Hazardous energy drinks

I came across an article which discusses caffeine intoxication -- these days most typically associated with energy drinks -- some of which contain up to fifteen times more caffeine than a cola drink. The article states:

Caffeine intoxication is clinically considered a syndrome. It is currently defined by a number of symptoms and clinical features that surface in response to recent excessive consumption of caffeine. Common features of caffeine intoxication include excitement, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, restlessness, tremors, insomnia, rambling flow of thought and speech or periods of inexhaustibility. In rare cases, caffeine intoxication can lead to death.

The caffeine content of energy drinks can vary from can to can, from 50 milligrams to more than 500 milligrams per serving, whereas a normal 12-ounce cola drink has approximately 35 mg of caffeine per serving and a 6-ounce cup of brewed coffee has 80 to 150 milligrams of the stimulant drug per serving.

The highlighted line is misleading. It should read: Taken in sufficient quantities, caffeine will kill you. Caffeine is deadly in relatively small quantities. A fatal dose of caffeine is only 3,000-20,000 mg. Fewer than 50 strong cups of coffee or 6 energy drinks -- consumed in a short period of time -- could easily be fatal. In 2000, one Irish athlete died after drinking just four cans of Red Bull.

This website reviews energy drinks. The writer observes that some energy drinks do not bother to list the caffeine content. One such drink is Roaring Lion:

Roaring Lion does not have a very complicated ingredient list. . . . The nutrition label clearly points out generous amounts of niacin, vitamins B6 and 12, and pantothenic acid. Curiously, caffeine content is not indicated. The caffeine rush is above average, which is why we were surprised it was not called out.

The energy drink reviewer notes that whereas caffeine is an essential ingredient in any energy drink, "Some of the energy drinks just keep upping the caffeine content but that can make you feel like crap, stomach issues, and has you crash hard with a caffeine addiction head ache the next day." Even when it comes to energy drinks, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Why not just drink coffee? You decide whether -- and how much -- sugar to add, you can be sure what's in it, and coffee appears to have some real health benefits.

Read more...

How to like healthy foods

NY Times reports: "studies suggest that involving children in meal preparation is an important first step in getting them to try new foods."

I wonder if the same thing holds true for grown-ups?

Read more...

Mediterranean diet extinct

NY Times reports:

“It is almost a perfect diet, but when we looked at what people were eating we noticed that much of the highly praised diet didn’t exist any more,” said the report’s author, Josef Schmidhuber, a senior economist at the food organization. “It has become just a notion.”

The article suggests the Mediterranean diet may have gone extinct within the past few years -- the very period when international scientists have increasingly extolled the health benefits of the diet which consists largely of fish, olive oil, goat's cheese, tomatoes and other fresh vegetables.

Read more...

Surgery for arthritis more dangerous than alternative

The NY Times reports that "a study has found that surgery is no better than more conservative treatment to relieve knee pain caused by arthritis."

To call surgery "no better" strikes me as somewhat misleading. Conservative treatments do not carry the risks of complication associated with surgery. For example, one in four patients who gets treated in a hospital develops a new probleml. Perhaps an infection, an adverse drug reaction, etc.

Read more...

Exercise overrides genes

CNN reports:

The researchers found that Amish people with the genetic variant [ for obesity] were no more likely to be overweight than those who had the regular version of the gene -- as long as they got three to four hours of moderate activity every day. That included things like brisk walking, housecleaning and gardening.

And while physical activity is recommended for just about everyone, the study suggests that people with the gene variation need to be especially vigilant about getting exercise.

Read more...

Health hazards of sunscreen

It seems the FDA has dropped the ball on sunscreens; their safety increasingly uncertain. World-Wire reports:

Sunscreens are based on six ingredients, some of which actively penetrate the skin, accumulate in the body, and have been identified in urine and breast milk.

More ominously, these ingredients have toxic hormonal effects, known technically as “endocrine disruptive.” Evidence for these effects has been well documented over the last decade. This includes stimulation of human breast cancer cells in test tube experiments, and increased uterine growth in immature female rats following skin painting or feeding.

Read more...

Just 20 minutes of exercise improves memory

The Seatle PI reports:

Adding even a small amount of exercise to a person's daily routine can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study, by Australian researchers, showed that six months of physical activity -- averaging about 20 minutes a day -- in volunteers 50 and older modestly improved memory and cognition.

Read more...