Energy drinks were first introduced in 1962 by a pharmaceutical company in Japan, according to "Swindle" magazine. The first drink, called Lipovitan-D, contained a variety of B-vitamins and taurine, and was touted to help boost energy and concentration. In 1987, an Austrian took these initial energy-boosting ingredients, added sugar and caffeine and created Red Bull. Sales of non-alcoholic energy drinks are expected to hit $9 billion dollars in 2011, according to Reuters. There are a number of different types of energy drinks, each with different ingredients and descriptions. Knowing what's in your favorite energy drink can help you determine its place in your diet.
Red Bull
Red Bull was designed to be used during times of mental and physical exertion, according to the Red Bull website. Its energy-increasing ingredients include taurine, glucuronolactone, B-vitamins, caffeine, glucose and sucrose. Taurine is an amino acid that may help improve athletic performance, according to MayoClinic.com. Glucuronolactone, sucrose and glucose are types of carbohydrates your body uses for energy. The B-vitamins help metabolize the food you eat into energy, and caffeine is a stimulant. While these ingredients are added to the energy drink to increase your energy, according to MayoClinic.com, the energy drink's caffeine content may be responsible for the majority of its effects.
Guru Original Energy Drink
The Guru Original Energy Drink is said to be the energy drink for the health conscious, according to the Guru website. It is designed to help improve energy in your active life. Guru Original Energy Drink contains organic ingredients and is 100 percent natural. The ingredient list includes natural flavors, organic cane juice, qai, white grape juice, luo han guo, guarana, panax ginseng, ginkgo biloba, echinacea and stevia. The caffeine naturally found in the guarana may be the primary energy-boosting ingredient in the Guru energy drink.
Rip It
Rip It is another brand of energy drink. It comes in a variety of flavors, including berry, citrus and pomegranate. This drink is also used to help boost energy levels for your active lifestyle. Ingredients include vitamin C, vitamins B-6 and B-12, folic acid, sodium, taurine, caffeine, inositol and guarana seed extract. One serving of Rip It contains 102 mg of caffeine. By comparison, an 8 oz. cup of coffee contains 135 mg of caffeine. Rip It products are not recommended for children, pregnant women or people sensitive to caffeine, according to the website.
Monster Energy
The Monster Energy drink is said to provide twice the energy-boost as other energy drinks, according to its website. Its ingredients include carbonated water, glucose, natural flavors, taurine, sodium citrate, panax ginseng root extract, L-carnitine, caffeine, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, niacinamide, sodium chloride, glucuronolactone, inositol, guarana seed extract, pyridoxine hydrochloride, surcrolose, riboflavin and cyanocobalamin. Panax ginseng is another herbal supplement used to enhance athletic performance, strength and stamina.
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