February 2011
I hope you all had a happy Valentine’s Day. Maybe next year you can send a bouquet of
Dr. Tim’s Juices to your sweetheart, which would be a very healthy and creative gift,
although you probably shouldn’t forget the flowers. In this newsletter you will learn more
about the health threat that “Energy Drinks” pose to our youth, you will also learn about
a solution to this problem, read about our USDA Organic Certification and find out what is
causing fatal heart attacks. Don’t forget to take advantage of our Winter Juice Blizzard:
buy 5 and get a 6th bottle free! Have a great President’s Day weekend.
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ENERGY DRINKS |
Energy drinks and the complications from consuming them continue
to grab the headlines of today’s news agencies. The so called “energy drink” market has
grown substantially over the last several years. The target market for these products are
ages 12 through 25 and primarily focused on young males.
But the term “energy drink” is a misnomer, in other words most energy drinks don’t create
energy. These drinks are designed primarily to stimulate and excite the nervous system
with high levels of caffeine laced with amino acid cocktails. The amino acid cocktails are
used to create specific physiologic reactions that are noticeable shortly after
consumption. These reactions are designed to psychologically convince the consumer that
what they are feeling is “energy”.
The reality is that many use large amounts of niacin to create what is known as a “niacin
rush”. This physiological response is a flushing feeling cased from the rush of blood into
the peripheral blood vessels and capillaries. This can create the sensation of warmth,
itching and blushing of the skin usually experienced on the upper torso, head and neck
areas. The ensuing physiologic reaction comes from the high levels of caffeine and sugar
that increase heart rates, irritability and nervous jitters. Some drinks even use more
amino acids in a claimed attempt to potentiate or amplify these reactions.
In the end what is accomplished is the over stimulation of the central nervous system,
potential damage to peripheral nerves in hands and feet, uncontrolled increase of heart
rate, dangerously fatal arrhythmias or irregular heartbeat and unmanageable blood sugar
levels that spike well beyond normal limits. It is no wonder that we are seeing more and
more of our children and young adults land in the hospital experiencing serious medical
emergencies from the unsupervised use and abuse of these products.
The final irony in all of this is that these products are targeted at our youth. But it is
our youth who have more energy naturally than any other age demographic. I get it that
these clever marketing types know that youth tend to push the extremes and therefore
become more vulnerable to such advertising campaigns designed to exploit this inherent
weakness. After all, this is exactly what the big tobacco companies did and we all know
what eventually happened with that.
Here is a recent article from the associated press printed in the Washington Post that is
very relevant and certainly underscores the dangerous potential of these “energy drinks”.
This particular issue led me to formulate a safe and natural energy shot that utilizes the
body’s natural cycle for creating energy without using nerve stimulation and blood sugar
spikes to fool the consumer.
Frankly, I made ISO5 Energy Shot (formerly Jungle Juice) so that I could use something for
an energy boost while training for triathlon events. Now in my 5th decade of life (that’s
over 50 years of age) I find the need for an occasional boost of real and safe energy. Go
to our web site at www.drtimsjuices.com
and look under the products to read more about this.
By LINDSEY TANNER
The Associated Press
Monday, February
14, 2011; 12:02 AM CHICAGO --
Energy drinks are under-studied, overused and can
be dangerous for children and teens, warns a report by doctors who say kids shouldn't use
the popular products.
The potential harms, caused mostly by too much caffeine or similar ingredients, include
heart palpitations, seizures, strokes and even sudden death, the authors write in the
medical journal Pediatrics. They reviewed data from the government and interest groups,
scientific literature, case reports and articles in popular and trade media.
Dakota Sailor, 18, a high school senior in Carl Junction, Mo., says risks linked with
energy drinks aren't just hype.
Sailor had a seizure and was hospitalized for five days last year after drinking two large
energy drinks - a brand he'd never tried before. He said his doctor thinks caffeine or
caffeine-like ingredients may have been to blame.
The report says some cans have four to five times more caffeine than soda, and Sailor said
some kids he knows "drink four or five of them a day. That's just dumb." Sailor has sworn off the drinks and thinks other kids should, too.
The report's authors want pediatricians to routinely ask patients and their parents about
energy drink use and to advise against drinking them.
"We would discourage the routine use" by children and teens, said Dr. Steven Lipshultz,
pediatrics chairman at the University of Miami's medical school. He wrote the report with
colleagues from that center.
