We Know About Caffeine in Energy Drinks Like Monster, But What About the Other Ingredients?

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With the wicked flurry of news about the Food and Drug Administration's Monster Energy Drink investigation, there's been a lot of follow-on news about the amount of caffeine in energy drinks. But as a comment on my recent piece about energy drinks pointed out, there's much more in these beverages than just caffeine and water.

So, I thought it would be interesting to dissect the ingredient labels of typical energy drinks and see what else we're ingesting with every swig.

Below is the ingredient label for an 8 ounce can of Monster Energy:

And below is the ingredient label for a 5-Hour Energy shot:

I'm using these two examples because they cover most of the common ingredients found in energy drinks and shots.

The first thing worth noticing is that both contain a handful of B vitamins, which may or may not have energy boosting effects depending on which research source you consult, followed by an "Energy Blend" that contains multiple ingredients, none of which are broken out individually by milligrams. Monster's blend has a total of 2500 mg; 5-Hour Energy's has 1870 mg.  Let's tour some of the ingredients in these blends and see what we're drinking.

Taurine: Taurine is an amino acid your body naturally produces that helps regulate heartbeat, muscle contractions, and energy levels. Some research suggests that in the brain taurine acts as a mild inhibitory neurotransmitter, which means it reduces excitable brain states that manifest as higher anxiety levels.  There's no obvious reason why this ingredient should be in energy drinks, other than Red Bull making it famous as part of their marketing campaign a few years ago and other brands followed suit. In any case, it's not dangerous and probably not useful.

Panax Ginseng (in Monster but not part of its "Blend"):  Panax Ginseng (not the same as American Ginseng) is an herb that some research suggests increases energy and acts as an anti-fatigue agent.  It's possible that ginseng works by helping to stimulate the hypothalamic and pituitary glands, which then secrete adrenal corticotropic hormone, leading to an increase in energy levels.  Too much ginseng can cause symptoms like headaches and diarrhea, but the amount in energy drinks is too low to be of concern. Not dangerous; possibly useful for boosting energy.

L-Carnitine: L-Carnitine is a naturally occurring amino acid that affects metabolism and energy levels. Some research suggests that supplementation with L-Carnitine is a good idea because it may help burn more fat during exercise, but there's no consensus on that. As with ginseng, the amount of L-Carnitine in energy drinks isn't anywhere near high enough to be of concern, but it's also not enough to catalyze fat-burning effects (if they exist). Not dangerous or useful.

Guarana (aka Guaranine): Guarana is a bean from South America that contains roughly twice as much caffeine as coffee beans. It's long been used as a stimulant and adding it in even small amounts to energy drinks probably provides a greater jolt than caffeine alone. While not inherently dangerous, too much of it can cause problems, as can too much caffeine derived from other sources.

Inositol: Inositol is a type of carbohydrate made from glucose that's naturally produced in the human body, and is also found in fruits, grains and nuts. In high enough doses, it seems to have a positive effect on nervous system modulation, but the small amount in energy drinks likely does nothing. Not dangerous or useful.

L-Tyrosine: L-Tyrosine is an amino acid found in high protein foods. Some research suggests that it helps relieve stress under high-stress conditions (such as loss of a loved one, divorce, job loss, etc).  How much is needed to derive this effect is debatable, but it's unlikely energy drinks contain enough of it to get you there. Not dangerous, and probably not useful.

L-Phenylalanine: L-Phenylalanine is an amino acid found in milk. In the body it's a precursor to the production of tyrosine, and some research suggests that it has antidepressant and analgesic effects.  In the brain it acts as an excitatory neuromodulator, which essentially means that it facilitates greater availability of dopamine. Whether the amount found in energy drinks (or in this case, 5-Hour Energy shots, not in Monster) can produce this effect is debatable. It's most likely not dangerous, and the jury is out on whether it's useful.

Citicoline: Citicoline is a stimulant that increases energy and alertness, and is also used to reduce cravings. It's not in Monster but is in 5-Hour Energy.  It likely does have an energy boosting effect, and it's probably not dangerous for most users in small amounts.

Overall, these ingredients fall in the not dangerous and probably not useful category, with a couple of exceptions.  Worth noting, caffeine is definitely not the only stimulant in either of these drinks--or others on the market--so it's probable that the FDA investigation may lead to further ingredient probing.

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