Functional Beverages

Functional Beverages

Hot Topics are short, concise practice and science-based answers to current questions RDs and DTRs may receive. Hot Topics are not an ADA position or stance on a topic and does not reflect Association consensus on the issue. Rather, they provide expert opinion to an emerging area of food, nutrition and health. Hot Topics are meant to assist RDs and DTRs to answer questions from patients/clients and the media.


Title of Topic: Functional Beverages
Date of Release: February 2008
Claim of Topic: Functional beverages, which include energy drinks and vitamin waters, are surging in sales. Marketing messages for these beverages imply additional health benefits for a public that is thirsty for healthiness-on-the-go. But just how healthy are functional beverages?


Discussion of Topic:
Functional beverages are drinks that have been enhanced with added ingredients to provide specific health benefits beyond general nutrition. These beverages have become so popular they are displacing soft drink sales. Consumers are seeking specific health benefits in their foods and beverages and these functional drinks fit neatly into the “healthiness-on-the-go” market, part of the $25 billion functional food business. Both convenience and health have been identified as important factors when consumers make decisions about purchasing foods and beverages. Functional drinks are promoted with benefits such as heart health, improved immunity and digestion, joint health, satiety, and energy-boosting. They are marketed with “healthy” names and slogans that sell.

Popular ingredients in functional drinks include caffeine, green tea, yerba maté, vitamin C, schizandra, açaí, ginger, cranberry extracts, and ginkgo biloba. According to the package label, one of the biggest selling energy drinks contains taurine, glucoronolactone, caffeine, and B vitamins. Enhanced waters are also surging in popularity, with a number of formulations labeled with catchy names that offer up images of health and tranquility. Soft drinks are even branching into the functional market with vitamin-enriched colas.

Many functional and fortified beverages bear approved claims from the FDA. Others make function/structure claims. Functional foods are regulated by FDA under the authority of the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act, but they are not specifically defined by law. The FDA is currently reviewing its regulation of functional foods.

Health experts are concerned about functional beverages for many reasons. While some functional drinks may provide hydration, many may not address the major health issues today such as obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Most people do not benefit from low levels of vitamins and minerals found in many functional drinks. Typically functional drinks do not capitalize on recognized short fall nutrients like calcium, potassium, foliate, and vitamin D. In addition, functional drinks are often very costly and many contain significant calorie levels. For example, one popular energy drink contains 130 calories and 34 g carbohydrates in an 8.3-ounce serving - higher than cola. Other products contain ingredients that have not been sufficiently studied for health benefits, safety, and dosage. Caffeine content can be high in these products, as well. In a recent study, it was discovered that the caffeine content of caffeinated energy drinks ranged from 0 mg to 141.1 mg/serving. An average 8-ounce cup of coffee contains 133 mg of caffeine.

Bottom Line:
Consumers should read product labels to see what ingredients functional drinks contain. Many ingredients may not be proven to benefit health; however, by reading labels consumers can make wiser beverage choices. If people are concerned with vitamin and mineral supplementation, they may be better off taking a daily supplement that does not exceed 100% of the RDA.

Opportunities for Dietetics Professionals:
RDs and DTRs can help educate consumers to make more informed choices regarding beverage purchases that can improve overall health. This information can be communicated through practice settings as well as in community education and the media.

Resources/References:

  1. Functional drinks, www.functionaldrinksnews.com/
  2. Functional Food & Drink Consumption Trends, Datamonitor, www.food-business-review.com/research.asp?guid=DMCM2982.
  3. McCusker RR, Goldberger BA, Cone EJ. Caffeine content of energy drinks, carbonated sodas, and other beverages. J Anal Toxicol. 2006 Mar;30(2):112 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&uid=16620542&cmd=showdetailview&indexed=google
  4. Functional Foods, Position of the American Dietetic Association, June 15, 2001. www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_934_ENU_HTML.

Written by Sharon Palmer, RD of HEN and DBC dietetic practice group