The report says energy drinks often contain ingredients that can enhance the jittery
effects of caffeine or that can have other side effects including nausea and diarrhea. It
says they should be regulated as stringently as tobacco, alcohol and prescription
medicines.
"For most children, adolescents, and young adults, safe levels of consumption have not
been established," the report said. Introduced more than 20 years ago, energy drinks are
the fastest growing U.S. beverage market; 2011 sales are expected to top $9 billion, the
report said.
It cites research suggesting that about one-third of teens and young adults regularly
consume energy drinks. Yet research is lacking on risk from long-term use and effects in
kids - especially those with medical conditions that may increase the dangers, the report
said. The report comes amid a crackdown on energy drinks containing alcohol and caffeine,
including recent Food and Drug Administration warning letters to manufacturers and bans in
several states because of alcohol overdoses.
The report focuses on nonalcoholic drinks but emphasizes that drinking them along with
alcohol is dangerous.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers adopted codes late last year to start
tracking energy drink overdoses and side effects nationwide; 677 cases occurred from
October through December; so far, 331 have been reported this year.
Most 2011 cases involved children and teens. Of the more than 300 energy drink poisonings
this year, a quarter of them involved kids younger than 6, according to a data chart from
the poison control group.
That's a tiny fraction of the more than 2 million poisonings from other substances
reported to the group each year. But the chart's list of reported energy drink-related
symptoms is lengthy, including seizures, hallucinations, rapid heart rate, chest pain,
high blood pressure and irritability, but no deaths.
Monday's paper doesn't quantify drink-related complications or deaths. It cites other
reports on a few deaths in Europe of teens or young adults who mixed the drinks with
alcohol, or who had conditions like epilepsy that may have increased the risks.
Maureen Storey, senior vice president of science policy at the American Beverage
Association, an industry group, said the report "does nothing more than perpetuate
misinformation" about energy drinks.
Many of the drinks contain much less caffeine than coffee from popular coffeehouses, and
caffeine amounts are listed on many of the products, she said in a written statement. Caffeine is safe, but those who are sensitive to it can check the labels, she said.
A clinical report on energy drinks is expected soon from the American Academy of
Pediatrics that may include guidelines for doctors.
Dr. Marcie Schneider, an adolescent medicine specialist in Greenwich, Conn., and member of
the academy's nutrition committee, praised Monday's report for raising awareness about the
risks. "These drinks have no benefit, no place in the diet of kids," Schneider said.
Dr. Tim’s Exotic Juices which include Brazilian Acai, Thai
Mangosteen, Amazon Camu-Camu, Tibetan Goji, and Polynesian Noni have been successfully
re-certified organic by Organic Certifiers out of Ventura California.
“I am very pleased to continue to offer USDA certified organic juices as we always have” says Dr. Tim, CEO
Dr. Tim’s Juices.
USDA Certified Organic is an important certification. It guarantees
that the juice has not been exposed to pesticides or other harmful elements. Many of the
other brands online and on the shelf do not go to the trouble and expense of protecting
the consumer by obtaining USDA organic status.
New reports show that obesity alone raises the risk of fatal heart attacks. Study
author Jennifer Logue, is a clinical lecturer of metabolic medicine with the British Heart
Foundation's Cardiovascular Research Centre at the University of Glasgow, in Scotland.
“Possible reasons include particular chemicals that the fat cells are releasing. Or
perhaps it is related to the fact that obese people tend to have larger hearts to cope
with the additional stress of their larger size, and this already stressed heart does not
manage to continue to work during a heart attack," she said.
"However, it certainly makes
me think that we cannot just treat cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes in obese men
without also considering their weight," Logue added. "We need to find easier and more
effective ways to help people lose weight and find out if losing weight can help reduce
the risk of fatal heart attacks. We also need to dedicate far more resources to preventing
obesity in the first place."
Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the
University of California, Los Angeles, said that the current study "provides further
evidence as to why there needs to be global efforts to prevent and treat obesity though
lifestyle modification."
SOURCES: Jennifer Logue, clinical lecturer, metabolic medicine,
British Heart Foundation, Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Scotland;
Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., professor, cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles;
Murray A. Mittleman, M.D., Dr.P.H., director, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit,
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Feb. 14, 2011,
Heart, online
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