Part 1:
Andre. “Red Bull vs. Monster vs. Rockstar: Full Analysis.” Dejittr, 23 Feb. 2023, dejittr.com/red-bull-vs-monster-vs-rockstar-full-analysis/.
This online article compares the top three most popular energy drink brands to figure out which has the best product in terms of effectiveness, cost, and ingredients. Using energy drink sale trends, nutrition facts, and ingredient lists as evidence, the author compared statistics. In the end, he established that Red Bull is the healthiest of the three because it is sold in smaller volumes and has less sugar and caffeine per fluid ounce. The issue I have with this article is that it does not share where he gets all of the information from. A strength of this article is the validity of comparing the amount of sugar and caffeine content between brands.
Chung, Christian, and Terry Church. “397 regulations and marketing of Energy Drinks in the United States: A survey of university student beliefs about caffeine consumption.” Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, vol. 7, no. s1, 24 Apr. 2023, pp. 118–118, https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2023.432.
The purpose of this study is to learn about the perceptions that consumers have of energy drinks and how it affects their consumption habits. The researchers reviewed many previous studies, clinical trials, FDA recalls, and emergency department visits to get an understanding of the public perception of energy drinks. While they found no recalls, there were a large number of hospitalizations. Some of these hospitalizations were exclusively related to energy drink consumption, while the majority included underlying health conditions. One weakness is that the researchers had not yet gathered the survey results of public perception. However, they made a prediction that students will not understand proper caffeine intake.
Enriquez, Andres, and David S. Frankel. “Arrhythmogenic effects of Energy Drinks.” Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology, vol. 28, no. 6, 2017, pp. 711–717, https://doi.org/10.1111/jce.13210.
This peer-reviewed journal discussed potential cardiovascular complications caused by energy drink consumption. The research drew upon both previous literature and newer case studies in which people developed cardiac arrhythmias from drinking energy drinks. The arrhythmias found to be caused by excessive energy drink consumption include supraventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. A weakness of the study is that the causation was difficult for them to establish since some of the patients had underlying heart disease or history of substance abuse. The researchers stated that the results are strong enough to advise against excessive energy drink consumption to those who are susceptible to cardiac arrhythmias.
Lopez Frias, Francisco Javier. “‘fueling up’ gamers. the ethics of marketing energy drinks to gamers.” Neuroethics, vol. 14, no. S2, 2020, pp. 239–249, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-020-09442-8.
This peer-reviewed journal calls for more regulations for marketing energy drinks to video game players. The author states that energy drink companies are using manipulative marketing strategies to target gamers. Gamers are typically young, making them vulnerable to the negative effects of beverages with high sugar and high caffeine content. The argument states that since they have developing bodies and poor impulse control at their age, marketing unhealthy beverages to them is unethical. The journal has a strong logical argument with good examples found from other sources, but does not always use quantitative evidence for support.
Mawer, Rudy. “L-Carnitine - a Review of Benefits, Side Effects and Dosage.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 9 May 2023, www.healthline.com/nutrition/l-carnitine.
L-carnitine is an amino acid that is commonly added to popular energy drinks. This article reviews the benefits and side effects to determine whether it is safe for consumption. The researchers found evidence from other studies that show that this amino acid supports weight loss and cognition, as well as many other potential health benefits. L-carnitine is considered safe in high doses, but may have some side effects like heartburn, indigestion, and a risk of atherosclerosis. This raises questions about the ethics of energy drink companies marketing this ingredient as a supplement. The article touches on everything known about L-carnitine, but requires more research.
Milnea. “A Quick Tour of Taurine.” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 2 Oct. 2023, health.clevelandclinic.org/taurine/.
The authors of this article interviewed a registered dietician about taurine, an ingredient commonly labeled on the cans of popular energy drink brands. The purpose is to compare the health benefits versus side effects of taurine. Since taurine is an amino acid, it supports the protein formation involved in immunity, vision, digestion, and the nervous system. However, some side effects include vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, and headache in excession. Research suggests an issue with having taurine in energy drinks is that our bodies already make enough of it, so sugary, caffeinated beverages are an unnecessary means of supplementation. This article is very informative about the pros and cons of taurine being marketed on energy drink cans, but requires more research.
