Energy Drinks: A Conversation

Above the Noise hosts Myles Bess and Shirin Ghaffary continue our investigation into the health risks of energy drinks and respond to viewer questions and comments.

ABOVE THE NOISE is a show that cuts through the hype and takes a deeper look at the science behind controversial and trending topics in the news.

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Myles and Shirin recap the research on this topic, and respond to questions and comments from our viewers. Plus, Shirin shares some other research that didn't make it into the original video.

PRIMARY SOURCES:

Clinical Report—Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks for Children and Adolescents: Are They Appropriate?

Health Effects of Energy Drinks on Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults

ABA Guidance for the Responsible Labeling and Marketing of Energy Drinks

The Buzz on Energy Drinks (CDC)

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Funding for Above the Noise is provided in part by S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, David Bulfer and Kelly Pope, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, The Koret Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Smart Family Foundation, The Vadasz Family Foundation and the members of KQED.

[AboveTheNoise]

Thanks for watching! Please leave comments and topics you want us to explore in future videos, and don't forget to subscribe :)

[FreemanPresson]

I'd like to see you correct people who express concern about "chemicals." We're made of chemicals. We're most especially made of chemicals like taurine, a common amino acid. Guarana is a plant extract that people have been using probably longer than coffee. Researchers have been trying to pin health issues on coffee since I was a kid, but they keep coming up with benefits instead.

[undrrbyn]

I'm 16 and I drink a lot of energy drinks, just the other day I had 6 in under 12 hours, and today I've had 3, they just don't have any effect on me except they help me stay up and work

[JahbrilJustice]

Kinda disappointed in this series. It's a great concept but not enough factual discussion/references. It would be awesome to have more depth to each topic (especially if these topics are controversial)

[abramthiessen]

Well, we could get some larger randomized controlled trials of energy drinks. If we want cheaper options we could get some larger longitudinal study using surveys (less reliable because they cannot prove causation). But who would pay for that? Not the soft drink industry (and if they did fund it, I wouldn't trust it). Nutritional research is chronically underfunded.

[catgroove]

I like the idea of cutting trough the noise. Coming from other PBS channels, I can tell that you got the basics right and that you are onto something but it didn't click for me because:
a) episodes feel too short to be as objective as you want to be. it's not enough to quote some reports and make some statements. I think you need to prepare more in-depth and try to discuss your topics from different angles to draw a (discussable) conclusion later.
b) Topics are so far not that relevant to me. I'd like to dwell into more serious topics like immigration, political conflicts, education, parenting, etc.
c) I think your idea is great but you have the wrong audience and are so far too pigeonholed on the US.
I would love to see this channel dig trough the important topics of our society and come up with objective conclusions since I don't have the time to do it (kinda selfish isn't it?)
wishing you all the best. keeping an eye on you ;)
(male european, almost 30)

[recklessroges]

I like, (and support) the anecdotal tea bias. My question is, of the 121 reports how many children were in each study? (At least an average or total would be helpful.) 121 children in 121 self assessment is vastly different to 121, 000 children in a double-blind experiment. I think of caffeine as an interesting naturally occurring pesticide. Taurine is in most fish and Guarana, (I was told) "mothers in Brazil put it on their children's cereal in the morning." (So you may have to brush up on your Portuguese to read any studies done in Brazil.) I think that the problems come from excess, and because humans are notoriously bad at self-assessment, (our brains aren't very good at keeping multiple running totals of daily sugar, caffeine, fat, sodium, protein consumption while accurately estimating the content of all food and drinks), we should regulate based on quantity and combination. i.e. I can let a teenager have nice cup of tea (30mg of caffeine), because it has its own limiting factors, (its hot and bitter), but not an "energy drink" because it has been combined with other things that encourage consumption, (Sodium 38 mg, Sugar 10000 mg).

[a_e_hilton]

Having a one explainer then one conversation format isn't really working for me. Maybe try having a few explainer videos and then one more long-form conversation?