Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Energy Drinks Exposed Resource Kit

Transcription

1 Key Messages: Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Energy Drinks Exposed Resource Kit Just because energy drinks are for sale does not mean they are safe. Serious side effects, including deaths, are being investigated. Energy drinks can have extremely high levels of caffeine and sugar and don t provide lasting energy or other health benefits. Energy drinks are different than sports drinks and have a negative effect on athletic performance. Energy drinks should never be mixed with alcohol the combination can be deadly. Target Group: Grades 7-12 Curriculum Link: Grades 7 & 8 Health and Physical Education Making Healthy Choices/Making Connections for Healthy Living Grade 9-12 Healthy Active Living Healthy Living strand Grade 9/10 Food and Nutrition Personal and Social Responsibility strand Grade 12 Food and Nutrition Personal and Social Responsibility strand Objectives: By participating in a lesson using kit materials students should be able to: Identify energy drinks and the common ingredients they contain Identify how caffeine affects health and how much caffeine is considered safe Identify the difference between energy drinks and sports drinks Identify the risks of consuming energy drinks and alcohol Identify advertising techniques used by energy drink manufacturers Understand changes to energy drink regulations in Canada Identify alternative strategies to increasing energy levels Identify actions they can take to advocate for stronger legislative controls for energy drinks Kit Contents: Prezi presentation link information and Presentation Guide DVD Buzz in a Bottle: The Dangers of Caffeine Spiked Energy Drinks 17 minutes Container with sample energy drinks*: o Monster Energy 473 ml container (164 mg caffeine plus amount from guarana) o Amp Energy 473 ml container (142 mg caffeine) o Rockstar 473 ml container (160 mg caffeine plus amount from guarana) o Starbucks Doubleshot 444 ml container (146 mg caffeine) o NOS 473 ml container (194 mg caffeine) o Red Bull 355 ml container (114 mg caffeine) *Note: Sample containers purchased Jan Caffeine content may change over time

2 Container with visuals of amount of sugar in each sample energy drink and 8 oz of energy drink Poster Energy Drinks Take a Closer Look! Handout Alcohol and Caffeine: A Bad Buzz (targets high school students) Handout Thirsty? Rethink Your Drink! Teacher feedback survey Activities: 1. Present Energy Drinks Exposed Prezi using Presentation Guide for web link and speaking notes. 2. Optional Advocacy Activity: View the Rick Mercer Report clip from Discussion: What kinds of activities can youth undertake to advocate for stronger legislation to protect them from the energy drink industry? Brainstorm follow-up actions for students to take, e.g. letters to Federal Ministry of Health, local MP, local MPP and editors of local papers, social media activities etc. 3. Optional DVD: Play DVD Buzz in a Bottle: The Dangers of Caffeine Spiked Energy Drinks 17 minutes 4. Complete Teacher Feedback Survey.

3 Energy Drinks Exposed Prezi Presentation Guide Resources/Tools Required: Electronic copy/link to Prezi presentation available from public health website: or Alternatively, your school nurse can a link or the Prezi presentation can be viewed at: Projector and computer with internet connection Speaking Notes: Discussion: What are energy drinks? Can anyone think of some examples? Note: Press the space bar after discussing each point for a checkmark to appear in the box beside the point. Claim to make you more alert and give you energy for activities. Advertisements claim that they can even give you wings. Available in pharmacies, grocery stores, convenience stores, vending machines or anywhere pop, juice and sports drinks are purchased. This makes energy drinks easy to access for any age % of youth consume energy drinks 1 Question: What do Energy Drinks look like? What are some examples you have seen?

