Formulating Function into Beverages

Growing up, most of us started each day with Mom pouring us a glass of orange juice in the belief that it would help prevent colds. At lunch or dinner, that glass of milk would strengthen our growing bones. If we were ill, a warm cup of chicken broth would soothe and nourish. Our parents often started their own days with a few cups of energizing coffee and, in the evening, they might have relaxed with a glass of wine. Even then, drinks were not consumed just to wash down our meals, but for their nutritive value or physiological effect.

Regardless of the beverages served, they were relatively basic, without much in the way of added ingredients. Aside from very rudimentary fortification, such as the addition of vitamin D to milk, an additive was something stirred in at home — perhaps a bit of chocolate syrup in the aforementioned milk. The concept of nutrients added to beverages and compounded to offer very-specific health benefits was as farfetched as a space-age breakfast pill.

Today, however, the functional-beverage category is one of the fastest growing in the food industry. According to Nutritional Outlook Online, introductions of healthy drinks are up nearly 31% in 2002. Many of these new products fall into categories that were nonexistent a few decades ago: sports drinks, energy drinks and vitamin waters, for example. It’s a far cry from the dated offerings of plain fruit juice and chocolate milk.

Got milk?Gone is the comfortably predictable dairy case hosting orange juice and plain or chocolate milk. Now fruit juice and milk may well be mixed in one beverage. While chocolate milk remains a favorite, other flavors might range from mocha to banana. Would you like whole, 2% or skim milk (to which dairy solids have been added)? Or would you prefer goat’s milk? There’s milk for the lactose intolerant and milk with added Lactobacillus acidophilus cultures, not to mention kefir and drinkable yogurts. Plus shoppers can find refrigerated or shelf-stable nondairy beverages, such as soymilk and rice milk. And that’s just the beginning.

A report issued by the Fluid Milk Strategic Thinking Initiative, a dairy-industry think tank, proclaims milk is an ideal base for a functional beverage because it’s already valued for its high nutrient content. And while several health claims can be made on the unadorned beverage as a result of milk’s nutritional value, the report outlines several opportunities for adding even more benefits. The possibilities include soy protein, probiotic, phytosterol, vitamin and mineral supplementation.

Ram Chaudhari, Ph.D., senior executive vice president, research and development, Fortitech, Inc., Schenectady, NY, notes an increased interest in dairy fortification, particularly in increasing calcium and B vitamins. However, care has to be taken to maintain finished-product equilibrium. He recommends about 30% additional calcium without reaching precipitation. “There are limits,” he notes. “Calcium, phosphorous and magnesium have to be in certain ratios; otherwise the milk will not be stable. You have to add stabilizing agents like carrageenan or sodium hexametaphosphate.”

Just as milk creates a base for its own category of functional beverages, its components serve as valuable ingredients in other products. Whey protein concentrates (34% protein) and whey protein isolates (92% to 95% protein) are complete sources of essential amino acids, making them ideally suited for protein-enhanced beverages such as meal-replacement or sports drinks. Whey proteins contain high levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), leucine, isoleucine and valine, which provide an energy source during endurance exercise. They are also a good source of sulfur-containing amino acids, such as cysteine and methionine. These help maintain the body’s antioxidant levels, and are thought to stabilize DNA during cell division. The high levels of arginine and lysine may stimulate growth-hormone release, which in turn stimulates an increase in muscle mass and a decline in body fat. The glutamine helps replenish muscle glycogen and may prevent a decline in immune function from overtraining.

The stability of whey proteins in high-acid environments provides opportunities for addition to juices. Plus, for ready-to-mix applications, agglomerated forms of whey proteins offer ease of dispersion.

In beverages, product designers typically add whey protein isolate at levels of 3% to 8% protein in the finished product. Because most of the lactose has been removed (to less than 1%), formulators can consider it for use in products designed for lactose-intolerant individuals.

Loren Ward, Ph.D., manager of whey research, Glanbia Nutritionals, Inc., Twin Falls, ID, foresees additional benefits from dairy components: “The value of a dairy ingredient is a combination of the inherent nutritional and nutraceutical characteristics. Specific fractions of milk are being recognized as having nutraceutical properties and may promote good intestinal health, lower blood pressure, increase weight loss, and modulate the immune system. This is one of the reasons why component fractionation is continuously being improved to obtain specific protein or mineral fractions.”

