What is the difference between 'energy drink' and 'nutrition drink'?

Originally "nutrition drink" has become familiar in Japan, "Energy drink" gradually overseas born has been penetrating in Japan. Although both have images of drinking when they are tired or want to stop one another, there are also accidents that people who drank too much energy drinks are killed, so "What is energy drink?" "Somehow scary" Many people think that it is. So I tried to summarize what ingredients are contained in Energy Drink and how it is different from nutritional drink.

◆ What is Energy Drink?
Even domestic convenience stores have come to see a corner of energy drinks, but various kinds of energy drinks are sold from each company.Medical quotientIt is a different thing from nutritional drinks such as "Lipovitan D" which is classified as "carbonated beverages (soft drinks)".


Nutritional drinks, which are quasi-medical items, include those that act on liver cellsTaurineOn the other hand, energy drinks sold as soft drinks can not use the same "synthetic taurine" as a nutritional drink, so "ArginineIt is contained. It is said that arginine, which is a type of amino acid, has effects such as blood flow improvement and secretion of growth hormone.

Everyone should have seen something once in the "Energy Drink" most famous "Red Bull". It is deploying in 2 sizes of 185 ml can (206 yen including tax) and 250 ml can (286 yen including tax).


On the back side of the Red Bull can is written "It was developed for when you want to demonstrate performance: Arginine, caffeine, niacin, pantothenic acid, micro carbonated drink containing vitamin B 6, B 2, B 12" is written from top athlete He is busy professional, active student, people who long drive, etc. are being evaluated from all over the world.


Looking at the nutrition ingredient label per 100 ml, the red bull has energy 46 kcal, protein 0 g, lipid 0 g, carbohydrate 10.8 g, sodium 80 mg, niacin 3 mg, pantothenic acid 2 mg, vitamin B 6 2 mg, vitamin B 2 0.09 mg, vitamin B12 contains 2 μg (microgram), arginine 120 mg, caffeine 32 mg and so on.


Next to Red Bull, "Monster Energy" is handled a lot. Like Red Bull, it is a popular energy drink overseas. Size is 355 ml and tax included 206 yen.


The ingredient label per 100 ml is energy 50 kcal, protein 0 g, lipid 0 g, carbohydrate 13 g, sodium 78 mg, vitamin B 2 0.7 mg, niacin 8.5 mg, vitamin B 6 0.8 mg, vitamin B 12 1 - 6 μg, L-arginine 125 mg, D - 125 mg of ribose, 82 mg of ginseng, 29 mg of L-carnitine, 40 mg of caffeine, the content of arginine and caffeine is slightly larger than that of Red Bull and that ginseng,L-carnitineIt is characterized by including its own ingredients such as. Also, because it can drink nearly twice as much as the Red Bull's smallest size of 185 ml at the same price, it is also excellent in cost performance.


In addition, a small bottle type (Monster Energy M3) containing capacity of 150 ml and containing almost the same amount of ingredients as Monster Energy (206 yen including tax) is also on sale.


From domestic manufacturers, "nutritional drink"Regain"Energy drinks made into"Intensive Regain"Has appeared. The size is 190 ml and 201 yen including tax.


Nutrients per 100 ml are: 41 kcal of energy, 1.2 g of protein, 9 g of carbohydrate, 9 g of sodium, 16 mg of sodium, 0.74 mg of vitamin B 1, 2.7 mg of vitamin B 2, 2.7 mg of vitamin B 6, 1.3 to 9.2 μg of vitamin B 12 Gram), niacin 21 mg, pantothenic acid 2.7 to 11.3 mg, arginine 527 mg, theanine 53 mg, caffeine 42 mg. It is said that ingredients contained in tea are effective for concentration improvementTheanineAnd Arginine which is far superior to Red Bull Monster Energy in total 1000 mg are included. In addition, before "Regain Energy Drink 2000"As a result of selling energy drinks containing 2000 mg of arginine, regenerated energy drink boasts a tolerable arginine content in Japan.


In addition, drinks that everyone may have drunk at the entrance examination and driving for a long time are "sleepy breakthrough" (324 yen including tax).


Although it is not an energy drink, the classification is a soft drink, 500 mg of arginine and 120 mg of caffeine are contained, and unexpectedly the effect similar to energy drink can be expected.


In the Energy DrinkThose containing no arginineThere is also, but in the case that "I do not know what energy drink to drink," if you check what it contains, you can refer to it. Although the ingredients contained by Energy Drink are largely different, it is not necessarily the case that arginine and other ingredients restore fatigue. In addition to various ingredients such as caffeine and arginine, as well as energy drinks, it is the energy drink that can be energized by the effect of the placebo effect as well as nutritional drinks.

About energy drink of calorie zero
Red Bull and Monster Energy have type of calorie zero, even in GIGAZINE "Monster Ultra"We are reviewing.


However, the amounts of arginine and other ingredients are the same. Some people might have thought "Energy drinks are effective despite the fact that calories are zero, but because only the taste is different, it is an energy drink for those concerned about calorie intake.


◆ Difference between domestic production and overseas energy drink
The popularity of overseas energy drinks is higher than Japan, so if you go to a convenience store, there is something that energy drinks occupy from top to bottom with a corner of a drink corner. Such overseas energy drinks are big size in general, for example, the minimum size of Red Bull in Japan is 185 ml can, but 185 ml cans do not exist in Red Bull in America, from the smallest size 8.3 oz (250 ml) can, to 16 oz 473 ml) can,20 oz (591 ml) canIt is expanded in size. To monster energy it is huge that 24 oz (710 ml) cans are prepared.

For massive energy drink actually sold overseas, you can also read from Charlerman's article.

A large number of American energy drinks that you can feel the danger of drinking when you drink too much - GIGAZINE


The difference between Japan and overseas energy drinks is not only the size but also the ingredients involved are greatly different. Energy drinks abroad do not contain Arginine in Red Bull and Monster Energy etc, and the same "Taurine" as Japanese diet drink is blended. For overseas energy drinksThose containing a large amount of caffeineAlso,Death accident due to overdrink of energy drinkI am awake as well. Even the same brands as Japan are completely different things, so be careful about drinking too much when traveling overseas.