BDSA defends energy drink safety following investigatory study

31 Jan 2020 --- The British Soft Drinks Association (BDSA) has hit back at a recent report, which questioned the dangers of excessive energy drink consumption and examined the psychology behind marketing in the space. Published in PLOS One, the Australian study found that for regular energy drink consumers, energy drink cues easily capture their attention (attentional bias) and creates a tendency for consumers to approach (approach bias). While it was found that these biases can be reduced through repetitive tasks to create cognitive bias modification, this did not reduce energy drink consumption in the laboratory.

The researchers also outlined that energy drink consumption has been associated with a host of negative physical and mental health consequences, including headaches, heart palpitations, renal failure, seizures, and in rare cases, death. They also point to another review, which concluded that energy drink consumption is positively associated with a range of mental health outcomes, in particular, anxiety and depression, as well as stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse.

However, BDSA argues that energy drinks do not represent a safety risk and that the caffeine content in the drinks is comparable to other products, such as coffee. “The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirms the safety of energy drinks and their ingredients and, therefore, does not provide any scientific justification to treat energy drinks any differently to the main contributors to daily caffeine intake including tea, coffee and chocolate. It is worth remembering that coffees from popular high-street chains contain the same or more caffeine than most energy drinks,” states BDSA Director General Gavin Partington.

“There are very few studies demonstrating any benefits from consuming energy drinks. These are almost exclusively funded by the industry and suggest short-term benefits in terms of reduced fatigue or specific aspects of sports performance being enhanced,” Dr Shelina Visram of Newcastle University, UK, and Fuse: the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health and who was not involved in the study, tells NutritionInsight.

However, she continues that consuming energy drinks while playing sport also significantly increases dehydration. “There is a need for further research on the long-term effects of excess and chronic energy drink consumption. Overall, the weight of evidence suggests that the risks greatly outweigh any reported benefits.”

Moves to restrict sales
Furthermore, last year, a study found that the increased blood pressure and impacted heart rhythms that resulted from healthy volunteers drinking about two cans – 32 ounces – of energy drink in a short time span cannot be attributable to caffeine.

Partington adds that the BSDA Code of Practice on energy drinks was introduced by and for its members in 2010 and contains a number of points on responsible marketing. Additionally, energy drinks are legally required to declare “High Caffeine Content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women,” followed by the exact caffeine content expressed in mg per 100 mL on the label.

These findings come as energy ingredients continue to pick up pace. Last summer, industry applauded the UK government’s new ban on the sale of energy drinks to people aged under 16. While most major UK supermarkets and over half of convenience stores have enforced an optional age restriction policy since 2018, this marks the latest tightening of restrictions around the highly-caffeinated beverages.

Further research needed to reduce energy drink intake
The study consisted of two separate experiments involving young adults who regularly consume energy drinks. The experiments saw the participants first complete a task to measure their attentional and approach biases for energy drink cues. In order to modify the cognitive bias, the participants were then either trained to direct their attention away from pictures of energy drink cans or to push a joystick away from themselves in response to images.

Energy drink consumption was then measured via a taste test. Although the cognitive bias modification successfully reduced both biases, it did not significantly reduce energy drink intake. The scientists say that future research may determine whether more intensive training in people who are motivated to reduce their energy drink intake could achieve better outcomes.

These findings come as energy ingredients continue to pick up pace. According to Innova Market Insights, products with an Energy/Alertness claim have seen 20 percent average annual growth (2014-2018), with Sports Nutrition overtaking Soft Drinks to be the top market category.

Deborah Thoma, Marketing Manager at Nektium, tells NutritionInsight that some interest in energy ingredients is coming from savvy health-conscious consumers who are consciously making healthier dietary choices and regularly exercising. “This is part of an overall movement to a self-empowered wellness and disease-prevention model with consumers willing to pay the price for high-quality lifestyle products. These support and optimize wellness and well-being and enhance mental and physical performance to push them through the day,” she notes.

By Katherine Durrell