NY Bans marketing of Red Bull but misses the bull's eye

Suffolk County in New York recently passed legislation that limits the marketing of energy drinks* to minors, and while this sounds like a brilliant demonstration of the movement to protect children from over-caffeinating themselves, I have several huge concerns.

First of all, notice I put an asterisk by the words "energy drink", above. The US Food and Drug Administration considers a product with the word "drink" to be a beverage, as opposed to a supplement. Beverages and supplements have different regulations regarding their label and how product safety is monitored. [For the full discussion, see my previous blog: Beverage Vs Supplement]

 Does this regulation apply only to energy drinks, meaning caffeinated products with a Nutrition Facts panel, or does it also apply to caffeinated products with a Supplement Facts panel? Monster energy drinks have a supplement facts panel (for now), but Red Bull has a Nutrition Facts panel. Rockstar products are split: some are supplements, some are beverages. Are we limiting marketing of ALL CAFFEINATED PRODUCTS and does this legislation include measures to prevent minors from ordering a Venti coffee with over 5 expresso shots?
 


And what about these caffeinated products, Starbucks Refreshers, will these be included in the legislation? They have caffeine, and if you consume more than 3 in one hour you're bound to get jitters.





 
Second of all, the bill's sponsor, Willam Spencer, highlighted THE WRONG PROBLEM in his letter to the media. According to an article in Food Product Design, "William Spencer said energy drinks consumed by kids may contain up to 800 milligrams of caffeine" (Food Product Design article).

In my life, I have examined over 100 caffeinated product labels--beverages, supplements, shots and coffees from several different states and from quite a few different countries. IN MY LIFE, I have never seen a product with 800 milligrams of caffeine. I am not denying that there is a product somewhere in the world with over 800 mg caffeine in one container, but the most popular energy products--Rockstar, RedBull, Amp, 5-Hour Energy, Monster, NOS, Full Throttle, RedLine--do not have 800 mg of caffeine in one container.  

Check it out for yourself on this brilliant site from Energyfiend.com: The 15 top energy drink brands (and their caffeine content - click on the brand name) 

Notice I said above, "...in one container."

Alas - the true problem: minors (and adults as well) are consuming too many caffeinated products in a 24-hour window. Where is this issue addressed in the legislation? According to the NBC New York report, "The law prohibits the marketing of energy drinks to minors, prohibits the sale of the drinks in county parks and sets up an extensive public education campaign on the side effects associated with the beverages." NBC New York report

I will be very interested in reading what this "extensive public education campaign" entails. Is it led by physicians? Does it include information on the maximum daily dosage of caffeine considered safe? (400mg - see previous blogs) Does it carry a strong message that the AMOUNT OF CAFFEINE ONE CONSUMES is dependent on the product as well as THE NUMBER OF SERVINGS ONE CHOOSES TO CONSUME IN ONE HOUR?

For the sake of everyone, I sincerely hope this public education campaign includes a lesson on reading labels, and on the importance of NOT mixing energy drinks with alcohol. If we don't address these issues, this bold piece of legislation will be ineffective at protecting people from the true hazards of caffeinated products.

 

Another Reason I'm Not a Vegan

There are several pros and cons to going Vegan. If you are Vegan, more power to you, but an article from Food Business News on Nutrition and Bone Health is why I’m glad I drink milk.

Two-and-a-half to three servings of dairy products such as low-fat milk and yogurt were associated with higher bone density, according to a study by the Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) involving over 3200 participants.

What about calcium supplements?

Well, that study doesn’t specify, but this one does:

A high intake of supplemental calcium (but NOT dietary calcium) was associated with higher risk of death by cardiovascular disease or heart disease in men. This association was determined by scientists at the National Cancer Institute, who reviewed data on 388,000 participants in the National Institues of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. Supplemental calcium was not associated with cardiovascular death (CVD) or heart disease death in women, but dietary calcium was not associated to CVD death in men or women.

If I am now weary about calcium supplements and I still don’t want to drink milk, what can I do?

The alternative to calcium supplementation is, of course, low-fat dairy, and also beans and green leafy vegetables.  In fact, vegan or non-vegan, EVERYONE should try to consume as many dark green leafy vegetables as possible.

OK, why?

Vitamin K! Okay? Okay.  Oh, K…

Dark green leafy vegetables are the best source of Vitamin K, and vitamin K helps a protein called osteocalcin get in the proper form (its ‘carboxylated form’) for bone building. Osteocalcin plays a significant role in maintaining bone strength, but it has to be carboxylated to get absorbed into the bone. (Unless you’re a chemist, don’t worry about carboxylation – the point is this protein has to be a certain way to work, just like your umbrella when it’s raining). Getting sufficient Vitamin K from the diet is the best way to make sure this bone-building protein can do its thing.

So I still don’t need to drink milk, do I?

Well…

Osteocalcin is a protein, and amino acids (the building blocks of protein) are needed for protein synthesis in bone. Getting enough protein is therefore just as important as getting enough Vitamin K and calcium. Dark leafy greens help you get calcium and Vitamin K, but not so much with the protein. Furthermore, it’s not just the amount of protein, but the type. You need enough of all the right amino acids for your body to work properly, hence the term “complete protein”. Milk is a complete protein but plant foods have to be combined to provide all the right amino acids (for example, beans and rice provide all the right amino acids, so they’re called ‘complimentary proteins’).

So I STILL don’t need to drink milk, I just have to plan my proteins so I make sure they’re complimentary.

Correct! That works, as long as you’re good at planning. Personally, I’d rather just do one-stop-shopping with a glass of milk and then add green leafy veggies to lunch and dinner. Vitamin K, check. Calcium, check. Protein, check.

