Posts tagged with "health"

Q & A

Q: How much fluid do we need to stay hydrated?

A: At some point, we have probably all been told to drink eight glasses of water a day. But the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies of Sciences has specific recommendations for total fluid intake – which includes drinking water, as well as the fluid obtained from all the foods and beverages we consume. According to the IOM, adult men and women should aim for 11-16 cups of total fluids a day, while children and adolescents need slightly less, about 9-14 cups per day. However, active individuals and the elderly may have special needs and should consume more fluids than the above guidelines. Adults and children can consume a wide variety of fluids each day, including water, milk, juice, tea, sports drinks, regular and diet soft drinks and more, to meet their hydration needs

Source:Institute of Medicine

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Fact:

The total diet and overall pattern of foods and beverages consumed is the most important focus of healthy eating.

In fact, a February 2013 position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) emphasizes a balance of food and beverages within energy needs, rather than focus on any one food, meal or source of calories. “When too much emphasis is given to a single food or food component,” the AND position paper argues, “confusion and controversy can hinder, rather than facilitate, consumers in adopting healthy dietary patterns.”

Fact:

Obesity is a complex condition, that can’t be boiled down to one specific product or ingredient. Many health organizations, including the Mayo Clinic, have found multiple risk factors, including genetics, age, stress, and even lack of sleep.

Source:The Mayo Clinic

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Myth

The low-calorie sweetener, aspartame, is unsafe.

Fact

Aspartame is a commonly used low-calorie sweetener that has been extensively tested and declared safe by governmental and independent organizations all over the world. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have found it to be safe for use in foods and beverages.

In fact, EFSA reaffirmed that aspartame is safe for consumption by the general population as recently as December 2013. This opinion is based on the most comprehensive risk assessments of aspartame to-date.

According to decades of scientific research, aspartame can be an effective tool in both weight loss and weight management. It is also recommended as a sugar substitute by the American Diabetes Association.

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Myth

Energy drinks are driving an increase in emergency room visits.

Fact

Although a recent government report showed that of the more than 136.1 million visits made to emergency room facilities, 20,783 involved energy drinks – either as the alleged reason or a contributing factor for the visit – in fact, as the FDA itself acknowledged, no conclusion about causation can be drawn from these reports. This statistic is of concern as our industry is committed, first and foremost, to the safety and integrity of its beverages. Unfortunately, it is difficult to draw hard conclusions about the role of energy drinks in these hospital visits because the report did not provide information on the general health of the people involved or other circumstances which may have contributed to their hospital visit. Nonetheless, our industry takes this information seriously and will continue to safeguard consumers through voluntary steps such as listing caffeine content on our product labels and displaying an advisory statement reminding consumers that energy drinks are not intended for children or recommended for pregnant or nursing women or other people sensitive to caffeine.

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Myth

Because of the caffeine content, combining energy drinks with alcohol is more dangerous than consuming alcohol alone.

Fact

The United Kingdom’s Committee on Toxicology (COT), an independent committee of experts that provides advice to agencies such as the Food Standards Agency (FSA), was asked by FSA to conduct an in-depth review of alcohol and caffeine. In December 2012, COT published a report which concluded that “the current balance of evidence does not support a harmful toxicological or behavioral interaction between caffeine and alcohol.” Nevertheless, leading energy drink makers have voluntarily pledged not to make claims that consuming alcohol with energy drinks counteracts the effects of alcohol.

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Myth

Energy drink companies target children.

Fact

Energy drinks are not intended for children.

The leading energy drink makers have voluntarily pledged not to market these products to children or sell them in K-12 schools. In addition, these companies voluntarily display an advisory statement on energy drink packaging, stating that the product is not intended (or recommended) for children, pregnant or nursing women, and persons sensitive to caffeine.

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Myth

Energy drinks are a new product about which too little is known.

Fact

Energy drinks have been enjoyed safely by millions of people around the world for more than 25 years, and in the United States for more than 15 years.

Moreover, caffeine is recognized as safe at the levels present in mainstream energy drinks.

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Myth

Guarana is a dangerous drug.

Fact

Guarana, another ingredient found in some energy drinks, is a nut-like seed from plants native to South America and is a natural source of caffeine.

“Guarana contributes caffeine to beverages – just as coffee, tea, cocoa, yerba mate or other natural sources of caffeine do. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved guarana for use in foods and beverages.”

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Myth

There’s no way for a consumer to know how much caffeine is in their beverage.

Fact

There are several ways to find out exactly how much caffeine is in your beverage. Most beverage companies voluntarily list the total amount of caffeine from all sources right on the label. In addition, this information is readily available on company or product websites, as well as through their toll-free numbers.

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