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Liquid energy in a can By Rina Rozenberg Tags: health, israel, energy drinks Do you remember when Red Bull first came to Israel? People complained that the "energy drink" tasted like cough medicine. Maybe their palates grew accustomed to that flavor or perhaps taste isn't even a criterion among consumers of this genre of beverages. Whatever the case, the outcome is clear: Most of today's youngsters want that lift. A survey by TGI in 2007 found that almost half, 48% of Israel's young adults aged 18 to 30, imbibe an energy drink at least once a week. Israel's energy-drink market is mushrooming. In 2007 it turned over NIS 248 million, up from NIS 230 million in 2006. Another survey conducted in the U.S. found that most energy-drink consumers say their primary motive is to stay awake (42%). A whole 58% think these drinks are "natural". But a cursory examination of their ingredients shows that "natural" is hardly the word to describe them, if one associates that word with "healthy". Before making a habit of it, check what energy drinks are and what exactly causes that stimulated sensation after drinking them. Advertisement Together with clinical nutritionist Olga Raz, manager of the Nutrition Department at the University Center of Ariel, TheMarker examined the ingredients of various energy drinks available in Israel, and found a remarkable similarity. One hundred milliliters of each contains nearly identical, and always large, amounts of sugar - 10 to 11 grams of carbohydrates. They also contain nearly identical, and always large, amounts of caffeine, about 32 mg, and a small addition of vitamin B12 - 2 micrograms, plus a shot of the acid taurine (400 mg). How much sugar is that? Think of it as six teaspoons per cup, about the same as in Coca Cola. Amounts like that are unhealthy, says Raz. They can lead to weight gain and are bad for the pancreas, which must secrete more insulin to cope with the sugar inundation. It's also bad for the liver, which has to process all those amounts quickly, turning some into fat deposits. Taurine, an amino acid, is listed specifically alongside caffeine in the list of ingredients. Red Bull's management claims that its purpose is to regulate body temperature, prevent overheating or excessive cooling while working out, improve the heart's functioning, get rid of toxins - and even possibly play a key role in mood regulation. Raz on the other hand cites animal experimentation showing that taurine has an arousing effect that has never been proved to work in humans. The substance has not been shown to cause harm, but apparently it brings no benefit either. Regarding the vitamin additives, the amounts are small, says Raz, and naturally have no immediate effect. They'd have to be consumed every day to have any effect at all. But in any case the vitamins are from the B group, and delivering them with large amounts of sugar means they aren't even absorbed into the body. They're secreted out. "Food and drink manufacturers often add vitamin supplements to their products to make them seem healthy," Raz says. "But mostly, the amounts they add are tiny, and of course these vitamins can be found in natural food." If you indulge in energy drinks as part of a sports routine, you're defeating your purpose, Raz says. Aside from the point that these drinks are hardly dietetic, their consumption adds terrific amounts of caffeine and sugar to the body all at once, triggering metabolic shock from the sudden spike in blood sugar. That shock can lead to heightened production of adrenaline, the hormone that causes that wide-awake stimulated feeling but can also cause giddiness and even loss of consciousness if the drink is consumed during or before engaging in sports. Of course, that can also happen from drinking other heavily sugared beverages, Raz says. "Even natural juices should be diluted with water before working out, because of their sugar content," she clarifies. Yet energy drinks, not apple juice, have become quite the rage among the gym crowd. Energy drinks have different effects on different people. Some people are actually enfeebled by large amounts of caffeine, Raz points out. It makes them languid and sleepy. The young and fit are better able to metabolize the sugar and caffeine compared with people with a tendency to gain weight, or diabetes patients, who may find themselves spiraling down an hour after drinking. For that energy boost, Raz recommends good old coffee or tea, or Coca Cola, which are cheaper and just as effective. But she immediately qualifies that point: "Even though there's nothing 'healthy' about energy drinks, there's no reason not to imbibe them if you want. Just remember that an energy drink is not a health food, and it's not natural, either. The amount of sugar is not natural. The caffeine is artificially added and so are the vitamins." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Painful lessons The IDF has already learnt lessons of the Second Lebanon War. Brothers in guilt 'We are all guilty; is an effective summary of the final Winograd report.

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