on the market worldwide.  Roland Griffiths, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine claims that some energy drinks have the same amount of caffeine as 14 cans of soda. Energy drink companies competing for the monetary gains from the dollars spent by teenagers after promises of weight loss, increased endurance and legal highs, make up a $5.4 billion-a-year industry.

Caffeine In Energy Drinks

Since Red Bull, the first energy drink to hit the U.S. market, launched in 1997, hundreds of energy drinks have followed with very few restrictions placed on the companies making them.  Even though the Food and Drug Administration limits the caffeine contents of cola-type soft drinks to 71 milligrams per 12 fluid ounces, no such limit is required for energy drinks.  Below are some examples of current energy drink caffeine content found in each drink compared to caffeine regulated drinks:

• Red Bull: 80 milligrams per 8.3-ounce serving
• Tab Energy: 95 mg per 10.5-oz serving
• Monster and Rockstar: 160 mg per 16-oz serving
• No Fear: 174 mg per 16-oz serving
• Fixx: 500 per 20-oz serving
• Wired X505: 505 mg per 24-oz serving

In comparison with other caffeine drinks:

• Brewed coffee: 200 milligrams per 12-oz serving
• Instant coffee: 140 mg per 12-oz serving
• Brewed tea: 80 mg per 12-oz serving
• Mountain Dew: 54 mg per 12 oz. serving
• Dr. Pepper: 41 mg per 12-oz serving
• Pepsi Cola: 38 mg per 12-oz serving
• Coca-Cola Classic: 34.5 mg per 12-oz serving
• Canned or bottled tea: 20 mg per 12-oz serving

 

 

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