Topic: energy drinks

Yikes! How Energy Drinks Could Be Causing Heart Disease

Carnitine, found naturally in red meat and often added to energy drinks, was found to interact badly with gut bacteria and produce artery-hardening compound TMAO. More »

Monster Energy Drinks Will Side-Step FDA Regulation By Selling Their Product As A ‘Beverage’ Instead Of A ‘Dietary Supplement’

Monster Energy Drinks and their competitors have been pretty famously under-regulated. After years of providing zero nutritional content and more caffeine than anyone really needs, the largest energy drink supplier in the country was finally being investigated by the FDA for the deaths of five people and the non-fatal heart attack of another consumer. But don’t worry, Monster has found a way to sidestep this little inconvenience. More »

Mountain Dew Is Making A New ‘Breakfast Drink’…That Sounds A Lot Like An Energy Drink For Kids

Because it isn’t already loaded with enough sugar and caffeine to last you 24 hours, Mountain Dew is gearing up to claim their stake in the energy drink market with “Kickstart,” a caffeine- and juice-infused beverage set to come out later this month. The company says their so-called “breakfast drink” won’t contain nearly the amount of caffeine found in controversial brands like Monster energy drink or even Red Bull, but it’s not necessarily the caffeine content that disturbs us: It’s the fact that this sounds suspiciously like a drink designed to be sold to kids. More »

Wired Wyatt’s Caffeinated Maple Syrup: Like Energy Drinks For Hip Foodies (But Just As Dangerous)

The scandals surrounding Monster energy drinks and Four Loko’s alcoholic energy drink, and increasing research proving that caffeine-sugar bombs like Rockstar and 5 Hour Energy are bad for you had us hoping that the trend towards caffeinated-everything might fizzle out, but we might have been wrong. Not only does Wired Wyatt’s new caffeinated maple syrup take the trend to new heights–it also seems to be targeted at a hipper foodie crowd. Because they’re already putting bacon in everything, so why not add some powdered caffeine! More »

7 Ways To Gain Energy Without Caffeine

We here at Blisstree have discussed many of the ways in which energy drinks are bad for you. So how can you gain energy without the use of caffeine? We have some ideas… More »

Chicago Councilman Wants Blanket Ban On High-Caffeine Energy Drinks

In its ongoing battle with New York City over who can pass the most needless nanny laws, Chicago may soon score a point by putting the kibbutz on energy drinks. Alderman Edward M. Burke, a powerful member of the Chicago City Council, has proposed a blanket ban on the sale and distribution of high-caffeine drinks such as Monster, Red Bull and 5-Hour Energy. More »

Dangers Of Energy Drinks Linked To More Emergency Room Visits, Especially For Young People

Yeah, this goes way beyond the “caffeine stunts your growth” thing your parents used to say when you were a kid. More »

5-Hour Energy Linked To 13 Deaths And ‘Spontaneous Abortion’; Why Is Anyone Still Buying Energy Drinks?

It seems there’s never been a better time to quit drinking caffeine, especially if you’re hooked on energy drinks: First, there was Monster; now, the FDA is saying that 5-Hour Energy was mentioned in 90 FDA filings–including 13 deaths and 30 life-threatening events, including a ‘spontaneous abortion’ (i.e. miscarriage)–over the past four years. And we thought soda was bad. More »

Monster Energy Drinks Have Too Much Caffeine? Venti Starbucks Coffee Has More

You may have heard that Monster energy drinks are under FDA investigation after being cited in five deaths and one heart attack. There’s also a wrongful death lawsuit against Monster, filed by the parents of 14-year-old Anais Fournier, who died due to caffeine toxicity. Yet as more details about these deaths comes out, it seems less clear exactly where fault lies — and how dangerous (or not) these drinks are. One 24-ounce can of Monster contains 240 milligrams of caffeine, about the same as one to two 8-ounce cups of coffee – and significantly less than a venti at Starbucks, which comes in around 415 milligrams. More »

What We're Reading:

Monster Linked To 5 Deaths; Maybe Now Energy Drinks Will Finally Be Regulated

As Americans begin to turn away from traditional sodas, highly-caffeinated energy drinks like Rockstar and Monster are gaining much of the beverage market share. Unfortunately, aside from being massively caloric and generally nutritionally empty, they’re also pretty dangerous. So dangerous, in fact, that the FDA is currently investigating Monster in the death of five individuals, as well as one non-fatal heart attack in a sixth victim. More »

Energy Drinks Are Under Fire In New York Because, Surprise, They’re Bad For You

New York’s attorney general Eric T. Schneiderman thinks there’s something funny about energy drinks. No, it’s not that they rot your teeth, or that they can cause depression and anxiety. He’s issued subpoenas the makers of Monster, 5-Hour Energy, and AMP (which is PepsiCo), because, according to a source close to the case, he thinks they are making false marketing claims about what “healthy” ingredients (like magical, proprietary “vitamin and mineral” blends) actually give you all that energy. Spoiler alert: It’s just tons and tons of caffeine. More »

Florida County Boldly Bans All Energy Drinks In Schools

The school board in Manatee County, Florida has boldly banned energy drinks from all schools in the county. The vote to ban drinks like Red Bull, Rockstar and Full Throttle was 4-0, effectively placing the drinks on the same level as alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Considering that energy drinks are chock full of sugar, caffeine and other unregulated additives, banning them from the hands of children and teens is a smart move. More »

Another Reason To Skip Energy Drinks: They Could Cause Depression and Anxiety

Energy drinks are bad news. Not only have they been linked to deaths and other physical dangers, but heavily caffeinated drinks like Red Bull, Monster and Full Throttle can also affect our mental health, including increasing our risk for depression and anxiety, according to certified clinical nutritionist, speaker and author who has appeared on the Dr. Oz Show and NPR, Dr. Kaayla Daniel. Energy drinks, she says, are risky and dangerous for our mental health. Find out why: More »

Rockstar Coconut Water Is Like Regular Coconut Water, But With Added Crap

I have already made my feelings clear about coconut water. And even though I feel like a pawn in a giant, coconut-tree-cash-crop-probably-terrible-for-the-planet industry which targets people exactly like me (young-ish, female, sporty, into yoga, eater of kale), I can’t stay away from the stuff. However, Rockstar has managed to develop the one coconut water-ish product I could definitely avoid. It is called Rockstar Coconut Water. More »

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