Energy drinks are undeniably the rage. Some swallow liquid energy in the morning, for an afternoon pick-up or at the bars. Pre-teens are slapping down allowance for Monsters when their moms aren't looking. They'd better score cans while they can -- two major retail chains in Sweden just banned the sale of Red Bull and other energy drinks to youth under 15, heeding the advice of school administrators warning of hyperactive, addicted students.

Energy drinks may deliver a controversial zip, but are they also zapping you with major calories? Let's take a look at the little blue and silver special with dueling bulls. How many calories in a can of Red Bull?

The debate over whether energy drinks have health implications usually centers around heart-related issues. But, a new study published in the journal General Dentistry reveals yet another compelling reason for oral argument.

Citing the General Dentistry study, Women's Health reports that drinks like Red Bull and Amp have the same acidic effect on our teeth as sodas. The article states that these power-up drinks restrict our saliva's natural ability to neutralize acids-which thereby allows this acid to take up temporary residence in our mouths, where it is then able to penetrate our gums.

To fight back against these tooth-tarnishing energy drink villains, the folks at Women's Health suggest using straws (aim your drink toward the back of the mouth), rinsing with water to dilute acids, and not brushing your pearlies for 30 minutes after downing energy drinks, for the scrubbing can remove enamel ­weakened by acidity.

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As a follow up to my recent post on how mouthwash may actually be causing your bad breath, I thought it would be fitting to write again on the topic of proper oral care (I'm sure there are plenty of disappointed people who ended up at this site after Googling those last two words). Specifically, I wanted to tackle the question of whether soft drinks are bad for your teeth.

Obviously, the high amount of sugar in soft drinks can wreak havoc on your teeth, so that's pretty much a given. Does this mean that you're in the clear if you drink sugar-free soft drinks? Not at all, says an article that appears in the November 2007 issue of General Dentistry, the the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical, peer reviewed journal. The study focused mostly on sugar-free energy drinks, a beverage market that is expected to reach $10 billion in growth by 2010.

According to the article, pH levels are not solely to blame for erosion of tooth enamel. A beverage's "buffering capacity," or the ability to neutralize acid, is also major factor in dental erosion. In efforts to thwart any oral problems, dentists suggest following these simple tips for keeping your teeth healthy:

Use a straw positioned at the back of the mouth so that the liquid avoids the teeth

Rinse the mouth with water after drinking acidic beverages

Limit the intake of sodas, sports drinks and energy drinks

Your heart is racing, to the point where it is at risk of failing. But, in a countermeasure atypical of the almost always smart-functioning human body, the adrenal gland responds with an excessive output of fight of flight hormones such as epinephrine and norepindephrine. In effect, the body mistakenly responds by making the heart beat even faster -- clearly a problem. Researchers from the Center for Translational Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia examined this cause and effect relationship.

By blocking an important regulatory enzyme called GRK2, the researchers prevented the hormone production that causes the heart to pump in overdrive, which is what ultimately leads to heart failure. While previous examination of heart failure has targeted the heart alone as the source for failure, this supplementary look into the role of the adrenal gland may lead to new insight.

In the past, doctors have used beta-blockers to block the hormones that force the heart to go berserk and beat like you ate a few handfuls of espresso beans and chased them with a twelve-pack of Red Bull. Researchers involved in this study instead focused on the adrenal gland, and were able to prevent heart failure in laboratory animals.

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Not that research was actually necessary to ascertain this, but it turns out that caffeinated energy drinks can raise a persons blood pressure.

Products such as Red Bull, Amp, Full Throttle, Jump Up and Down for an Hour (okay, so I made that one up), Monster, and Rush have become the drink of choice for many teenage kids. In particular, many "gamers" (players of video games) are especially fond of these full-energy drinks, as they allow them to play late into the evening without tiring. However, people of all ages have also jumped on board with this trend, calling into question their safety when consumed by, say, a 40-year-old man with a known heart condition.

The problem is, these drinks raise blood pressure and resting heart rate. The study showed no immediate threat from these drinks to people who did not already have high blood pressure. But, as you might expect, people who already had high blood pressure could be at risk.