Oh soyAddition of soy protein to beverages is becoming more prevalent as American consumers adapt to soy’s image and taste. Once thought of as a “hippie” ingredient or a foreign food, it was maligned for its strong “beany” taste. Now it’s recognized for not only its nutrient and isoflavone content, but some look at it as a “magic bullet” for certain health problems. Because the FDA allows foods containing 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving to carry a heart-healthy claim, beverages made with soy appeal to mainstream America.

While the FDA has yet to confer a health-claim status on isoflavones, consumers are starting to become more interested in this soy component, too. The isoflavones found in soy, genistin and daidzin, are often called phytoestrogens because they are weak, plant-derived estrogens — making them ingredients of interest for women who are looking for natural ways to address some of the less-desirable changes experienced during menopause. What’s more, studies have shown that they may have desirable physiological effects on the circulatory and skeletal systems.

With this increased interest, technology is making it easier to incorporate soy into beverages. Soy protein concentrates and isolates have a cleaner flavor that requires less masking.

Agglomeration makes soy highly soluble and also makes it possible to develop a new generation of soy-based ingredients. For example, Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM), Decatur, IL, has developed an agglomerated product that combines isolated soy protein, a soluble fiber and lecithin. The fiber helps mask any off-flavor from the soy by forming a complex with the protein that prevents the tongue from detecting off-notes, while the lecithin aids dispersion. The company recommends levels of 10 to 20 grams per serving, either in powdered-beverage or ready-to-drink applications. The soluble fiber adds another benefit beyond the obvious nutritional value; when formulating, the amount of stabilizer can often be reduced. In some applications, it may also reduce flavor masking as well, making it easier to achieve a delicately flavored product, such as vanilla or strawberry.

Even in milder products, the flavor of soy still has a reputation of being somewhat robust, but that may be changing for those who want to boost the soy content or isoflavone level in beverages. “There may be a misconception that it needs to be used in a heavy-type beverage like a soymilk or a meal replacement,” says Branin Lane, M.S., R.D., nutraceutical application scientist, ADM. “We’re working on technology to allow these isoflavones to be used across a wide range of beverages, including near-water-type beverages.” Isoflavones are well-suited for teas, and in addition, have been added to juices as well.

While marketers and formulators expand the boundaries of beverage possibilities for soy, the scientific challenges can be the least worrisome. The consumer must be willing to try a new product, must like it and must purchase it again. While taste, mouthfeel and appearance are significant attributes, the product’s concept has to be sold to the consumer’s way of thinking.

One way companies are achieving this is through branding. ADM’s isoflavone product Novasoy® is an example of this concept. (In addition to an isoflavone content of 40%, Novasoy contains about 9% protein, along with soy saponins and other natural compounds.) Nationwide promotions, such as health tours and support of the American Menopause Foundation, New York, bring brand awareness to the target market. Colabeling and coadvertising agreements allow for use of the brand’s logo on products incorporating the ingredient, thereby giving the consumer a recognizable brand.

Water, water everywhereOne of the strongest ways to build a new product category is to expand on the familiar. What’s more ubiquitous than water? Consumers are accustomed to drinking water and they know it’s good for them. As today’s shoppers look for added value, what could be better than a few added nutrients?

It sounds like an easy proposition and, for the most part, it is. Water is an ideal carrier for a number of nutrients, especially the water-soluble vitamins. Because of their solubility, they don’t impact the clarity or mouthfeel of the water. However, adding insoluble ingredients or those with low solubility, such as some mineral salts, can result in ingredients that settle out; and fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin E, can cause cloudiness. Packaging should also be taken into account, since nutrient degradation can occur in clear packages because of light exposure; vitamin A, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B12, folic acid and vitamin D are all light-sensitive ingredients.

The age-old problem of mixing oil and water can be sufficiently solved in a product in which an emulsion is expected (such as a salad dressing), but this is less acceptable in a beverage — especially in one that is expected to be clear. Change, though, is on the horizon. For example, ADM plans to release a new vitamin-E product that, according to Lane, promises clarity. “It’s a true nanoemulsion,” he says. “The particle size is submicron level.” Because the product promotes a “water-white” appearance, it opens opportunities to add vitamin E to waters, sports drinks, broths and other clear beverages. Recommended usage is 30 IU per serving. As the typical vitamin E supplement level is 400 IU, it’s unlikely water-hungry consumers could exceed safe levels of ingestion.

