Energy Drinks: The New Gateway Drug? Not My Red Bull!!!

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Originally posted by speculativeoptimist
Well my friends sure partake like crack heads, unable to start the day without, drinking several throughout the day, and whining if they have none. I have heard the drinks called christian crack(no offense). I see kids all the time with these things, and in the bars I see redbull as much as any other drink around. Man there sure is a lot of money in this business!
What gets me is the main ingediant, which doesn't settle well enough with me to enjoy one without tummy ache, is Taurine, which to my understanding is synthesized(?) bull bile...yummy huh?!

Peace,
spec

edit on 13-7-2011 by speculativeoptimist because: (no reason given)

Taurine is listed as an ingredient in many energy drinks. What is taurine? Is it safe?

Taurine is an amino acid that supports neurological development and helps regulate the level of water and mineral salts in the blood. Taurine is also thought to have antioxidant properties.

Taurine is found naturally in meat, fish and breast milk, and it's commonly available as a dietary supplement. Some studies suggest that taurine supplementation may improve athletic performance, which may explain why taurine is used in many energy drinks. Other studies suggest that taurine combined with caffeine improves mental performance, although this finding remains controversial.

Up to 3,000 milligrams a day of supplemental taurine is considered safe. Any excess taurine is simply excreted by the kidneys. Moderation is important, however. Little is known about the effects of heavy or long-term taurine use.

It's also important to remember that there may be high amounts of other ingredients in energy drinks, such as high amounts of caffeine or sugar. Too much caffeine can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, interrupt your sleep, and cause nervousness and irritability. And added sugar may provide unwanted added calories.

This is why I only allow myself ONE energy drink a day - it is like having 2-3 cups of morning coffee.

reply to post by jude11


I think energy drinks are absolutely disgusting to the taste, and I don't get why teens have them all the time. I tried a red bull once and spit the thing out and dumped it down the sink, and washed the taste out of my mouth with water. I haven't had one since! Don't get it, and don't care!

reply to post by queenofsheba

My perspective as a mother/parent sees how these energy drinks are marketed and targeted at the younger set. I would say to the teens to twenty-somethings, especially. However, even my ten year old daughter is enthralled by Monster Energy drinks and Mountain Dew Voltage. I don't know if its because of the color of the drinks that is so appealing to her; especially the blue color of the Dew or the green color of the Monster. The designs on the cans and labels are pretty cool if you've ever really looked at them

THUS the reason for all the concern & multiple ER visits, I am sure. I mean, 20 somethings can order tham mixed with alcohol as a drink while being out - at a bar or cub, nowdays, anyway!!. I believe most problems being experienced manage to have alcohol mixed with them.....

It was the very same way with cigarette advertising 3-4 decades ago, if anyone remembers, as I do. Marketing specifically to the 'teens to twenty-somethings' has been a continuing issue with various items - and now energy drinks have become the new thing with younger folks. Heck, I even think you can buy them permixed in cans in any place that sells alcohol - unfortunately this includes convenience stores, 7-11s, and the like. Thus, I think there should be a drinking age limit of, at least, 19-21 before someone can purchase these.......

I, totally, agree that this needs to stop. But I, also, believe folks - like myself - drink them as they were meant to be drunk.....as a morning replacement for the several cup of coffee. Whenever, on a rare occasion or two,I drank more??? Well, that was overdoing it, for me. But, I would NEVER mix them with alcohol. REMEMBER - EVERYTHING IN MODERATION!

An age limit needs to be applied to these drinks, I am afraid. Because, if a teen to 20 something is 'drawn' to them, I can see it leading to problems. I mean, who here has not ever 'gone to the max' when it came to something any age can buy legally?? Most think if it is legal, at my age, for me to drink - it MUST NOT be harmful?? Well, when I was that age, NOTHING could stop me, you know, I was invincible. Unfortunately, some young folks find out - too late - that they are NOT invisible............

reply to post by DJMSN

No one mentions the whipped cream with alcohol being a gateway drug...I mean you could kill a couple of birds withe one stone...Huff a little whatever it is that gets people high...toast the fact that you are high with the high alcohol content and consume the massive calories from the cream and the obilgatory ice cream and eventually look forward too your first dose of smack.

