The New Natural Energy Drinks

Energy drinks have been taking a hit in the news in recent years, and not without reason:

• Some energy drinks are loaded with caffeine. A two ounce (30 ml) "shot" of 5-Hour Energy contains, according to Consumer Reports, 215 mg of caffeine. Depending on how coffee is made a cup (240 ml)of coffee contains 100 to 150 mg of caffeine.
• Many energy drinks are fortified with the amino acid taurine. One of the peculiarities of taurine is that it is extremely toxic to certain pets. (We won't identify which one, because we don't want to be responsible for deaths of pets by energy drinks.) Taurine is essential to cardiovascular function and seems to improve memory, but large amounts can cause diarrhea.
• Many energy drinks are loaded with sugar. Rockstar Energy, as we reported last year, is perceived as a diet drink because "rock stars are always on diets." It actually contains 58 grams of sugar per serving, as much as two jelly doughnuts.
• As you might imagine, energy drinks mixed with soft drinks are dangerous for kids who have type 2 diabetes. Mountain Dew mixed with energy drinks has proven to be enough to send children to the hospital for insulin injections to lower blood sugar levels.
• Increasing numbers of doctors are reporting that the consumption of energy drinks by the 6- and 12-pack sends children with ADHD "over the edge." There are reports of ADHD children consuming large quantities of sugary, caffeine-enriched drinks and later requiring hospitalization for delusions, dementia, and seizures, and damage to the kidneys, liver, and heart.
• In 2011, the most recent year for which data are available, there were 20,783 visits to emergency rooms for treatment of the side effects of consuming too many energy drinks. The greatest number of patients were aged 18 to 25. The massive amounts of caffeine that can be consumed in energy drinks can cause racing heartbeat, chest pain, headaches, anxiety, and even heart attacks.

Monster Energy has been listed as the cause of 13 deaths. 5-Hour Energy has been named in 90 reports to the FDA, including cases involving heart attacks, convulsions, and one woman's spontaneous abortion.

Clearly, when a beverage used as a pick me up can cause heart attacks and death in users who have not even reached the age of 25, the product calls for drastic change. But is that what the new, "natural" energy drinks provide?

Read More: Doctors Warn About Energy Drink Risks, But Americans Are Chugging Them Like Never Before

Changing the Formula of Energy Drinks

The natural foods industry has produced new energy drinks that make major changes in ingredients. High-fructose corn syrup has been replaced with evaporated sugar cane juice and agave nectar. Sucralose (Splenda) has been replaced with an herbal extract from stevia, although tiny, unlisted amounts of artificial sweeteners are still used to mask stevia's after-taste in most products. "Synthetic" caffeine, which is actually the caffeine extract from coffee beans to make decaf, has been replaced with the South American herb yerba mate. The South American "super foods" acai berry and maca have been added to some products, and a growing number of energy drinks are fortified with vitamin B12.

Are The New, Natural Energy Drinks Really Better For You?

The new energy drinks, like the old energy drinks, are supposed to boost energy, memory, and even sex drive. They contain many ingredients that are supposedly health, but whether the beverages actually deliver what they promise is questionable. Here's a rundown on each of the most heavily advertised ingredients:

• Acai berry is a "South American superfood" that has become enormously popular over the last 10 years. Ethically harvested and containing genuine nutritional content, acai berry adds a tangy flavor to the drink and lends antioxidant content to the drink, just not in spectacular amounts as advertising alleges. Acai is not even close to being the most antioxidant-rich fruit (most of the berries found in Scandinavia or Tibet actually are), and it has no proven power to fight any disease. According to Amazon plant expert Dr. Leslie Taylor, the antioxidants in acai break down in about 12 hours after harvest, before the berry can be collected to be shipped to processing plants.
• Agave nectar, the expressed juice of the thorny agave plant, which is traditionally fermented to make tequila. Agave nectar is 92% fructose. It actually contains more fructose than high-fructose corn syrup, as well as almost all kinds of honey and ordinary white table sugar. But the problem with agave nectar isn't just what it contains but also what it lacks. Most "natural" sweeteners at least contain antioxidants and useful plant chemicals. Agave nectar contains even fewer antioxidants than cane sugar.
• Ginseng. When energy drink makers refer to ginseng, they don't mean the ginseng used as a stimulant and energy restorer in Chinese herbal medicine for thousands of years, Panax ginseng. They almost always are referring to a Siberian plant also known as eleuthero, Eleutherococcus senticosus. The major difference? Eleuthero really does stimulate your immune system and gives you an energy boost. It also helps your body conserve testosterone, which is not always a good thing. Higher testosterone levels accelerate male pattern baldness, and not just in males. When he was actively playing the game, basketball great and very, very bald Charles Barkley drank up to 40 bottles of eleuthero power drink a day.
• Stevia is a Paraguayan plant with sweet, licorice-like leaf. The leaf itself has a licorice after taste, so what actually appears in energy drinks is an extract of rebaudiosides, sweet chemicals in the leaf, that are used in tiny amounts, less than 1 mg in a liter of beverage. Because the sweet taste of stevia does not "hit" the tongue immediately, it is almost always mixed with other sweeteners such as saccharin, xylitol, or plain old table sugar, although these may not be listed on the label.
• Vitamin B12. Vitamins are vital, so more is always better, right? Actually, in the case of vitamin B12, this proposition is not always true. Even though vitamin B12 deficiencies are common, especially among young vegans and older persons who have problems with digestion, vitamins in the B family have to work together. It doesn't do any good to get more B12 without B6 (pyridoxine) and B9 (folic acid).
• Yerba mate is another traditional herb of Paraguay. Used to make an acrid, pucker your mouth tea, yerba mate is supposed to give you a "clean" buzz because it contains the chemical mateine instead of caffeine. However, mateine and caffeine are actually the same chemical. There isn't very much mateine/caffeine in yerba mate, so it won't give you the jitters, but it won't give you an energy boost, either.
• Matcha green tea is a revitalizing energy drink, blending the natural goodness of matcha powder with water and a touch of organic pure maple syrup. Renowned for its unique combination of L-theanine and a moderate caffeine content, it's designed to enhance mental and physical performance without overwhelming the body. This energizing concoction offers a sustained energy boost, making it an ideal, healthful pick-me-up that nurtures both body and mind.
• The ginger and cardamom energy drink, a harmonious blend of natural ingredients, combines thinly sliced ginger, freshly juiced ginger root, aromatic ground cardamom, turmeric powder, and a hint of honey. Revered for its ability to stimulate circulation and boost metabolism, this drink not only invigorates the body but also offers the healing benefits of antioxidants. Its unique flavor profile makes it a delightful, healthful beverage that energizes and refreshes.

Read More: Energy Drinks Vs. Relaxation Drinks: Latter Are On The Rise

The new, natural energy drinks aren't very different from their old, artificial counterparts. Whichever energy drink you choose, however, be aware that the more you drink, the more you will want. Beverage company chemists and formulators may not care about side effects that hurt you, but you can be sure they will create beverages for which the main effect is you will always want more. It can be better just to say no to energy drinks.