Sometimes, science beats the media to a health scare. The European Food Safety Authority has “concluded that exposure to taurine and d-glucuronolactone through regular consumption of energy drinks was not of safety concern.”
Taurine and d-glucuronolactone occur as natural ingredients in food, and are normal human metabolites. However, they are also used at much higher levels in energy drinks. The new data confirmed a No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) of 1,000mg per kilogram of bodyweight per day for both substances[2] .
The Panel concluded that a sufficient margin of safety exists for mean and high-level regular consumers of energy drinks, drinking on average 125ml (0.5 cans) and 350ml (1.4 cans) per person per day respectively; hence, exposure to taurine and d-glucuronolactone at these levels is not a safety concern.
There was some concern that the ingredients might be behind a spate of health problems among young people, but the context of these problems – alcohol and drug consumption combined with physical exertion – were more likely contributing factors, especially as caffeine in the energy drinks could mask the effects of drugs and alcohol, leading to riskier behavior.
Red Bull got in trouble for their drinks being too addictive if the rumors are true. Apparently, it wasn’t just the caffeine, it was the amount of calories and the kind of calories, too. Glucuronolactone gets converted into several different types of sugar, and cutting out sugar cold-turkey does weird things to ya (bad breath, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, insomnia and nausea – http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/atkins_diet/atkins.htm).
Effects of Energy Drinks…
[...]Energy drink ingredients declared safe «[...]…