More energy drinks, less taurine

Pick a synonym for “movement” and there’s probably an energy drink or shot attached to it: Amp. Charge. Go Fast. Explosion. Even Steven Seagal has a Lightning Bolt energy drink (with the disquieting flavor of Asian Experience).

The energy drink market has blown up this decade, with sales increasing 240 percent between 2004 and 2009. Analysts have predicted it will be a $10 billion (that’s billion) market by 2010. With that much money being poured into game fuel, companies are considering the product ingredients in light of both consumer questions and marketing possibilities.

According to findings from the research firm Mintel’s Global New Products Database, taurine was present in 21 percent of energy drinks in 2008, a decrease from 27 percent in 2009. Taurine, a naturally occurring amino acid, has been a controversial ingredient in energy drinks because of concerns that it’s bad for you.  
 
As long as you’re looking at the ingredients on the side of the can, MLive recently offered a guide to picking a crash-free energy drink. The key appears to be avoiding those that are high in sugar and not considering energy drinks as a potential mixer with alcohol. These are stunning revelations.