In some instances, especially above very low levels, the form of the vitamin is an important consideration. In a yellow-tinged beverage, such as a flavored tangerine or lemon drink, beta-carotene might be an acceptable source of vitamin A. Generally this is the best choice because of the ingredient’s stability. But, in a “water-white” beverage, color is an issue, so vitamin A palmitate or vitamin A acetate would serve as a better choice.

Minding the mineralsBeverages typically require more-soluble ingredients. This is especially important in choosing minerals to avoid settling, which, in a clear-packaged water, would be most unappetizing. Chaudhari says: “Chromium, selenium, zinc; they are used in a small amount, so I don’t think they would have much impact. Iron and calcium are used in larger quantities. You can choose the right combination and right levels so that you don’t have sedimentation, discoloration or flavor issues.”

Mineral lactates are used in a great variety of beverages: “juices; healthy concept beverages like near-waters — for example, Pulse, a near-water dietary supplement; and dairy applications, like yogurt drinks, frozen yogurt and milk products,” notes Ellis Hogetoorn, market development specialist, PURAC America, Inc., Lincolnshire, IL. “Trends are toward ‘total-health concepts’: magnesium and calcium in a concept for total bone health; zinc and magnesium as value-added ingredients in formulae for immune health and prostate health, respectively; anti-stress and/or bone health.”

In addition to solubility, bioavailability is another important consideration. A nutrient’s bioavailability indicates how well the body absorbs and utilizes it. For example, organic calcium salts, such as calcium citrate, calcium lactate, calcium lactate gluconate and calcium gluconate, generally provide more bioavailability and more solubility than inorganic calcium sources (keep in mind that other factors, in formulation, as well as in the diet and the individual, affect bioavailability). And although the inorganic versions contain higher levels of calcium than the inorganic salts — calcium carbonate contains 40% calcium compared to tricalcium citrate (21%), calcium lactate (13%), calcium lactate gluconate (10% to 13%) and calcium gluconate (9%) — the lack of solubility limits their use in beverage applications.

“Mineral lactates exhibit high solubility; are very well absorbed by the body; possess high levels of mineral content relative to other soluble mineral sources; exhibit a neutral flavor profile; and dissolve clearly without color impact, thus making it suitable for use in clear beverages,” says Hogetoorn.

One other consideration is flavor. “All calcium sources affect flavors to some extent,” adds Sharon Rokosh, market development specialist, PURAC America. “As noted earlier, mineral lactates posses a neutral flavor profile, thus making off-notes that may develop easier to rectify. Some possible solutions for correcting off-notes include: manipulating the acidulants (replace citric by lactic acid), add natural flavors, and/or further increase pH.”

Another source of calcium is dairy ingredients. While nonfat dry milk and other dairy ingredients can provide calcium (sweet whey contains 796 mg calcium per 100 grams and acid powder whey has 2,054 mg calcium per 100 grams), more concentrated dairy-calcium sources are on the market. For example, Glanbia Nutritionals has isolated dairy calcium, together with other essential minerals, into a mineral complex with 100% natural milk calcium. The white, free-flowing powder contains 24% calcium and 13% phosphorus, as well as magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper and iron. This ingredient comes in various particle sizes and lactose-free varieties. Because it is soluble at high pH, it’s suitable for acidic fruit-based beverages, including orange juice.Growth in botanicalsThese same types of considerations apply to the addition of botanicals. “The ‘herbal-infused’- water category, in particular, has experienced tremendous growth,” says Angela Yervasi, director of sales, food/beverage division, Bio-Botanica, Inc., Hauppauge, NY. “Popular botanicals for waters include guarana, ginseng, ginkgo and echinacea, which are particularly well-known in the marketplace. It’s important to know which botanicals are appropriate for the audience you are trying to reach. Products for colds or immune support could easily feature herbs such as astragalus, echinacea and reishi mushroom. High-energy drinks might contain ingredients such as guarana, ginseng and gotu kola. Beverages marketed to the menopausal audience could include black cohosh, chastetree berry and dong quai.