4 Common brands include Red Bull, Rockstar, Full Throttle, Burn or Monster What s in these drinks? This can lists the most common ingredients in energy drinks including caffeine, sugar, taurine, vitamins and herbs. Each one will be discussed in more detail. Caffeine o Caffeine is a stimulant; the most widely consumed stimulant in the world. This is the main ingredient to provide energy in an energy drink. 2 o Energy drinks have caffeine added from both natural and synthetic sources. o In Canada, the caffeine content of energy drinks is typically 80mg per 250mL (1 cup) serving. 2 o Energy drinks tend to come in quite large cans, so one can may contain anywhere from 80 to even 200mg of caffeine. To put that into perspective, the middle of this range (about 130mg) is equivalent to the amount of caffeine you would find in 1 cup of coffee or 4 cola drinks. 3

5 Currently there is legislation in process to limit the amount of caffeine you can get from one can of an energy drink. We will talk more about this later in the presentation. There are several side effects associated with drinking lots of caffeine. In some individuals, excess intakes of caffeine can cause nervousness, anxiety, jitteriness, gastrointestinal upset (which can include diarrhea), rapid heart rate and insomnia 4 More about Caffeine o Health Canada recommends that for children and teenagers intakes should not exceed 2.5mg/kg/day. For a pound person that would mean they should have a maximum of mg of caffeine. 5 Optional Activity: Have students calculate the maximum amount of caffeine they should have using their weight. To find weight in kilograms, divide weight in pounds by 2.2 To find caffeine limit, multiply weight in kilograms by 2.5

6 o What does this mean? How does this compare to different drinks that you might have? Coke 37mg Coffee 135mg Red Bull 114mg Monster 164mg Full Throttle 200mg Rockstar 160mg o The bottom line is that for most children and teenagers, just one or two energy drinks can easily result in caffeine intakes in excess of these recommended caffeine limits for children Note: Day s activities and caffeine amounts on calculator will show up individually as you advance through the story. Wherever you see the word advance, hit the space bar. Add It Up o Let s see how caffeine might add up over a day by looking at an example of Joe. Joe is a highschool student and he wakes up early in the morning (advance) for school. He is tired, so he has a coffee to wake him up (about 135mg) (advance). He goes to school and has lunch at the cafeteria where he has a coke (about 35mg) (advance). Joe gets home from school and is up late studying for a test the next day. He has a Full Throttle energy drink to keep him awake (200mg) (advance). Over the day Joe has had 370mg of caffeine (advance)

7 Hidden Caffeine o When we read the amount of caffeine on the ingredient list of an energy drink, it only includes the amount of caffeine from one source. There are other ingredients that contain caffeine which can add substantially to the amount of caffeine in the drink. These ingredients are guarana, kola nut and yerba mate. o Let s take a look at an example of an energy drink, in this case Monster. We can see that on the ingredient list is guarana, which also contains caffeine. So really, it is hard for us to tell exactly how much caffeine is in the drink. o Soon, there will be new regulations so that energy drinks must list total caffeine, which would include caffeine from these hidden sources. We will talk more about this later in the presentation.

8 Sugar o Moving on to some of the other ingredients in energy drinks we will now discuss the ingredient sugar. o Energy drinks contain lots of sugar, which provides calories. Drinking sugar sweetened beverages like energy drinks has been associated with an increase risk of both heart disease and diabetes. 6 Also, the high amounts of sugar can cause cavities in your teeth. o Question: How many teaspoons of sugar do you think can be found in a can of Red Bull? Answer: Almost 10 teaspoons or 39 grams. Remind students that Red Bull is smaller than most of the energy drinks currently on the market so many have even more sugar. o Energy drinks currently don t have to list the amount of sugar in the drink on the can because they don t have a nutrition facts table like other drinks have. One of the ways we can tell that there is quite a bit of sugar in the drink is by looking at the ingredient list. o Any ingredient that ends with ose (for example, sucrose, fructose and glucose) are forms of sugar. You can see that the second and third ingredient in this energy drink are forms of sugar.

9 Taurine o Taurine is a normal human metabolite formed in the body by the liver and it is also found in our diet in dairy products, meat and seafood. The average diet has been estimated to contain mg/day of taurine. 7 o Taurine in energy drinks is artificially made and added to energy drinks, usually in the amount of 1000mg/250mL. 8 o No evidence that these high amounts of taurine found in energy drinks actually increase your energy, and the long term effects of such high doses of taurine are not known. Vitamins o The vitamins added in energy drinks are usually B vitamins, which play a role in energy and metabolism in your body. These vitamins are found in a healthy diet and easy to get from food sources such as fish, poultry, meat, eggs, leafy green vegetables and dairy products. o Energy drink manufacturers claim that adding B vitamins to the energy drink will provide extra energy, but there is no evidence of this. o Also, B vitamins are water soluble, which means that excessive amounts over what your body needs are excreted in your urine and not used by your body anyways. Herbal Ingredients o Many energy drinks have herbal ingredients added such as ginseng and ginkgo biloba with claims that they enhance cognitive or physical performance. Often the amount found in energy drinks is much less than what is used in supplements or research studies. o May interact with other supplements or medications which can cause some serious potential effects.

