The Risk of Energy Drinks - Essay Example

Energy drinks al affiliation Introduction Introduction Soft drinks are comprised of non-alcoholic drinks that might or not be carbonated. Most of the time, these drinks contain artificial or natural flavors, artificial sweetening agent, juice and sometimes edible acids. During the seventeenth century is when the first soft drink appeared in the market. It was made of water, lemon juice, and honey to sweeten it. Later in the century, a company from Paris by the name Compagnie de Limonadiers was granted monopoly rights to sale lemonade drinks to the people in Paris. In fact, lemonade juices were carried in large tanks and distributed to the consumers at the retail shop using smaller mugs. In the year 1767, the first carbonated water in the world was introduced by joseph Priestley who was an Englishman doctor. The drinks are made with balanced sweeteners, acidity, pleasant flavors, which make them more attractive to all customers irrespective of their different ages. Most of these products are formulated in the context of the society to meet various psychological constrains, nutritional needs, tastes of the population as a whole ranging from geriatrics to pediatrics. Energy drinks forms the largest percentage of the soft drinks in the industry today. The food and drug administration defines energy drinks as those that are in liquid form and containing caffeine. Energy drinks are most of the time added with supplements that promote the energy supply to an individual. Such products aids in restoration of an athlete’s performance increase metabolism, and concentration. The number of health drinks in the world includes red bull, monster, full throttle, and Rockstar. However, this essay will illustrates the benefits and health risk of energy drinks. Benefits The value of soft drinks cannot be underestimated; these are the major drivers of hydration in a human body (Schneider, & Benjamin, 2011) Pg. 1182. This is achieved by the ease with which the drinks are absorbed to the systems. The rate of absorption is quite high than the normal water due to its high osmolality, thus they can be used to achieve electrolyte balance, energy provision and quenching thirst (Schneider & Benjamin 2011). The drinks are made with balanced sweeteners, acidity, pleasant flavors, which make them more attractive to all customers irrespective of their different ages. Most of these products are formulated in the context of the society to meet various psychological constrains, nutritional needs, tastes of the population as a whole ranging from geriatrics to pediatrics (Schneider, & Benjamin, 2011). Energy drinks forms the largest percentage of the soft drinks in the industry today. The food and drug administration defines energy drinks as those that are in liquid form and containing caffeine. Energy drinks are most of the time added with supplements that promote the energy supply to an individual. Such products aids in restoration of an athlete’s performance, increase metabolism, and concentration. The number of health drinks in the world includes red bull, monster, full throttle, and Rockstar. The rapid restoration of energy on users is achieved by the fact that soft dirks are made up of soluble sugars that are extremely easy to administer. Besides, the soft drinks have minimal caloric intake hence safe to use while on is checking on the intake of calories. At the same time, they can be formulated in a special way to provide essential minerals and vitamins more-so for young children. Thus, apart from the perceived recreational properties of the drugs there are other nutritional benefits of the soft drinks (Schneider, & Benjamin, 2011). It enhance normal growth and metabolism among the users, however, its contents have to be controlled to obtain the optimal health standards advocated for in various parts of the world today. Itany et al (2014) posit that energy drinks have been used to decrease fatigue and increase the rate of concentration among its users. The ingredient caffeine is the major neuroactive substance that maintains the high level of brain activity. Lastly, the caffeine can be used promote adults physical activity through increased aerobic endurance (Schneider, & Benjamin, 2011). This is especially vital for the people who are at the verge of a need to be awake for a long time. At the same time, there is sprawling industry that has seen increase in creation of returns among the manufactures to an excess of US$8.9 billion Risks However, there have been increased concerns on the safety of the drinks as reported by various media reports and scientific publications. The concerns from various elected officials have been directed towards the high caffeine content in some of the soft drinks. At the same time, the drinks have additional substances like guarana taurine, vitamin B complex a number of other derivatives. To avoid FDA regulations, most companies have labeled their products as supplements, thus, making legal the high caffeine content in most servings. Caffeine is toxic when communed in large doses just like any other substance, thus its control is key in maintaining the general populations health. There are minimal studies on the effectiveness of vitamin supplement alone as compared to the use of the vitamins with caffeine. There have been a number of media reports on caffeine intoxication (Mora-Rodriguez & Pallarés, 2014). For instance, a 28 years old competitor in motorcycle races was at the verge of losing his life after consuming about eight cans of red bull with a period of five hours. According to Reissig, Strain, & Griffiths (2009), consumption of energy drinks is harmful due to toxic effects that caffeine has on one’s general health. It can affect the normal heart rhythms if consumed for a long time in large quantities. Use of soda in the United States is on the rise coming in second after water. Soda has a large sugar content, which at the end of the day is converted to fat. In fact according to Arria, & O’Brien, (2011) obesity with the intake of sugary products are intertwined. Children taking soda regularly, have an 80 percent chance of developing diabetes type two in the process. Therefore, it is important for parents to monitor the intake of these sugary soft drinks by their children since it is the single most cause of one of the leading non-communicable diseases among children. Conclusion Precisely, with the advent of soft drinks, there have been tremendous changes of the products and its use. The beverage have played an important role in various servings more so in quenching thirst and provision of energy to athletes and the general population in various environments. Moreover, the products have added supplements that keep providing its consumers with essential vitamins throughout. However the numerous safety issues that accompany the beverages, is warning sign to the users on the importance of using the products with a lot of moderation. Concisely, if one does overdose self with the products, they are likely to suffer from its severe and unwanted effects. References Arria, A. M., & O’Brien, M. C. (2011). The “high” risk of energy drinks. JAMA, 305(6), 600-601. Itany, M., Diab, B., Rachidi, S., Awada, S., Al Hajje, A., Bawab, W., & Salameh, P. (2014). Consumption of energy drinks among lebanese youth: a pilot study on the prevalence and side effects. International Journal Of High Risk Behaviors & Addiction, 3(3), e18857. doi:10.5812/ijhrba.18857 Mora-Rodriguez, R., & Pallarés, J. G. (2014). Performance outcomes and unwanted side effects associated with energy drinks. Nutrition Reviews, 72108-120. doi:10.1111/nure.12132 Reissig, C. J., Strain, E. C., & Griffiths, R. R. (2009). Caffeinated energy drinks—a growing problem. Drug and alcohol dependence, 99(1), 1-10. Schneider, M. B., & Benjamin, H. J. (2011). Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: are they appropriate?. Pediatrics, 127(6), 1182-1189. Read More