“It is not only important to know which herbs are appropriate for a chosen category; quality of the botanical is of critical importance as well,” continues Yervasi. “Working with established manufacturers who have the knowledge and understanding of how botanicals function within a liquid delivery system can affect the end product.”

Of course the ultimate consideration is flavor. Many of these ingredients are characterized as bitter. However, that doesn’t hold true for all botanicals; chamomile flowers, for example, have a pleasant taste. However, for many formulators, finding a flavor balance can be tricky. A grassy, hay-like note in a citrus drink can be unpleasant, as can bitterness in a sweet, fruity beverage. One way flavor companies are meeting this need is with a variety of products to mask and suppress off-flavors. For example, Wixon Fontarome, Inc., St. Francis, WI, offers its MAG-nifique™ product line with flavorings specifically designed to suppress green notes, bitterness and astringency. The compound responsible is a natural licorice derivative, monoammonium glycyrrhizinate (MAG). Alone it is intensely sweet, but unflavored, and is effective at extremely low usage levels — typically 40 to 60 ppm.

Five a dayHow long ago was the phrase “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” coined? Apparently our grandmothers understood the importance of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. In recent years, we’ve learned there are a lot more contributing factors to health than just the vitamins and fiber they contain. There are tens of thousands of phytochemicals, many of which have been identified as providing specific health benefits due to their antioxidant activity. A few of the more well-known examples include: lycopene, found in tomatoes and linked to prostate health; catechin, an anticancer compound found in red wine; and anthocyanins in carrots, which may protect against artherosclerosis.

Antioxidants destroy free radicals — highly reactive and chemically unstable compounds that cause cell damage. Free radicals occur naturally in the body, but they are also produced in response to things in the environment, such as smoke and pollution. They’ve been linked to cancer, heart disease and numerous other conditions, and if that isn’t horrifying enough, they are also believed to be a prime factor in aging. Not only is an antioxidant-rich diet important for immune strength; it’s been shown to reduce wrinkles and the visible signs of age.

Most people know that they should eat fruits and vegetables, but it’s not easy. Many people find that with busy schedules and more meals eaten away from home, it’s harder to meet the minimum recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables — five a day — set out by the USDA. Getting children to eat them can be difficult. Fruit and vegetable drinks have long been popular, but not everyone likes plain tomato or carrot juice. But what if there was a fruity drink with kid appeal that also has the nutritional wallop of a serving of broccoli, or a mocha coffee with the antioxidant density of red cabbage? Who wouldn’t gobble up the nutrition contained in the single-serving beverage?

RFI Ingredients, Blauvelt, NY, has developed a line of antioxidants derived from GRAS fruits, vegetables and spices. The products are so concentrated, that less than 0.5 ml of liquid blends or 85 to 300 mg of powdered blends deliver the ORAC units equivalent to a single serving of vegetables. (The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity — ORAC — assay has made it possible to quantify antioxidant capacity. It provides measurements necessary to develop products that deliver the antioxidant equivalency of a single serving of fruits or vegetables.)

Peter Hafermann, vice president sales and marketing, BI Nutraceuticals, Long, Beach, CA, a distributor for the product line, notes, “Typically, depending on the fruit or the vegetable, you can say between a half a gram and a gram is what you need to take per day to gain the equivalent antioxidant value that you would from eating your fruits and vegetables.” Product usage is standardized to meet the ORAC value of a single serving of vegetables. Because use levels are so small, they minimally impact flavor in the finished product.

“I don’t think there are interactions with other flavors,” notes Ginny Bank, technical director, RFI Ingredients. “The thing they would be concerned mostly with is stability, the packaging of the product. We wouldn’t recommend plastic packaging because these are antioxidants, and if you have plastic packaging you open up the barrier between the solution and oxygen. You could have some degradation over time. I think that would be the only concern. Even processing isn’t a big deal. The pasteurization process won’t damage these compounds; it’s too short. They are really perfect as a functional-beverage ingredient.” An ideal application is a sports beverage because, ironically, heavy exercise increases the development of free radicals.