10 Are Sports Drinks the Same as Energy Drinks? o Ingredients in sports drinks include water, sodium, potassium, sugar and flavour. They don t contain caffeine, taurine, vitamins or herbs like energy drinks. Also, energy drinks tend to be carbonated like a cola, while sports drinks are not. Sports drinks also contain potassium and sodium which can replace sweat losses of these nutrients. Therefore, sports drinks and energy drinks are not the same. o If you drink energy drinks during exercise, you can easily get dehydrated, as the carbonation reduces your ability to drink them quickly to stay hydrated. 10 o Also, the high amount of carbohydrate in energy drinks can t be absorbed quickly and therefore stays in your stomach for a longer amount of time. This can cause gastrointestinal upset. 10 o If energy drinks aren t a good choice during exercise then what is? o Water is the best choice most of the time. A sports drink is only necessary if you are exercising for at a high intensity for 60 minutes or more. 11 They may also be necessary if you are exercising hard when it s hot and humid out. o Energy Drinks and Alcohol o On the slide is an example of the warning label found on an energy drink. Notice the warning Do not use with alcohol Discussion: Why do you think this warning is there? What is the risk of mixing energy drinks with alcohol?

11 o Energy Drinks + Alcohol = Caffeine found in energy drinks is a stimulant which makes you feel more alert. Alcohol is a sedative. When you are drinking alcohol but also getting a significant amount of caffeine, you may not feel as drunk as you might be. This means you might continue drinking despite significant intoxication and that you are less likely to realize that you are intoxicated. Individuals who mix energy drinks and alcohol are more likely to be drunk drivers and more likely to get in a car with somebody who is a drunk driver. They are also more likely to get injured and be hospitalized. People who have energy drinks and alcohol together are also more likely to be a victim or perpetrator of a violent sexual act. Also, there have been some reports of death related to energy drink and alcohol consumption. These deaths are still being investigated. Ad Awareness o Now we are going to look at some advertisements from energy drinks because they can be quite deceiving! We know now that energy drinks shouldn t be marketed to kids or teenagers, they shouldn t be used for exercise and they shouldn t be mixed with alcohol. Let s take a look at some ad s to see if this is true. o This is a picture of the opening page of the website of Red Bull. Discussion: What do you notice? Who are they marketing this too? o This is a video advertisement for Red Bull Discussion: What do you think this video promotes? Is the messaging in this video appropriate?

12 o This is a part of Red Bull s website that states that it has always been and always will be more than just a hot secret for the night owl and the non-stop party-animal and that it is used by surfers in the summer and snowboarders in the winter. Discussion: What do you notice about these advertising statements? Discussion Points: Imply that energy drinks are a good choice for sports Imply that energy drinks are good for when you are partying. Possible association of partying with drinking and mixing energy drinks with alcohol. The take home message from looking at these advertisements is to be aware of the advertising techniques these companies are using. Don t be fooled by their attempts to appeal to you. Regulations o Old Prior to 2013, energy drinks were regulated as a natural health product. This meant that energy drinks didn t have to follow the same requirements as a food product. Also, having the terms natural and health in their name give a perception that they are safe to consume. 12 They were not required to have a nutrition facts table like we see on other drinks like Coke or juice. They were however required to have the statement: Not recommended for children, pregnant/breastfeeding women and individuals sensitive to caffeine. o New At the start of 2013 new regulations came into effect, but energy drink manufacturers will likely have up to 2 years to make the changes needed. Energy drinks are now regulated as a food product. As a result, they will have a nutrition facts table where you can find the amount of calories, sugar, protein, etc in the product. There is now a limit on the amount of caffeine that can be found in a single-serving container (i.e. a can) to 180mg. 13

