Energy Drinks Are The Same As Coffee

A comparative investigation into the caffeine content of the so-called “energy” soda drinks has revealed that per volume, these beverages contain the same amount of caffeine as a regular cup of coffee. The only difference is that these drinks are sold in larger quantities.

The findings were published in September’s issue of Consumer Reports, by the non-profit group Consumers Union. Twelve commercially available drinks were assessed for caffeine content. Caffeine levels were found to range from 50 to 145 milligrams per 8 ounce serving, as compared with the roughly 100 milligrams found in a cup of coffee.

The term “energy drink” sounds healthy but these sodas contain nothing more than sugar and caffeine. And according to this report, 25% of the purchases are used to mix with alcohol. Great health-drink huh?

Manufacturers are currently not required to label the caffeine content of these products. Regardless of the highly dubious nutritional content, the drinks have been wildly popular; over the past year, sales of energy drinks have shot up by over 30%, with Americans spending $744 million on the beverages during the year ending June 2007.