The
Full Assessment:
As Dr.
Brian Wansink pointed out in his book Mindless Eating - Why We Eat More Than We Think, it's easier to overindulge from a giant bag of chips than from 12
separate 100-calorie packs. The simple act of opening multiple containers
creates a "pause point", an opportunity for the subconscious to confirm with the
conscious that this action is truly what we want to do.
Monster Minis take a giant leap
forward in caffeine safety because each can is one serving, creating a bigger
opportunity for portion control.
Portion
control is a key aspect of caffeine safety, but so is pacing. Monster Minis
Rehab offers 77 milligrams of caffeine per can. The maximum dosage of caffeine
recognized as safe is 400 milligrams per day, according to the US Food and Drug
Administration and Health Canada (based on this research HERE). Someone (a healthy, non-pregnant/nursing
person over 18 who is not sensitive to caffeine) would have to consume over 5
cans of Monster Minis Rehab* to surpass this recommended limit (*assuming there
were exactly 77 milligrams and not 76.5 or 79 milligrams in each and every can
and this person consumed absolutely no other caffeine from gum, jelly beans,
potato chips, chocolate, headache medicine, ol' fashioned soda, cosmetics,
etc.).
By providing only 77 milligrams
of caffeine per can, Monster Minis Rehab offers a large enough dose of caffeine
to be effective but a small enough dose to facilitate better pacing.
Hello, Monster? I'm the elephant in the room.
Monster
Minis promote caffeine safety through better portion control and pacing, but
frequency is still a critical hurdle to clear. As explained in ARE YOU A MONSTER OR A ROCK STAR: a guide to energy drinks, there are four frequencies that affect caffeine safety.
Caffeine per serving and caffeine per day have already been discussed, above,
but what about caffeine per hour?
Two
healthy adult men consume 400 milligrams of caffeine in one day but the man who
consumes 400 milligrams over his 12-hour shift will have a different experience
than the man who consumes 400 milligrams in one hour. Monster Minis come in a
12-pack, not a 4-pack like their larger counterparts. Why 12?
Critics
of energy drinks may be quick to point out that this 12-pack model further
blurs the lines between energy drinks and soda, at precisely the same time
Congress is trying to stick "energy drinks" with tougher regulations.
However, the packaging engineers I know would be quick to point out packaging
decisions are largely based on what is most cost-effective and what's easier to
ship. Regardless of the journey, let's consider the destination – the end-consumer
who finds this 12-pack more appealing than the single can.
A
recent article on Nielson.com suggests that busy moms are buying more energy drinks than
college crammers and party-goers. However, it's tough to tell from the data
whether V8 Fusion Energy, Starbucks Refreshers, Nawgan, and Archer Farms
caffeinated products are all counted the same as RedLine, Red Bull and Venom.
These products are all technically "energy drinks" but it's
undeniable that they appeal to different demographics.
So who is this 12-pack of
Monster Minis for?
BOTTOM LINE
It's
short-sighted to label Monster Minis straight up-or-down "safe" or
"unsafe" because that largely depends on the person buying the case. Yes, it's LITERALLY a case-by-case basis. How
many cans that person consumes per hour and how quickly that person goes
through one entire case will determine how effective and how safe this product
truly is.
Learn
more about how pacing, portion control and frequency affect caffeine's
effectiveness and safety HERE
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