13 This still means that a can with 180mg of caffeine would be too much caffeine for any teenager under 158 pounds. Because of this many health experts suggest that the label say the product is not appropriate for teenagers as well as children. All cans of energy drink must contain the statement high source of caffeine. 13 The total amount of caffeine must be listed considering caffeine from all sources (i.e. guarana, yerba mate previously discussed). 13 Also, manufacturers of energy drinks will be required to keep record of any reported side effects associated with use of their product and report these side effects to Health Canada. 13 What are these side effects? Side Effects o Energy drink consumption has been associated with nausea and vomiting as well as irregular heartbeats. Sometimes side effects are severe enough that hospitalization may be required. There are also several reports of deaths associated with energy drink consumption. These deaths are still being investigated. In the News o In January of 2013 a report was released in the Globe and Mail from the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 14 o The report states that there were hospital admissions in the US related to energy drinks in % of these admissions were from a combination of alcohol or drugs and energy drinks, while 58% were from energy drinks alone. 14 Most of these hospitalizations involved teens and young adults. 14

14 If Energy drinks aren t healthy for me, then what can I do to get more energy? o Sleep: Teenagers need at least 9-10 hours of sleep a night. o Physical activity: Teenagers should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. o Healthy eating: Follow Canada s Food Guide by eating foods from all four food groups and limiting the amount of unhealthy foods you eat. Note: Press the space bar after discussing each point for a checkmark to appear in the box beside the point. Key Messages o Energy drinks are high in sugar and don t provide lasting energy or other health benefits o Long term safety of energy drinks unknown with some serious side effects being investigated o If energy drinks are consumed, they should not be consumed during exercise or with alcohol o Watch the amount of caffeine you are getting from all sources including energy drinks, cola and coffee o Make good choices including eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep and exercise to provide long lasting energy Questions? Discussion: Ask students if they have any experiences to share/know of anyone that has had side effects from energy drinks.

15 References 1. Siefert SM, Schaechter JL, Hershorin ER, Lipshultz SE. Health effects of energy drinks on children, adolescents and young adults. Pediatrics (2011); 127(3): Available at: 2. Heckman MA, Weil J, Gonzalez de Megia E. Caffeine (1,2,7-trimethylxanthine) in foods: a comprehensive review on consumption, functionality, safety, and regulatory matters. J Food Sci Apr [cited 2013 Jan 18]; 75(3): R Abstract available from: 3. Health Canada. It s your health: caffeine. Ottawa: Government of Canada; [cited 2013 Jan 18]. Available from: 4. Reissig CJ, Strain EC, Griffiths RC. Caffeinated energy drinks growing problem. Drug Alcohol Depend [cited 2013 Jan 19]; 99(1-3):1-10. Abstract available from: 5. Health Canada. Caffeine in food. Ottawa: Government of Canada; 2010 [cited 2013 Jan 19]. Available from: 6. Malik VS, Popkin BM, Bray GA, Despres J-P, Willet WC, Hu FB. (2010) Sugar sweetened beverages and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 33(11), Shao A, Hathcock JN. Risk assessment for the amino acids taurine, L-glutamine and L-arginine. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol [cited 2013 Jan 21]; 50(3): Abstract available from: 8. European Food Safety Authority. The use of taurine and D-glucurono-y-lactone as constituents of the so-called energy drinks. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food [cited 2013 Jan 21]. Available from: 9. Passe DH, Horn M, Murray R. The effects of beverage carbonation on sensory responses and voluntary fluid intake following exercise. Int J Sport Nutr [cited 2013 Jan 18]; 7(4): Abstract available from: American College of Sports Medicine, Sawka MN, Burke LM, Eichner ER, Maughan RJ, Montain SJ, Stachenfeld NS. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc Feb [cited 2013 Jan 18]; 39(2); Abstract available from: Dietitians of Canada. Resources. Sports Hydration; 2011 [cited 2013 Jan 19]. Available from: Health Canada. (2010). Safe use of energy drinks. 13. Health Canada. Category Specific Guidance for Temporary Marketing Authorization Caffeinated Energy Drinks. April 10, [cited 2013 Jan 19]. Available from: The Associated Press. Emergency treatment for energy drinks rising in US. January 16, [cited 2013 Jan 19]. Available from: Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health info@wdgpublichealth.ca