Antioxidants aren’t the only plant-derived nutrients for heart health. Phytosterols are a botanical version of cholesterol proven to decrease the absorption of cholesterol by competing with cholesterol for absorption. In their natural state, phytosterols are waxy substances. Sterol and stanol esters are currently used in butter-substitute spreads, such as Benecol® and Take Control®, which are ideal mediums because of their lipid content. However, Lane notes that ADM has a water-dispersible sterol, CardioAid-L, that is optimally designed for beverage use. He adds that the ingredient allows the company to deliver sterols in low-fat or nonfat systems, such as meal replacements, healthful beverages, bars and yogurts. “Those are their GRAS categories,” he says.

Finding fiberIf people find it hard to squeeze the minimum number of recommended servings of fruits and vegetables in their daily diet, it’s also likely they fail to consume the recommended levels of fiber. Adequate fiber intake can decrease cholesterol, and reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Product designers can find a number of ways to incorporate fiber into beverages.

Fruit- or vegetable-based beverages benefit from obvious additions of citrus pulp and apple or tomato fiber. Pectin is a viable option when the formulator requires less flavor or color.

Polydextrose is another option in a transparent beverage. Even though it is a carbohydrate (specifically a randomly branched polysaccharide), it is low-glycemic and can be used in sugar-free products suitable for diabetics. “In beverages, you get the health benefits, 90% fiber, 1 calorie per gram and you’re not getting any of the negative aspects associated with fiber,” says Donna Brooks, product manager, Danisco Sweeteners, Ardsley, NY. “You can put it in a beverage and you wouldn’t even taste it or know that it was there. Let’s say you wanted to have 5 grams of fiber per 8-oz. serving, about 2%. You could put it in water and you wouldn’t even taste it. Sometimes it even helps to mask some off-flavors that you might get from vitamins and minerals. The key thing is it doesn’t change viscosity or texture or anything negative to the product, and you’re still getting the health benefits. It’s extremely stable for most processing and temperature conditions.”

Inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are naturally occurring carbohydrates typically derived from chicory root. Although many countries consider inulin a fiber, FDA currently does not recognize it in its definition of fiber. Still, inulin and FOS act like a soluble fiber and offer consumers a number of health benefits, including increased calcium absorption and prebiotic effects. Prebiotics promote the growth of “good” microflora in the human gut, suppress the growth of harmful forms of bacteria and reduce the formation of toxic fermentation products, which helps maintain a healthy digestive system. They may also play a role in other health benefits, such as preventing diarrhea, controlling ulcers, reducing cholesterol, supporting immune function and preventing colon cancer. Researchers estimate that a daily intake of 3 to 5 grams inulin or FOS can create a significant increase in beneficial colonic bacteria.

GTC Nutrition LLC, Golden, CO, produces a short-chain FOS marketed for its prebiotic benefits. While similar to inulin in that it is also composed of linear chains of fructose-molecule units with a terminal glucose molecule, there are differences in polymerization and sourcing. The company’s product is produced from sucrose by a natural process and has a very low degree of polymerization. The result is a greater prebiotic effect. Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli use the soluble fiber to produce short-chain fatty acids. Intestinal pH is decreased, which suppresses the growth of pathogenic bacteria and increases growth of these probiotic organisms. A byproduct of the increased acidity is increased calcium and magnesium absorption. “We have many benefits for health, but also have benefits that are more technical,” says Marcelo Campos, food application manager, GTC Nutrition. “We produce the only FOS-type product that has the recognition as GRAS by the FDA. It’s about 30% of the sweetness of sucrose. It helps to mask the aspartame aftertaste or other high-intensity sweeteners. It can also help mask the soy note, so it will improve the sensorial quality of soy beverages. It’s very soluble, so it’s easy to apply. We have studies showing the minimum effective dose to have a better growth of bifidobacteria is 1 gram per day. Aspartame masking starts with a 1% level.”

Beta-glucan, a water-soluble fiber, occurs naturally in barley and oat bran. The health benefits of this fiber include a reduced risk of heart disease through the reduction of serum cholesterol, and products with sufficient beta-glucan from oats can carry an FDA-approved heart-healthy claim. (Does this remind you of the oatbran craze of the ’80s?) But rather than grinding oats to add to a beverage, formulators might look at Nutrim, a patented proprietary oat-based product developed by the USDA and produced by VanDrunen Farms, Momence, IL, (for the company’s Futureceuticals line) with a proprietary process that uses high-temperature/short-time/ high-shear forces. It creates a functional nongelling hydrocolloid that is easily formulated into food products, and contains 10% beta-glucan (16% total fiber). Originally developed as a fat replacer, this ingredient can add texture and mouthfeel to shakes, smoothies and meal-replacement beverages.

