Energy drink is a type of soft drink, which is normally considered as an energy booster. The drink makers always advertise that these drinks are prepared with naturally occurring ingredients, which aid in production of energy. The presence of artificial flavoring agents and sugars are mostly ignored.
History of Energy Drink
The Lucozade Energy was the first energy drink released in UK in 1929, but this drink was marketed as the hospital drink and was promoted as the power drink which helped to regain the replenished energy. By all means the first energy drink Liptovin was released in Japan during the 1960’s. The first generation drinks were marketed as the power drinks and were advertised as the supplements to improve the energy levels of athletes. The first such power drink was created for the football team at University of Florida and it was called Gatorade. It claimed to increase the energy levels of athletes. Till this date this drink is considered to be safer than many of the new generation power booster drinks. The era of new generation drinks actually began in 1985, when Jolt Cola was released in USA and this drink cashed on its unique caffeine content. The famous red bull was released in Europe in 1997. This drink was designed on lines of Thai drink Krating Daeng, which was a Liptovin inspired drink. The Red Bull was introduced in US in 1997. A trend of packing power drink in a huge bottle started after 2002. Many new food regulations were imposed on the new generation drinks to curb the over usage of stimulants and other artificial flavorings. The new age drinks have stepped into new era where they are sold in the form of energy drink powders and effervescent tablets.
Energy Drink Recipes: Ingredients Required
An energy drink is usually made up of stimulants, vitamin B, artificial flavors and herbal ingredients. Many of the energy drinks combine ingredients like guarana, yerba mate, acai, carbonated water, taurine, and different forms of inositol, creatine, carnitine, glucuranolactone, gingko biloba, malodextrin and gingeng. Most of the power drink variants pack excess amount of sweeteners and flavoring agents. Caffeine is the common ingredient found in most of liquid power booster and it is valued for its stimulating properties.
Popular Energy Drink Recipes
Health and Nutrition Fact of Energy Drink
Recent studies suggest that most of the commercial energy drinks and their variants have high caffeine content. This caffeine may give adverse effects when combined with other ingredients like amino acid taurine, and guarana. Also, the warnings have been issued against teaming energy drink with an alcohol because the caffeine and alcohol combination may react adversely. In some cases these power drinks can act as a stimulant and alcohols can serve as a depressant. In some cases the intoxicating effect of alcohol is minimized by mixing it with energy drink. But warnings have been issued owing to the fact that the caffeine in such drink may mask the effects of alcohol, which may encourage the drinker to taste more and subsequently lead to accidents brought by drunk driving. The water or low-octane based sports drinks with minerals, electrolytes and carbohydrates are considered as better choice than any regular energy drink. Some of the lead brands of power drinks have already removed caffeine from their formulas and even if they do the usage is limited to 50 mg/bottle.
The move to ban some popular brands of power drinks certain food laws were passed in various countries owing to the increasing public outcry against these drinks.
Energy Drink Trivia
The caffeinated -alcoholic power drinks were banned in Washington and Michigan on November 10, 2010. This ban gathered storm with the hospitalization of students after getting stoned by drinking alcoholic energy drink or their variants.