by: Mike Lovell, N.C.
In today’s society, stress is just a part of life. In our clinic we see people who are burned out, depressed and have absolutely no energy for even the simple day to day challenges, much less extra activities for fun or health. Because we live on a high stress plateau, usually without proper nutritional support, our adrenal glands are becoming less efficient in their response to this stress. In other words, adrenal burnout has become the order of the day. Instead of changing the way we eat and correcting certain lifestyle decisions, we as a nation have decided to follow the path that seemingly allows us to continue on without inconvenient changes.
We take CAFFEINE!
We can get this naturally occurring drug in many different forms, colors and flavors. It is mildly addictive and is probably the reason it is added to soft drinks. That’s right, caffeine has to be added to your favorite soft drink, which is why the FDA limits how much there can be, about 71 mg per 12 oz.
But don’t get me wrong, drinking coffee (best black) is not only good, but can be good for you and what ails you. There are many, and I mean MANY, studies that show benefits for conditions that plague our society.
1. Coffee drinking was associated with a reduced risk of bladder, breast, buccal and pharyngeal, colorectal, endometrial, esophageal, hepatocellular, leukemic, pancreatic, and prostate cancers (Yu, 2011).
2. If you drink coffee you will be less likely to have calcium deposits in your coronary arteries. Calcium is needed to form the plaque that protects against leaking (Choi, 2015).
3. Moderate coffee intake may trigger a 30% increase in blood flow in your small blood vessels, which might take some strain off your heart (Doheny, 2010).
4. A meta-analysis that included data from 11 studies and nearly 480,000 people, found drinking two to six cups of coffee a day was associated with a lower risk of stroke (Thompson, 2013).
5. Drinking four to six cups of coffee a day is associated with a lower risk of multiple sclerosis, as is drinking a high amount of coffee over five to 10 years. According to researchers, “Caffeine has neuroprotective properties and seems to suppress the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines” (Mowry, 2015).
6. Among people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), those with higher blood levels of caffeine (due to coffee consumption) were less likely to progress to full-blown dementia. “Caffeine/coffee intake is associated with a reduced risk of dementia or delayed onset, particularly for those who already have MCI,” (Cao, 2012).
7. “Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source. Nothing else comes close,” says study leader Joe Vinson, Ph.D. (Vinson, 2005).
When looking at these studies the amount of coffee per serving was 5 to 8 oz. averaging about 100mg of caffeine. But understand, all caffeine is not created equal. These benefits all come from drinking coffee not soft drinks, diet pills, NoDoz, or caffeinated candies and food. Studies indicate that these sources don’t have the same benefits. Which leads us to the topic at hand, Energy Drinks.
Anyone taking energy drinks for a pick-me-up can and will vouch for their effectiveness, while the companies that make them continue to say that the amount of caffeine in their drinks are equivalent to a small Starbucks coffee. This may be true for some products, but certainly isn’t for most. For example:
(Center for Science, 2014)
The problem isn’t so much that there is an exorbitant amount of caffeine in one serving of some of these drinks, but that they are being marketed to young people who have metabolisms not suited for this type of stimulation. One study showed that 30% to 50% of adolescents and young adults drink energy drinks (Seifert, 2011).
The amount of caffeine consumed in a day is particularly concerning, due to the misperception by young people that energy drinks are sports drinks (CDC, 2014) or that they are no more than a soft drink. With this consumption there are increasing reports of caffeine intoxication, with caffeine dependence and withdrawal issues soon to follow (Reissig, Eric C. Strain, & Roland R. Griffiths, 2009).
What people don’t understand is that there are some serious side-affects associated with these drinks, especially in children, adolescents, and young adults. Side-effects such as: seizures, diabetes, cardiac abnormalities, or mood and behavioral disorders or those who take certain medications. There were 5448 reported caffeine overdoses for 2007, 46% occurred in those younger than 19 years of age (Seifert, 2011).
What may be surprising is the frequency of energy drink consumption was positively associated with marijuana use, sexual risk-taking, fighting, seatbelt omission, and taking risks on a dare in one study, and associated with smoking, drinking, alcohol problems, and illicit prescription drug use for white students, but not for black students in another (Miller, 2008). This study suggests that energy drinks can serve as a gateway to other forms of drug dependence (Reissig, Eric C. Strain, & Roland R. Griffiths, 2009).
