Abuzz With Energy Drinks

The entire Vitaminwater line focuses on health-boosting properties. “Energy” in tropical citrus has B3, B5, B6, B12 plus C, as well as “natural caffeine,” ribose and taurine.

A popular energy ingredient these days is D-ribose – found in drinks including PepsiCo’s SoBe Life Water, Snapple Antioxidant Water and Coca-Cola Co.’s Glaceau VitaminWater Endurance. A naturally occurring monosaccharide, D-ribose is an essential part of how cells synthesize and rebuild energy. D-Ribose levels are low when one is tired and replenishment often does not occur at the needed pace.

Jacob Teitelbaum, a board-certified internist who does consulting, says clinical studies have established the sugar as a fuel-building powerhouse that regenerates energy levels and helps one lead a more active life.
Marketers choose D-ribose because it offers several structure-function health claim options including energy, relief from cramping and soreness, heart health and quality of life, physical performance and metabolism stress.

Formulating with ribose is relatively simple. The five-carbon sugar with neutral to slight sweetness is a homogenous, free-flowing powder that is white to slightly yellow in color, semi-hygroscopic and readily soluble in water. It may be labeled as D-ribose or ribose and is considered a dietary supplement and GRAS up to 1,000 ppm as a flavor ingredient.

Isomaltulose, another naturally occurring sugar, is helpful in sustaining energy. Branded Palatinose by Beneo-Palatinit (www.beneo-palatinit.com), Morris, N.J., the low glycemic carbohydrate is an ideal alternative to highly fermentable and digestible carbohydrates such as sucrose, glucose and maltodextrin.

With a mild, sucrose-like sweetness, this functional sugar adds to satiety even as it helps increased alertness in energy drinks. Addition of Palatinose to energy drinks is simple, according to Joe O’Neill, executive vice president of sales and marketing. “It may replace part of or the entire amount of sugars in the formulation without any major further adjustments in processing or the formulation.”

“Energize Life” is one of the “flavors” of SoBe’s Life Water, from PepsiCo, has vitamins B6 and B12.

Agave is another sugar popular with energy drink consumers for its low glycemic index and sustained release of energy. “The absence of spikes associated with highly glycemic sweeteners and the use of organic and non-GMO ingredients make Syzmo very attractive to discerning consumers,” Jeff Neals, CEO of The Organic Beverage Co. (www.syzmo.com), Austin, Texas, says of his company’s agave product.

Certified organic premium blue agave nectar has one the lowest GIs of the naturally occurring sweeteners on the market and offers a one-to- one replacement for sucrose, invert and high-fructose corn syrup, since it has a similar sweetness level.

With the surge in consumer demand, the market for energy drinks now accounts for almost 10 percent of the non-alcoholic beverage industry. Success will come to those who innovatively differentiate from the rest of the pack – be it on the basis of safety, efficacy or healthfulness.