PRIYA SHARMA/Daily Bruin Red Bull and other similar
energy drinks have recently gained a lot of popularity, though some
believe they can have negative side effects.
By Kiyoshi Tomono
Daily Bruin Contributor
Energy drinks like Red Bull and 180 claim they’ll
“give you wings” and “turn your energy
around.” But according to UCLA pediatrician Dr. Martin
Anderson, their main effect may be in lightening your
pocketbook.
The drinks, which usually contain amino acids, caffeine and a
few natural vitamins and extracts, can cost upward of $3 to 4 per
can. And while they might not be particularly harmful, Anderson
said they aren’t all that helpful either.
“I don’t think (Red Bull) is more than a cup of
coffee, but it’s being touted as liquid cocaine ““
it’s being used as a mixture at raves and clubs,”
Anderson said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you
couldn’t get as much nutrition from a glass of juice and a
cup of coffee”
In particular, Anderson pointed to taurine, an amino acid added
to Red Bull that the company’s Web site claims is “a
metabolic transmitter and additionally has a detoxifying effect and
strengthens cardiac contractility.” Anderson said the
American Diatetic Association didn’t find any substantiation
to Red Bull’s claims about taurine.
The heart of the problem, he said, is the hands-off approach the
Food and Drug Association has taken with dietary supplements and
energy drinks, leaving companies to largely self-regulate their
products and their claims.
“Dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA and
there are several billion dollar industries without anything other
than self regulation,” he said. “(The companies) are
not able to make claims about medical conditions, but they can say
“˜It’s good for your hair,’ or “˜It’s
good for your energy.'”
Energy drinks were initially developed as a pick-me-ups for
adults with active lifestyles, said Kim Peterson, a media relations
manager with Red Bull North America. While the product originally
contained a warning against giving the drink to children, Peterson
said the warning has since been removed.
“We try to appeal to all ages, from old people to
young,” Peterson said. “Initially, we put that (label
on) as a caution for parents. Now, we leave it up for parents,
since there is nothing harmful in Red Bull for children.”
While Anderson agreed that caffeine-containing drinks may not be
harmful to children, he alluded that they might not be a good thing
either.
“Whether or not children should be drinking Red Bull is a
really ticklish issue because it begs the question of whether or
not children should be drinking caffeine,” he said. “My
view is that coffee isn’t necessarily good for you either,
and we shouldn’t be teaching our children to drink
it.”
But it’s not so much young children as it is young adults
who are consuming the energy drinks at the greatest rates. At the
trendy Viper Room on West Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard,
manager Bobby Deleon says the drink is commonly used as a mixer
with alcohol.
“(Red Bull) is popular around here. But, we’re
thinking of replacing it because there’s another company that
gives a better deal,” Deleon said. “We’ve also
had 180, which is more citrusy, and really, if we don’t have
Red Bull, then people will pretty much drink whatever else we
have.”
Deleon said the Viper Room has served some form of energy drink
for the past two years, and that usually, they’re mixed with
vodka, 7UP, soda water or cranberry juice.
He said that while he has tried Red Bull personally, it’s
not for everyone.
“It wakes me up, but you can’t drink a six pack of
that. It’s like drinking six pots of coffee,” Deleon
said. “People should only have one can of that stuff, or two
cans, I think.”
Nicole Miller, a third-year sociology student, said she tried
Red Bull at the Intersorority Volleyball Tournament, for which the
company provided free drinks. Miller said that despite making her
hyper, she was unimpressed by the drink’s taste.
“It’s tangy, and the aftertaste was really
bad,” Miller said. “I do know plenty of people who
drink it with alcohol, though. Vodka is really the only thing
people drink it with that I know of.”