Now add to this list of concerns a rising number of college students who combine the use of energy drinks and alcohol and we see how the use of energy drinks cloud rational thinking. They assume the sugar and caffeine effectively offsets the fatigue and drop in cognitive performance from the effects of alcohol (Oteri, 2007), which leads to more traffic related injuries and accidents. Five hundred students from the School of Medicine of the University of Messina were interviewed, 450 of them filled out a questionnaire concerning the use of energy drinks and alcohol. A total of 56.9% of these students declared using energy drinks. A large number of the users (48.4%) frequently combine energy drinks and alcohol. In particular, 35.8% of those students used energy drinks with alcohol more than 3 times in the last month (Oteri, 2007).
Caffeine as it’s found in its natural delivery system, coffee, can have very healthy benefits as we have seen. Especially for those who do not have a sensitivity to it. However, when separated out and added to different foods, drinks or pills, caffeine can cause adverse medical reactions as well as social problems. If you find the need for a pick-me-up try a good cup of black, caffeinated coffee. The benefits are amazing.
Mike Lovell
Hormone and Nutritional Solutions, LLC
ofc: 225-928-1791
http://hormonenutritionsolutions.net/
Works Cited
Babu, K. M., Church, R. J., & Lewander, W. (2008, March). Energy Drinks: The New Eye-Opener For Adolescents. Retrieved from Science Direct: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1522840107000997
Cao, C. (2012, February 21). High Blood Caffeine Levels in MCI Linked to Lack of Progression to Dementia. Retrieved from Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease: http://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad111781?resultNumber=25&totalResults=392&start=20&q=caffeine&resultsPageSize=10&rows=10
CDC. (2014, March 5). CDC Study: Youth Perceptions About Energy Drinks. Retrieved from CDC.
Center for Science. (2014, November). Caffeine Content of Food & Drugs. Retrieved from Center for Science in the Public Interest: http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm
Center For Science in the Public Interest. (2014, November). Caffeine Content of Food & Drugs. Retrieved from Center For Science in the Public Interest: http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm#table_soft_drinks
Choi, Y. (2015, Janurary 15). Coffee consumption and coronary artery calcium in young and middle-aged asymptomatic adults. Retrieved from Heart: http://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2015/02/06/heartjnl-2014-306663
Doheny, K. (2010, March 2). Coffee May Cut Risk of Heart Rhythm Problems. Retrieved from WebMed: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20100302/coffee-may-cut-risk-heart-rhythm-problems
Jones, S. (2007, May). New-onset seizures in adults: Possible association with consumption of popular energy drinks. Retrieved from Science Direct: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525505007000261
Miller, K. E. (2008, November). Energy Drinks, Race, and Problem Behaviors Among College Students. Retrieved from Science Direct: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X08001651
Mowry, E. (2015, February 26). AAN 67th ANNUAL MEETING ABSTRACT. Retrieved from American Acadamey of Neurology: https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/GetDigitalAsset/11535
Oteri, A. (2007, July 25). Intake of Energy Drinks in Association With Alcoholic Beverages in a Cohort of Students of the School of Medicine of the University of Messina. Retrieved from Wiley Online Library: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00464.x/abstract
Reissig, C. J., Eric C. Strain, & Roland R. Griffiths. (2009, January 1). Caffeinated energy drinks—A growing problem. Retrieved from Science Direct: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871608002858
Seifert, S. M. (2011, February 14). Health Effects of Energy Drinks on Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults. Retrieved from Pediatrics: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/02/14/peds.2009-3592.short
Thompson, D. (2013, November 20). Does Caffeine in Coffee Perk Up Heart Health? Retrieved from WebMed: http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20131120/does-caffeine-in-coffee-perk-up-heart-health
Vinson, J. A. (2005, August 28). Coffee is number one source of antioxidants. Retrieved from American Chemical Society: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-08/acs-cin081905.php
Yu, X. (2011, March 15). Coffee consumption and risk of cancers: a meta-analysis of cohort studies. Retrieved from BMC Cancer: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/11/96