Moussa, Mohamad, et al. “Cardiovascular effects of energy drinks in the pediatric population.” Pediatric Emergency Care, vol. 37, no. 11, 2020, pp. 578–582, https://doi.org/10.1097/pec.0000000000002165.
This article attempts to raise awareness of cardiovascular health issues associated with pediatric energy drink consumers. Pediatric energy drink usage has a correlation with increased emergency room visits. Harmful gastrointestinal, renal, and neurological effects were also observed. Mixing energy drinks with pharmaceutical drugs and alcohol is observed to be even more dangerous because it increases the risk of cardiovascular problems. Using evidence gathered from numerous other sources, the authors warn younger audiences that energy drinks should be consumed in moderation. This conclusion is supported by qualitative and quantitative reasoning, but excludes other age groups.
Raman, Ryan. “12 Benefits of Guarana (plus Side Effects).” Healthline, Healthline Media, 13 June 2018, www.healthline.com/nutrition/guarana-benefits.
This article was written using evidence from other research journals to analyze the pros and cons of the common energy drink ingredient, Guarana. Guarana is a plant that has been used as a medicine by Amazonian tribes for increased focus and energy, among other benefits. Guarana is considered safe in moderation, but possible side effects resemble the effects of caffeine. Heart palpitations, sleep disruption, anxiety, head pain, stomach pain, and jitteriness can occur from high doses. This article states that more research must be done to have a stronger analysis of benefits and side effects.
Seifert, Sara M., et al. “Health effects of energy drinks on children, adolescents, and young adults.” Pediatrics, vol. 127, no. 3, 2011, pp. 511–528, https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-3592.
This peer-reviewed journal contains information from discoveries made by 121 research studies about energy drink consumption. The journal’s intention is to educate the public about the adverse health effects of excessive energy drink consumption. Ingredients like Guarana, L-Carnitine, Taurine, and B-vitamins are largely considered healthy, but some studies indicate that there may also be harmful effects. Consequently, researchers advise to be careful with high doses of these ingredients. The article also touched on the harms of consuming high doses of sugar and caffeine, such as problems with gastrointestinal function, cardiac function, weight, and eating disorders. This text is the most informative on the subject that I could find, but it asks for more research.
Story, Colleen M. “Is Aspartame Poisoning Real?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 12 Feb. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/aspartame-poisoning.
Aspartame, the sweetener that substitutes sugar in popular zero-sugar energy drinks, was thought to be a healthy alternative to sugar. According to recent studies read by the author of this article, it causes problems like immune suppression, mood changes, increased risk of cancer, and other conditions. The author used this evidence to claim that it isn’t a healthy alternative and they recommend that people drink aspartame in moderation. Similar to other energy drink ingredients, not enough research has been done to establish all adverse effects, so there is a weakness in the conclusion.
Weil, Andrew. “Can Any B Vitamins Be Harmful? - Andrew Weil, M.D.” DrWeil.Com, 24 June 2019, www.drweil.com/vitamins-supplements-herbs/vitamins/can-any-b-vitamins-be-harmful/.
This article examines if B-vitamins are safe to consume in high doses. Energy drinks like Monster and Red Bull have extremely high levels of vitamins like B12 and B6. These doses were considered safe for consumption because B-vitamins are water-soluble, meaning that the body would rid itself of the excess rather than store it. However, evidence from previous research studies informed the author that excessive B-vitamins are not as safe to consume as we thought. Too much intake of B-vitamins could lead to increased risk of hip fractures, nerve toxicity, and liver damage. The article could include visual representations of information to organize statistics, but it does a good job explaining known risks and benefits.
Weinberg, Bennett Alan, and Bonnie K. Bealer. The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World’s Most Popular Drug. Routledge, 2002.