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Though I'm not one for binge drinking anymore, a few of my friends think nothing of spending $100 at the bar on a round of drinks. One of the latest trends in drinks is mixing red bull or another energy drink with some form of alcohol. It seems like a good idea if you're planning on staying up all night -- maybe the energy drink can counteract the drowsy effect that alcohol causes?

But I have my doubts that this is true, or even remotely safe. This article confirms that mixing alcohol with energy drinks is dangerous. But I doubt information like this will reduce the risk -- both energy drinks and binge drinking seem to be at an all-time height of popularity these days. What do you think?

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Red Bull gives you wings, or so says it's well-known slogan. But while that offer is tempting, it's also makes me a bit wary -- what's the magic ingredient that makes you fly? Fitsugar addressed this question recently, and here's the lowdown: A regular Red Bull has 27 g of sugar, which is the equivalent of 2 tablespoons, so that doesn't hurt. It also contains:

• Taurine: originally from bull bile but now synthetically made, it can be used either as a stimulant or a sedative, and it can help regulate your heartbeat.
• Glucuronolactone: supposedly this additive fights fatigue
• Caffeine: one can had 80 mg of caffeine -- three times the caffeine that's in a can of coke
• Niacin: Usually, Niacin helps with cholesterol but it's barely traceable in Red Bull.
  

Fitsugar sums up by saying it's basically caffeine with sugar and I agree. What about you?

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Mathew Penbross felt like he needed a little boost while competing in a motocross event last weekend. The 28-year-old subsequently drank eight cans of Red Bull in five hours -- and it nearly killed him.

When ambulance crews arrived to deal with Penbross' overdose, they found that his heart had stopped, and he needed defibrillation. Fortunately the emergency medical technicians were able to save his life, but now the former energy drink-enthusiast is facing 6 weeks off work.

To be fair, the label on Red Bull cans clearly state that it's dangerous to consume more than 1.5 cans per day -- but what's alarming is that they've conveniently neglected to mention that going beyond their recommended limits could lead to sudden death.

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The makers of the energy drink "Cocaine" have announced that they will be changing the name in response to criticism and pressure from the FDA and state officials saying the name glamorized illegal drug use. So, appropriately, the new name will be "Censored," because it has the "same rebellious and fun spirit" as the old name.

The drink has over 1100 milligrams of caffeine, which puts it among the highest in its class. And of course, just like its competition Red Bull, RockStar, and Monster, it will contain other energizing ingredients like taurine and gaurana.

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While energy drinks like Red Bull or Full Throttle can help you push throw a drowsy spell, medical experts say combining the drinks with exercise could lead to serious consequences.

All the drinks contain caffeine, and some contain additional, similar herbs -- which, in "small doses," says Elisa Zied of the American Diabetic Association, "can improve your mental performance and physical performance." However, because the drinks contain at least as much caffeine as a cup of coffee -- if not 2 to 3 times that much -- and excessive amounts of caffeine "increase your risk of getting dehydrated," the drinks can cause cramps, elevated body temperature, and -- when conditions are especially severe -- abnormal heart rates.

If you are a fan of energy drinks, experts advise drinking extra water to "offset the effects that these drinks have on the body."

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In today's world of long days and all-too-often sleepless nights, many people have started relying on energy drinks like Red Bull and Rockstar to get through the day. Is this a good habit or a bad one? Although energy drinks aren't all bad, they're definitely not that good for you either. There are arguments going both ways for caffeine and for some of the herbal supplements, but the biggest problem is the sugar: a 16oz can of Rockstar has 260 calories! I don't know if the metabolism boost is gonna be enough to burn that off...

Forget the energy drink, for that much guilt I think I'd rather have a snickers bar.

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There are so many "energy" drinks on the market today that I've become curious about the underpinnings of these beverages in recent months. While I personally do not drink these products, the fact that many of them have "natural" and "energy" in their advertising naturally made me curious.

My curiosity was stoked a little when I started reading the ingredients to many of these products. There are some very unhealthy components to many of these product, starting with ultra-doses of sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, caffeine and other things that make some of these products look like re-packaged and re-flavored soft drinks in many respects.

I know the soft drink industry is a master at selling the same thing in different colors and in different flavors, and most of these mass energy drinks are just that in my opinion. Buyer and drinker beware -- *always* check the label and research the ingredients. Energy might just be packaged in a sugar and carbohydrate spike.

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