Tag: science meets food

Delayed Release Caffeine – GreenEyedGuide on ScienceMeetsFood.org

Delayed Release Caffeine – GreenEyedGuide on ScienceMeetsFood.org

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“It’s 3:00 pm and you’re exhausted. You woke up exhausted, but you had coffee for breakfast, and now you’re exhausted again. You are now thinking that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to stay up ‘til 1 am watching Olympic snowboarding after all. Or maybe you’ve recently discovered you do your best thesis writing at 10:00 pm when you finally have time to sit down and relax. Whatever the reason, we all have all those days where the struggle is real to stay awake and remain focused.”

sci meets food delayed caffeine IG post

In this ScienceMeetsFood post, I share the three methods for making caffeine last longer: The Gilmore Girl Method, the Violet Beauregarde Method, and the Russian Doll Method. Discover the science behind delayed-release caffeine, and how this technology is reshaping caffeine consumption (and safety?) as we know it.

Read the full article on ScienceMeetsFood –>

science meets food caffeine release snippet

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

[1] Caffeine Informer. “Caffeine Informer Database” https://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-in-candy  ;  https://www.caffeineinformer.com/efs-guide-to-caffeine-gum

[2] Heckman, M. A., Weil, J. and De Mejia, E. G. (2010), Caffeine (1, 3, 7-trimethylxanthine) in Foods: A Comprehensive Review on Consumption, Functionality, Safety, and Regulatory Matters. Journal of Food Science, 75: R77–R87. doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01561.x

[3] Caffeine Informer. “Top 25+ Caffeine Health Benefits” https://www.caffeineinformer.com/top-10-caffeine-health-benefits

[4] Caffeine Informer. “20+ Harmful Effects of Caffeine” https://www.caffeineinformer.com/harmful-effects-of-caffeine

[5] Caffeine Informer. “Caffeine Hangover and Crash: What It Is and How to Avoid It” https://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-hangover-caffeine-crash

[6] US FDA. “Added Caffeine in Gum.” Food Additives and Ingredients, 19 Dec. 2017, http://www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/foodadditivesingredients/ucm396885.htm.

[7] Caffeine Informer. “Guide to Caffeinated Gum” https://www.caffeineinformer.com/efs-guide-to-caffeine-gum

[8] ZumXR. “Patented Innovations” http://www.zumxr.com/patents

[9] Medscape. “Upper GI Tract Anatomy” https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1899389-overview

[10] EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies), 2015. Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine. EFSA Journal 2015;13(5):4102, 120 pp. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4102

[11] Maxx Performance. “The Case for Sustained-Release Caffeine” http://www.maxxperformance.com/stories/supplements/sustained-release-caffeine/

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I’ve researched the science and safety behind energy drinks and their ingredients since 2003. This book is the culmination of my research:

Need help with quitting caffeine?

 

When Food Products Try to Be Energy Drinks – GreenEyedGuide on ScienceMeetsFood

When Food Products Try to Be Energy Drinks – GreenEyedGuide on ScienceMeetsFood

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In this article I wrote for ScienceMeetsFood.org, I discuss the growing world of caffeinated food in general and caffeinated peanut butter in particular. How does caffeinated peanut butter compare to regular peanut butter? To energy drinks?

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GreenEyedGuide on Science Meets Food

Science Meets Food is the official blog of the IFT Student Association (IFTSA), which has over 2,500 members from around the world. IFT Student Association members love science and have an everyday passion for food. They are Official Food Geeks, and IFT is their home.

Visit ScienceMeetsFood.org to read the full article

“Moderating caffeine intake can be a challenge. There are some days it seems there’s not enough caffeine in the world to keep your mind focused or your eyes from drooping, and there are other days when it seems like the smallest cup of coffee makes your heart race and hands shake. I’ve studied energy drinks and the science behind their ingredients for 10 years, and I find these products fascinating. I may know a lot about caffeinated drinks, but caffeinated food – well, that’s a whole new ballgame.

According to Caffeine Informer’s caffeine database [1], there are almost two hundred different food products enhanced with caffeine, including ice cream, granola, brownies, waffles, marshmallows, jelly beans, candy, gum, jerky, and good old fashioned dark chocolate. Okay, so that last one is actually naturally caffeinated… However, the food that interests me most on the list is the caffeinated peanut butter (because hello, it’s peanut butter and it’s delicious).

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Is V8 Really an Energy Drink? A Primer on the Science of Energy Drinks in Disguise [GreenEyedGuide on ScienceMeetsFood]

Is V8 Really an Energy Drink? A Primer on the Science of Energy Drinks in Disguise [GreenEyedGuide on ScienceMeetsFood]

greeneyedguide

In this article I wrote for ScienceMeetsFood.org, I address the problem behind the term “energy drink” and the science behind energy drinks in disguise. (There’s also a Guardians of the Galaxy metaphor!) It’s a great primer if you’ve never heard the term “energy drink in disguise”, or if you never realized that V8 and Ocean Spray make energy drinks. Read this article in its entirety at ScienceMeetsFood.org

“I’ve been studying energy drinks since 2003 and they continue to both fascinate and horrify me. They fascinate me because I’m a biochemistry major, or maybe it’s the other way around. Energy drinks are the reason I pursued my masters in food science (and the reason I survived grad school). Metabolic biochemistry is the closest I’ll ever come to engineering – for me, studying biochemistry is studying the secret rules to how things work.

Energy drinks horrify me because it feels like people with no science background are behind some of the products you can buy online. Sometimes I’ll read a label and think, “What are they doing? Who thought this was a good idea?” The most concerning aspect of energy drinks is we don’t have a proper nomenclature to classify them properly. (#WhatWouldIUPACDo?) Using the term “energy drink” the way we do is like calling pure ethanol “booze”. Let’s talk about why the lack of classification is a problem.

Is V8 Really Energy Drink
Read this on ScienceMeetsFood

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