WTH is in an energy drink anyway?

Okay, so I will tell you a little secret. I have some science background, especially in the field of Chemistry. When I saw the ingredient of taurine, it gave me great pause.
No Bull…
Let’s start with taurine. I did some checking with my Google-brain and found out the goods on this beauty. Studies (and we know those can be skewed one way or another, right =D) have shown taurine to have no true effect on energy levels even though it is represented in high concentrations in almost all energy drinks. The studies are not comprehensive to include the other ingredients of energy drinks like guarana, ginseng and vitamin b variants. Taurine has an amusing urban legend surrounding its origins. It is widely held that taurine is produced from the urine of bulls. Though naturally occurring taurine can be found in such conditions, the companies which create energy drinks synthesize it. It actually is an acid made from bile which has interesting properties in various doses on the brain.
The B Complex Family
Everything my Google-brain remembers about the b-complex family is the danger in taking it in large doses without consulting a doctor. In the case of a thyroid problem, it can increase weight gain. Smokers will have an issue with the carcinogens interacting with portions of the b-complex and causing a variety of side-effects, some very unpleasant. Diabetics can die from it as it spikes and plummets blood sugar levels. Basically, don’t just start quaffing energy drinks with this in high concentration or taking multivitamins with it until you have gradually introduced your system to the b-complex vitamin.
Guarana, Ginseng, and the rest.
There are oodles of studies on the effects of these various roots, plants and mixtures on the energy levels of a variety of people. They all work in one form or another without much consequence.
Stay away from…
Red Line…OMG that stuff made me twitch for two-days and I could not sit still at work or anywhere else for a week. It is concentrated energy drink mix with enough kick to work on code blue patients.