Safe tonic (energy) beverages

Under conditions in vivo the effect of prolonged use of the main components of tonic beverages - caffeine, taurine and herbal extracts (adaptogens in traditionally recommended quantities) on a model object was analyzed. The study was performed on 150 adult Wistar rats of both sexes (females, n=75; males, n=75). Experimental animals were divided into 5 groups according to the sort of components of tonic beverages consumed: 0.03% aqueous solution of caffeine and 0.25% aqueous solution of taurine; ginseng extract; Rhodiolarosea extract; herbal extract of Chinese Schizandra. In the control group the purified bottled water was used. In all groups of animals after 3 weeks of intake of energy beverage components, specific biomarkers of organ-and-tissue damage of cell membranes were determined in serum and tissue: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and integral basic metabolic parameters: glucose, uric acid, urea and total cholesterol. It was stated, that with prolonged daily use of aqueous solutions of caffeine and taurine in amounts corresponding to the content in tonic beverages, there was a significant increase in LDH and CK activity (2 and 6 times, respectively), concentration of urea and uric acid in serum. There was a tendency to increasing action of AST and hypoglycemia, reflecting subclinical pathogenetically meaningful increase in metabolic rate with a predominance of catabolic processes. In the usage of herbal extracts as adaptogens metabolism is stimulated with a predominance of catabolic processes, mostly pronounced in the use of extracts of ginseng and lemongrass. Some specific gender metabolic reconstructions with prolonged use of restorative components of energy beverages were found. A prolonged daily intake of aqueous solutions proved not to be accompanied by significant changes in pathogenesis of integrated metabolic parameters and biomarkers of cell membrane integrity.