Van Drunen Farms has worked with Cambridge, MA-based Arthur D. Little (now TIAX, LLC) to develop a line of beverages with enough Nutrim to meet the requirements of the FDA’s health claim, 0.75 grams of beta-glucan per 11-oz. serving. “Consumers can already enjoy these health benefits in hot and cold cereals, but our challenge was to formulate oat fiber so that it could be used in beverages that people grab on the run,” says Colleen Zammer, senior manager at TIAX. “Without compromising taste, mouthfeel or texture, we’ve created beverages so healthful that they can be used as meal replacements because they contain a balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and can reduce cholesterol.”

In addition to beta-glucan, a wide range of gums can offer stabilizing effects while providing fiber. However, gum use is generally low, with the exception being the beverage category. Says Allen Freed, president, Gum Technology Corp., Tucson, AZ: “With some of the gums, like acacia, you can get very, very high levels without really affecting texture or body very much, and it is mostly fiber; 15% to 20% is not unusual. You are limited more so by the fact that you need to get in other ingredients. Acacia can go into solution even at 50%, but there wouldn’t be much room for anything else. It will eventually take on an amber, honey-like appearance, but at 15% to 20%, it will hardly have any effect.”

In the case of gum arabic, which has 90% soluble fiber, it can add a considerable contribution with very little impact on flavor. With their natural sources, gums can be label friendly, which is important to products perceived to be healthful. “If you put down carrageenan or alginates, you can parenthetically say ‘extract from seaweed.’ Many people have labeled it as Irish moss, which is a particular type of carrageenan,” Freed continues. “If you’re using locust bean gum you can say ‘carob bean gum.’ People in the health-food field are very familiar with carob.” He concludes that manufacturers can always play up on the label in regards to the natural and all-natural sourcing.

Giving them a boostEnergy drinks are a growing category, but the term energy can be nutritionally misleading. When dieticians talk of energy, they speak of fuel derived from food sources. Complex carbohydrates, in particular, can provide sustained vigor, while simple sugars offer a surge that quickly peaks. Yet in drinks, caffeine and other adrenaline-inciting substances deliver a rush of energy by stimulating the nervous system. The effect is very different from that of a food source.

Coffee is the traditional pick-me-up beverage. Not surprisingly, this old stand-by serves as the basis for a plethora of products ranging from the simply flavored to the intensified. Cappuccinos, Frappuccinos®, espressos, lattes, mochas: Coffee is a category unto itself, largely driven by the Seattle-based Starbucks Corp. machine.

Tea contains slightly less caffeine, 70 mg per 6-oz. serving versus the 100 mg found in the same-size serving of coffee. It’s not surprising, then, that this category is also experiencing a boom. Iced teas, hot teas, spiced teas and caffeine-free herb teas give consumers a myriad of choices, especially since a number of health benefits have been attributed to certain tea leaves and botanical teas. Green teas contain powerful antioxidants, while chamomile is known for its soothing properties. The possible combinations of teas, flavors and botanicals are mind-boggling, to say nothing of all the other functional ingredients that developers can add to the mix.

If coffee or tea offers a bit of a boost, a new category has emerged with an even swifter kick. Energy drinks offer double- and triple-charged effects when compared to coffee. With names like Red Bull® and Atomic Energy, they largely use caffeine as their foundation. Herbal additives might include guarana, with its natural, concentrated caffeine; and kola nuts and yerba mate leaves, which also contain caffeine.

Ma huang is a source of naturally occurring ephedra, another stimulant. However, the safety of this compound is under question. In 1997, FDA proposed a ruling that a dietary supplement be considered adulterated “if it contains 8 milligrams (mg) or more of ephedrine alkaloids per serving, or if its labeling suggests or recommends conditions of use that would result in intake of 8 mg or more in a 6-hour period or a total daily intake of 24 mg or more of ephedrine alkaloids” and, along with other label requirements, include a statement “in conjunction with claims that encourage short-term excessive intake to enhance the purported effect (e.g., energy) that ‘Taking more than the recommended serving may result in heart attack, stroke, seizure or death.’”