Nowdays, the Feds will tell you all this BS as they DO want to try to control everything in our lives. IMHO, Energy Drinks no more lead to stronger drugs than whipped cream with your coffee does!! And, then the FDA just keeps pushing out prescribed drugs that end up being the worst possible meds a person should ever take. That kills 1000's and 1000's ever year. I mean, you do realise that we (people) are used regularly as the final stage of testing for newer medicatios?? Don' you???

Originally posted by Alena Michelle
I am a Dietitian (RD) and I have done research on Energy Drinks. These are my thoughts:

First off a little background on how energy drinks are categorized: Energy drinks are NOT regulated in the same way that colas or soft drinks are regulated by the FDA. Energy Drinks are considered ergogenic aids and fall under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994.

By law (DSHEA), the manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that its dietary supplement products are safe before they are marketed. Unlike drug products that must be proven safe and effective for their intended use before marketing, there are no provisions in the law for FDA to "approve" dietary supplements for safety or effectiveness before they reach the consumer. Under DSHEA, once the product is marketed, FDA has the responsibility for showing that a dietary supplement is "unsafe," before it can take action to restrict the product's use or removal from the marketplace.

There is no provision under any law or regulation that FDA enforces that requires a firm to disclose to FDA or consumers the information they have about the safety or purported benefits of their dietary supplement products. Likewise, there is no prohibition against them making this information available either to FDA or to their customers. It is up to each firm to set its own policy on disclosure of such information.

In that FDA has limited resources to analyze the composition of food products, including dietary supplements, it focuses these resources first on public health emergencies and products that may have caused injury or illness. Enforcement priorities then go to products thought to be unsafe or fraudulent or in violation of the law. The remaining funds are used for routine monitoring of products pulled from store shelves or collected during inspections of manufacturing firms. The agency does not analyze dietary supplements before they are sold to consumers. The manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that the "Supplement Facts" label and ingredient list are accurate, that the dietary ingredients are safe, and that the content matches the amount declared on the label. FDA does not have resources to analyze dietary supplements sent to the agency by consumers who want to know their content.

So what does this mean to you as a drinker of energy drinks? No one is checking to see what exactly it is you are consuming! My advice is “Buyer Beware” and do your own research. I see people on here every day worried about the amount of fluoride they consume but have no qualms about drinking something so under regulated.

To address the issue of the drinks being addictive –yes they are to the extent that caffeine is addictive. I do not believe that they are a gate-way drug. If they really want to worry about addictive foods then they need to regulate potatoes and starches. I once had a client who came to me for dietary guidance and after putting her on a low carb diet for 6 weeks she actually told me that she was a former crack addict, and it was easier for her to quit crack coc aine than it was to give up potatoes! Think about that.

edit on 13-7-2011 by Alena Michelle because: weird quotes

yeah i agree with you on how many people on this site actually consume redbull, and other energy drinks. I honestly don't think they are healthy for you at all! I found out my husband back 3 years ago was addicted to red bull and never told me. Yes, I was pretty upset, he has since quit drinking them because he couldn't afford it when we moved up to Maine, and he realized that they are not healthy. He was shocked I didn't like them, i told him that I found the drink disgusting, and couldn't even finish it after the first drink.

I think i am disappointed with the type of people on this site, you all bitch and moan about other conspiracies and yet you don't see the one right in front of your face! i think I need a break from this site, nothoing is making sense to me anymore, you're all hypocrites!

reply to post by Alena Michelle

To address the issue of the drinks being addictive –yes they are to the extent that caffeine is addictive. I do not believe that they are a gate-way drug.

Exactly!!! To even believe pot is a gateway drug is crazy. Millions of people have used pot and stayed with pot without the need to find a 'stronger, more addictive one. This is just Gov proprogadna, IMHO.....and, a good excuse to keep pot illegal. So it goes with cigarettes, coffee, whatever!!

reply to post by jude11


100% of heroin addicts have breathes air.

Therefore air is the ultimate gateway drug, BAN IT!

In America, a society that never closes, working longer hours, less vacations etc: NEEDS CAFFEINE AND ENERGY DRINKS just to keep the economy of consumerism flowing...dont they know that already?? Yes that is a conspiracy too, but darn I need to work, home school, take kids to karate, feed the chickens, do house work etc...all to start over the next day...

I personally love my daily red bull....Never once have I considered using harder substances because of it.....What bullarky.

Now that I thinking about it, I will crack one open...