The caveat here is that bone health depends on getting enough of all three: calcium, vitamin K and protein.  

Consuming three servings of milk or yogurt (ice cream doesn’t count) is great for providing the protein and calcium, but you really can’t afford to skimp on the green leafy vegetables. Not only do the leafy greens provide calcium and vitamin K, but they also help your body stay neutral. When you get too much protein and not enough veggies, your body gets a little acidic (think lemon juice). Oxidizing/metabolizing certain proteins results in excess acids that have to be excreted. Your body can only lower the acidity level in your urine so much (or it’ll REALLY damage your insides!). Using a buffer, something slightly basic (think baking soda or toothpaste) will make the urine as neutral (think water) as possible. Vegetables provide buffers, but without enough veggies your body will borrow the buffers from the bone.

Science hasn’t caught up to the boom in alternative milks (almond milk, rice milk etc) so no one can say for sure whether drinking these products will give your body the same benefits as low-fat milk. Since women reach peak bone mass before their thirties, I’m going to continue drinking plenty of milk and double-up on the leafy greens.

Guest blog on Shakeology.com

As a food technologist on the product development team for Shakeology, I know these shakes and their ingredients inside and out. Here is an article I recently submitted for the Shakeology blog site:

 How can Shakeology help give you energy?
 

 

My Dream Date with 3 Very Different Men

Given the opportunity to have dinner with anyone of my choosing, I would invite Klaus Badelt, John McClane and Sam Seaborn.

Klaus Badelt composed the score to the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, and though it eludes me why Hans Zimmer took over for Pirates 2, 3 and 4 it is no mystery why the score of the first movie moves me so. I'm a sucker for a lot of things--biceps, blue eyes, sharp wit, dimples...and strings, especially the cello. Just as I feel some biceps look better than others (if it looks like a balloon about to pop, it's too big), some string arrangements sound better than others (Yellowcard-okay; Mumford-less okay). When it comes to the score of Pirates, Mr. Badelt has created the perfect balance between fluid movement and dynamic power. Though the strings and drums are prominent throughout the entire soundtrack, there's enough music from the other instruments to keep the music from becoming predictable or repetitive.
Honestly, when I listen to the soundtrack, it's like I can see it. As the music grows and fades I can almost feel the notes rising and falling like the chest of a living breathing body or like the rolling waves of the sea. Unlike other movie scores, there are enough different themes throughout the soundtrack to keep it interesting. I've listened to this soundtrack since the movie came out and it still grabs my attention and holds my interest. To this day, I am incapable of listening to "To the Pirates' Cave" without imagining a gymnastics floor routine, dynamic and dramatic.
There are times when you listen to a song and you can just feel the beat. Your foot or finger may start tapping without you realizing it because the beat has become a part of you, as much a part of you as the beat of your own heart. I want to have dinner with Klaus Badelt because this music is his creation. His ideas, his thoughts brought to life can affect me so, and thus I'd love the opportunity to tell him how much his music means to me.

John McClane is the coolest guy I know, much to the disappointment of the guys I know in real life. John McClane is a smart mouth, an alcoholic, a hero and a badass. He is not a good husband and not the best father (well,... he loses points for not being around but wins major points for the length he goes to save his kids). He is at times a bit of a jerk, but what I admire about this guy is his sense of humor and his perseverance.
 Those who know me are familiar with my sense of humor - it's difficult for me to NOT make a cheesy joke when the opportunity is presented. Case in point: my boss and I were discussing problems with protein powders and he said, "There's no way..." at which point I interrupted and said, "No 'whey', get it, hahaha..." (True story).
Suffice to say, I admire John McClane's sense of humor, especially because it comes through even during times of high stress. Like a lot of people, I tend to hunker down and solemn up when faced with extreme stress. Let's be honest, the 'stress' I'm referring to is nothing like being held in a hostage or life-or-death situation with a terrorist, but that's because A) I'm both cautious and lucky and B) I'm not in any action movies. Regardless, I'd like to be able to maintain a sense of humor and clear focus during high stress situations, and that's why I'd like to have dinner with this man--so he can teach me. If nothing else, we could swap cheesy jokes and one-liners all night, and maybe I could convince him to teach me to drive defensively on the 405.

Sam Seaborn is a bit of a nerd but he writes like no one else I know (with the possible exception of Justin Prochnow). For the moment, I'm going to ignore the puppet-master, Aaron Sorkin, who is undeniably the genius behind Sam's writing skills. If you don't know what I mean, watch Episode 1 of the show Studio 60, watch any episode of The West Wing, seasons 1-4, and watch the movie The American President (especially the scene in which Michael J. Fox yells at Michael Douglas).
Aaron Sorkin is a genius but for the moment, Sam Seaborn best personifies a great writer in my mind. Sam Seaborn once said, "Oratory should raise your heart rate. Oratory should blow the doors off the place." And it's true. A great passage in a book, a moving speech, a dramatic monologue--their greatness is measured by how strongly they captivate your attention and stir your imagination. Great writing should be clear and concise, but not formulaic or predicable. Great writing should pull you forward without losing you. Great, powerful writing moves you. Sam knows this. Sam believes this. Sam is a nerd and a bit of a do-gooder, but he is a great writer. I wish I could write like him (because wanting to write like Aaron Sorkin is simply out of the question). Maybe one of them or both of them could share some advice over dinner.

So there you have it: Klaus Badelt for his creativity, John McClane for his stress-management and sense of humor, and Sam Seaborn for his writing.  Maybe one day I'll be able to find a guy who embodies the qualities of these three, and the look in his eyes or the warmth of his hug will be able to move me like Klaus' strings, McClane's sense of humor and Sam's speeches. In the meantime, what moves you?