This book is about the health issues and history of caffeine, and is meant to educate the public to be cautious with caffeine in their diet. The early discourse of caffeine safety is covered in the early chapters. Then, the later chapters are about the bodily functions including brain, heart, liver, and kidney functions, that are at risk when consuming too much caffeine. The book goes into detail about caffeine causing withdrawal symptoms, memory impairment, reproductive issues, and more. Although it is very informative, the book is outdated because it was published over twenty years ago.
Part 2:
I already had the impression that energy drinks should be avoided before engaging in the discourse because they have many harmful ingredients. I have read the nutrition facts and lists of ingredients on the cans. I knew that they could cause heart problems or lead to kidney stones. I assumed that the excessive amounts of each ingredient, like the 500% daily value of vitamin B12 in a can of Monster, were to blame for the amount of energy drink related health problems. I figured that guarana, taurine, and L-carnitine are unhealthy components rather than valuable supplements like they’re marketed to be. I’ve also heard about aspartame being a recent concern in the sugar-free editions of each brand because it can cause a range of health conditions as well, even though it is marketed to be a healthy alternative to sugar.
After reading journals, websites, and books on the subject of energy drink related health issues, I’ve increased my understanding of each important ingredient that is listed on the cans. I found out that some ingredients are healthier than I thought they were, while others are way worse. For example, I learned that taurine and L-carnitine are actually amino acids that help maintain or improve many organ systems by synthesizing proteins. They don’t seem to have any harmful effects, but not enough research has been done to confirm this claim. I found that the guarana plant is similar to the amino acids because it has many known benefits, but not enough research to confirm adverse effects. B-vitamins are given in doses up to five times as much as the daily recommended value, but are water soluble, so the body can easily get rid of the excess. However, if B-vitamins are taken in high doses too often, it can lead to serious health issues.
In contrast to the beneficial additives discussed previously, it has come to my attention that the most notorious ingredients of popular energy drinks are more harmful than I thought. According to many sources, caffeine and sugar are the leading causes of cardiovascular issues for energy drink consumers. There are 130 milligrams of caffeine in a standard 16 ounce can of Monster or Rockstar, and 113 milligrams in a 12 ounce can of Red Bull. When people make impulsive decisions to drink more than one can per day, or drink them every day, then this high caffeine content will pose a great threat to their health. It is even more dangerous when consumers have existing health conditions or if they mix energy drinks with alcohol or medications. Sugar is also a big health threatening factor of energy drinks because a can often contains more than 100% of the daily recommended serving of sugar. Too much sugar in the diet can lead to resistance to insulin reuptake in the liver, causing diabetes. It can also cause cardiometabolic issues in children.
One of the most surprising discoveries that I made while engaging in the discourse was the amount of unethical marketing that energy drink companies engaged in. Energy drink companies are always sponsoring large sporting events or gaming events. This strategy allows them to manipulate attendees to buy their product for increased focus when they participate in sports or video games. What makes this marketing strategy so unethical is the fact that a lot of youth attend these events and are easily convinced by the advertisements, but they are also the most susceptible to developing health issues from these drinks. For example, a massive esports tournament is being held in an arena with advertisements for Monster energy drinks on all of the big screens. Kids who play video games are the largest demographic for these events, and they will see all of the advertisements. When they start to consume energy drinks, their developing bodies might not be able to handle all the caffeine and they will develop cardiac issues much quicker than an adult will.
After immersing myself in the discourse of energy drinks, I imagine that I would use my knowledge to argue against consuming them. I would go on to start a persuasive online article taking the position that energy drinks should be avoided, or only consumed on occasions that require extra energy and focus. I’d state that the reason for avoiding these products is mainly because of the high sugar and caffeine content, the lack of research on several ingredients, and the unethical marketing strategies used to promote them. A persuasive online article would best accommodate my communicative needs because anyone would be able to read it, and that way I’d be a more influential part of the discussion.