However, the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) dismissed the FDA’s finding that dietary supplements containing ma huang can be hazardous to one’s health because the Agency relied heavily on more than 800 “adverse-event reports,” making the conclusion flawed. But consumer groups are still petitioning for a change in the laws and this should be taken into consideration when considering this ingredient’s use.

Some energy drinks add amino acids, as well. Taurine, glutamine and arginine are all thought to enhance muscle energy availability.

Chaudhari says: “For energy drinks, Red Bull is a very-successful product, so people are trying to copy that kind of product and trying to make it better by adding a few functional ingredients like glucono-delta-lactone, some B-complex and some antioxidant vitamins. In addition to that, some companies are adding zinc, selenium, chromium and iron to make it better with respect to overall nutritional quality.”

There seems to be confusion about the difference between sports and energy drinks. Technically, sports drinks do provide energy, but their primary function is to provide hydration. The optimum sports drink is formulated with a combination of carbohydrates, minerals and water. Minerals are important to replace the electrolyes (sodium and potassium) that the body loses through sweat. Thirst is a poor indicator of the body’s need for fluids. Because thirst is turned off once we swallow enough water to replace the fluid lost as sweat, we are tricked into thinking that the body is hydrated when it really may not be. Water sends a signal to the kidneys so that fluid, in the form of urine, is lost more quickly. It’s important to drink enough for complete hydration. Sodium encourages people to drink more, while carbohydrates provide energy and sweetness. Chaudhari suggests adding B-complex vitamins as a healthful energy source. B vitamins help release energy from carbohydrates.

In energy drinks, the kick usually comes from caffeine, a compound that can be dangerous when misused during heavy exertion. Caffeine not only stimulates the heart but also is a mild diuretic, which causes additional dehydration. Additionally, energy drinks tend to be heavily sweetened, which can lead to a hypoglycemic effect.

Numerous health experts have cautioned against combining energy drinks and sports. For example, Jackie Berning, Ph.D., assistant professor, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, whose research interests include nutritional requirements for sports and exercise, has some concerns about some of the substances found in energy drinks — particularly ma huang and guarana. She says that “looking at a product called guarana, which is a natural caffeine,” it is four to five times more powerful than coffee. She notes the stimulants also put increased pressure on the heart and affect the body’s ability to regulate temperature.

A sweet dealIn any beverage formulation sweeteners are an important consideration because, in addition to their flavor attributes, nutritive sweeteners can provide an energy source, while artificial sweeteners can reduce calories. The decision to use an artificial or a natural sweetener is best determined by the product’s intended market position and labeling concerns.

In sports drinks, the optimum carbohydrate level for rehydration is considered 6% to 7%, generally derived from a combination of sweeteners. Sucrose, glucose and fructose are commonly used. Sucrose is the most common form of sugar, and contains one fructose and one glucose molecule. Glucose is the product of carbohydrate hydrolysis and, like table sugar (sucrose), it is a white, crystalline solid, but is less sweet. Crystalline fructose is the sweetest of all naturally occurring sugars. “It exhibits a sweetness synergy with sugar and all non-nutritive sweeteners,” says Mark Hanover, director, technical services, Tate & Lyle Research Division, Decatur, IL. Adding fructose to a beverage can also reduce the levels of acids and flavors needed. “This can be cost-effective or reduce calories,” he says. In addition, he notes that it offers labeling advantages — many consumers consider this a natural fruit sugar — and has excellent solubility.

Honey naturally contains sucrose, fructose and maltose, making it an ideal ingredient for this type of application. In addition, beverages that require a natural label can benefit from the use of honey as a sweetener.

Trehalose, a relative newcomer, is a naturally occurring sugar made industrially from corn starch. Though it is 45% as sweet as sucrose, the flavor persists slightly longer. Its chemical structure is composed of two glucose molecules, yet studies have shown that trehalose stimulates a lower insulin response than glucose alone, making it an ideal sweetener for sports drinks.

