
Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Caffeinated energy drinks that promise super alertness'and sometimes imply better sports performance'should carry labels that specify their amount of caffeine, says a Johns Hopkins University scientist.
Drinks with the highest caffeine content should also warn of potential health dangers, says Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, and senior author of a new report on the beverages.
'Many of these drinks do not label the caffeine content,' he says, and some energy drinks contain as much caffeine as found in 14 cans of soda.
The industry begs to differ, with spokespeople pointing out that most 'mainstream' energy drinks contain the same amount of caffeine, or even less, than you'd get in a cup of brewed coffee. If labels listing caffeine content are required on energy drinks, they should also be required on coffeehouse coffee, says Maureen Storey, Ph.D., a spokeswoman for the American Beverage Association.
Since Red Bull, the first energy drink to hit the U.S. market, launched in 1997, the market has boomed, Griffiths says, now totaling at least $5.4 billion a year in the United States. Hundreds of brands are available.
Although the Food and Drug Administration limits the caffeine contents of cola-type soft drinks to 71 milligrams per 12 fluid ounces, no such limit is required on energy drinks, Griffiths tells WebMD.
'Makers of so-called 'energy' drinks generally market them as dietary supplements,' says Siobhan DeLancey, an FDA spokeswoman. Dietary supplements are regulated differently than food. The FDA does not approve or review the products before they are marketed.
Griffiths and his colleagues contacted more than two dozen makers of energy drinks, asking for caffeine content. Here are some of the findings:
(The caffeine content is in milligrams per serving. Although serving sizes vary, Griffiths contends that most people will drink the entire can, whatever the number of ounces.)
' Red Bull: 80 milligrams per 8.3-ounce serving
''Tab Energy: 95 mg per 10.5-oz serving
''Monster and Rockstar: 160 mg per 16-oz serving
''No Fear: 174 mg per 16-oz serving
''Fixx: 500 per 20-oz serving
''Wired X505: 505 mg per 24-oz serving
In comparison, according to Griffiths:
''Brewed coffee: 200 milligrams per 12-oz serving
''Instant coffee: 140 mg per 12-oz serving
''Brewed tea: 80 mg per 12-oz serving
''Mountain Dew: 54 mg per 12 oz. serving
''Dr. Pepper: 41 mg per 12-oz serving
''Pepsi Cola: 38 mg per 12-oz serving
''Coca-Cola Classic: 34.5 mg per 12-oz serving
''Canned or bottled tea: 20 mg per 12-oz serving
Some of the energy drinks have lower caffeine contents, Griffith says. Among the lower doses:
''Bomba Energy has 75 mg per 8.4-oz serving
''Whoop Ass has 50 mg per 8.5-oz serving
Energy drinks are popular with teens and young adults, Griffiths found in his research. In a 2007 survey of 496 college students, 51% said they had consumed at least one energy drink during the past month.
Bad reactions to energy drinks have been reported to U.S. poison control centers, Griffiths writes in the report, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. From 2002 to 2004, he says, 41 cases of caffeine abuse from caffeine-enhanced beverages were reported.
In a report of nine cases of adverse reactions to the energy drink Redline, the patients reported nausea and vomiting, high blood pressure, tremors, dizziness, and numbness.
Data also suggest those who drink the energy drinks may combine them with alcohol, Griffiths tells WebMD. In the college student survey, 27% said they mixed alcohol and energy drinks at least once in the past month. One danger to that: Users may feel alert enough to drive, even if they are inebriated.
Griffiths worries that the energy drinks are sometimes 'gateways' to use of other substances. In one study, college students who used energy drinks were more likely to later use stimulants for recreational use, he says.
Storey, of the American Beverage Association, took exception with Griffiths' view. 'It's a review, not a study,' she says of his report. 'We need to be careful about taking too much out of one review. He looked at some studies.'
In a statement issued by the association, officials note that most 'mainstream' energy drinks typically contain half the caffeine found in regular coffeehouse coffee. A 16-oz cup of coffeehouse coffee has about 320 milligrams of caffeine, according to the statement, while a typical 16-oz mainstream energy drink has 160 mg.
If labels should be required on energy drinks, Storey says, coffeehouse coffee should also be required to label caffeine content.
Most companies market their energy drinks responsibly, the association contends. Only a few companies give the products illicit or suggestive names (such as Cocaine, an energy drink that triggers controversy).
'Energy drinks can be part of a balanced lifestyle when consumed sensibly,' the statement reads.
Griffiths stands by his proposal to require warning labels on the energy drinks with the highest caffeine content, although he is not certain what that threshold should be.
There's a difference, he says, in the marketing of energy drinks and marketing of traditional caffeine beverages. The energy drink makers, he says, ''are marketing to vulnerable populations.'
[This report reprinted with permission of WebMd Medical News | September 24, 2008 | By Kathleen Doheny | Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD]
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Lexi Love comes out as HIV+ after Trump deletes federal resources
January 23 2025 11:23 AM
Ricky Martin delivers showstopping performance for 2024 World AIDS Day
December 05 2024 12:08 PM
Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources
January 31 2025 5:29 PM
California confirms first case of even more deadly mpox strain
November 18 2024 3:02 PM
This long-term HIV survivor says testosterone therapy helped save his life.
December 16 2024 8:00 PM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
HRC holds 'die-in' to protest Trump health care cuts
April 28 2025 2:11 PM
Two right-wing Supreme Court justices signal they may uphold access to PrEP and more
April 21 2025 4:10 PM
500,000 Children at Risk: PEPFAR Funding Crisis
April 08 2025 3:51 PM
Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes
April 03 2025 7:15 PM
The Talk Season 5 premieres this spring with HIV guidance for the newly diagnosed
March 26 2025 1:00 PM
Discover the power of Wellness in your life
March 26 2025 12:41 PM
Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring
March 26 2025 12:20 PM
Jess King is here to help you live your happiest, healthiest life yet
March 24 2025 4:35 PM
BREAKING NEWS: Trump admin moves to end federal HIV prevention programs
March 18 2025 6:10 PM
Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times
March 11 2025 3:38 PM
Celebrating Black History Month with our annual African American issue
February 01 2025 3:28 PM
Tyler TerMeer vows to continue to fight for health care for all
January 28 2025 3:00 PM
Plus nominated for 2025 GLAAD Media Award
January 22 2025 12:42 PM
A camp for HIV-positive kids is for sale. Here's why its founder is celebrating
January 02 2025 12:21 PM
'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Trinity K Bonet quietly comes out trans
December 15 2024 6:27 PM
AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed at White House for the first time
December 02 2024 1:21 PM
Decades of progress, uniting to fight HIV/AIDS
December 01 2024 12:30 PM
Hollywood must do better on HIV representation
December 01 2024 9:00 AM
Climate change is disrupting access to HIV treatment
November 25 2024 11:05 AM
Post-election blues? Some advice from mental health experts
November 08 2024 12:36 PM