A rise in the caffeinated products available in the US is raising concerns about labeling and the health effects of too much caffeine in the blood stream. In part, the apprehension is due to the fact that caffeine is increasingly found in more consumer products, including medications, energy bars and drinks, as well as a new trend pure and powder caffeine dietary supplements compounded by the fact that people may not know how much they are consuming.
The National Public Radio, NPR, and Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest agree, It's not just coffee and tea and soda anymore. There is a proliferation of foods; all kinds of things are now being caffeinated. In many cases, manufacturers are promoting their foods as pick-me-ups, but they're not labeling how much caffeine is included in the products. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require it. And that's raising some questions about how much caffeine we're getting these days. I think at a minimum the FDA should require the amount of caffeine to be disclosed on product labels," advises Jacobson.
According to the FDA, caffeine is not considered a nutrient but a chemical compound found in items like tea leaves, coffee beans, and cacao (used to make chocolate). If caffeine is unnaturally added to a food, it must be included in the listing of ingredients required on food product labels.
Abraham Palmer, Ph.D, and biomedical scientist with the University of Chicago explains, Caffeine is a drug, there's a lot of variation in the way people experience the effects of caffeine." Many people experience an energy lift and enhanced alertness, but there are others who really hate caffeine, because it makes them feel jittery and anxious." Palmer says it would be a benefit for consumers if manufacturers had to label amounts, saying, It's hard for me to see what the downside would be."
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