Sugar alcohols, or polyols, are found naturally and are chemically derived from plant products. Erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol belong to this category. The polyols are not well absorbed by the body, so therefore provide fewer calories than sucrose on a comparable-weight basis. They are frequently used in dietetic and sugar-free foods, though the Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, cautions that these products still contain carbohydrates and will raise blood-sugar levels.

Sweetness among polyols varies, with xylitol being the sweetest and able to replace sucrose on an equivalent-weight basis. All polyols are noncariogenic, but according to Campos, xylitol actually fights tooth decay because it is not fermented by Streptococcus mutans (the main cariogenic microorganism found in the mouth), and is the only polyol that effectively inhibits the growth of these bacteria and selects less-virulent strains. “Scientific studies have shown that at levels as low as 5 to 10 grams consumption per day, we can reduce the risk of caries by about 70% and plaque by about 30%,” he notes.

Stevia is an intensely sweet, non-caloric herb. Its glycosides, or sugar components, are not metabolized and pass through the body without interfering with blood-glucose levels. It’s considered by many to be a “miracle” sweetener, but it may be ahead of its time. While approved for use in several countries, including Japan, in the United States, it must be labeled as a dietary supplement.

The carbohydrates used in beverages don’t have to be sweet — an advantage for beverages that use high-intensity sweeteners or for those that just don’t require the standard sweetness levels. Maltodextrins are frequently used in a wide variety of beverage applications, notes Hanover. “They are used as a digestible carbohydrate source, and to provide mouthfeel and slight thickening,” he says. “The agglomerated maltodextrins are easily dispersible in hot or cold water.”

Blurring the linesAs the functional-beverage market strives to offer ingredients to improve health, the line between food and medicine becomes blurred. FDA regulates these two industries; however, it traditionally has had less control over dietary supplements than either drugs or foods. Drugs must undergo clinical studies before marketing, and FDA reviews the data prior to authorizing a drug’s use. Likewise, non-GRAS food additives must undergo FDA’s premarket approval. On the other hand, dietary-supplement manufacturers do not have to provide information to FDA before putting a product on the market. Many of the ingredients added to nutraceuticals are considered supplements rather than foods, and it’s important to know how an ingredient is designated.

The passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) created a regulatory framework that gave FDA the authority to take action against manufacturers of supplements that have false or misleading claims. At the same time, DSHEA declared that certain statements could be made in labeling. Statements that describe the effect a dietary supplement might have on the structure or function of the body, structure/function claims, are allowed — if there is substantiation that the claims are truthful and if a mandatory disclaimer statement is included. “Calcium helps maintain bone health” is a structure/function claim. However, disease claims, such as “calcium helps prevent osteoporosis,” require prior FDA approval. In the competitive world of food and beverage marketing, there is a constant challenge to position products in front of an increasingly health-conscious audience.

The bottom lineAs technology advances, we’re increasingly able to put everything in a bottle, or so it seems. Berning cautions: “I think it’s kind of interesting that we can put this all in a beverage or a meal or a food. I keep telling my clients that there is no substitute for food. We have yet to discover everything that’s in food. Lycopene has been hot for the last three to five years and everybody’s putting lycopene back in their functional beverages and food. Now the hot one is the new one (anthocyanins) from blueberries. Everybody’s putting that back. My guess is two years down the road it’s going to be another phytochemical. If you totally relied upon these functional beverages and foods to get all your nutrients then you’ve been misled, because we’ve yet to discover all of them, and exactly what they do and the health properties for the body.”

That said, Berning’s position, and that of the Chicago-based American Dietetic Association, is that there are situations where functional beverages and foods are a better choice. Sports drinks, for example, contain carbohydrates that provide energy. In certain instances, these would prove more beneficial than water. Berning notes that she has a son in high school whose basketball practice is at 5:30 a.m. Knowing that he won’t get up at 3:00 a.m. to eat breakfast, she sends him off with a sports drink to sip on before and during practice.

That’s one choice our mothers never had to consider. Our lives are hectic and rushed, and dashing through our days, we often don’t take time to sit down to eat a meal. But we do have time to grab a beverage at the convenience store or gym, and that’s what’s keeping drink manufacturers busy trying to meet the nutritional needs and desires of an audience on the run.

Cindy Hazen has extensive experience in product development. She is the president of The Jalapeño Chicks, a Memphis, TN-based food company. She can be reached at [email protected].

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