RODALE NEWSROOM, EMMAUS, PA—One hundred doctors and scientists have signed a petition urging the Federal Food and Drug Administration to require warning labels and caffeine content on energy drinks. Although Canada and Europe require labels on caffeinated energy drinks that warn against use by young children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or caffeine- sensitive people, the warning is not required in the United States. People in the U.S. drink more of these drinks than any other country; in just the first half of 2008, new energy drink products popping onto the market increased by 34%. But the USA also has the most lax regulation.

THE DETAILS: The buzz-in-a-can products contain various levels of caffeine—from 75 mg to as much as 505 mg per serving. The latter is equivalent in caffeine to drinking thirteen colas in one shot, and a growing number of experts say that’s just way too much. Roland Griffiths, a neuroscientist and researcher at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, wrote the letter which was signed by medical experts and sent it to the FDA this month. The FDA would not comment on the petition, but says many of the energy drinks are marketed as supplements, so they aren’t required to regulate them. The letter to the FDA was sent out just after Griffiths and two other Johns Hopkins researchers published a review of caffeinated energy drink safety in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. They found that although over-the-counter stimulants like NoDoz pills, which contain 100 mg of caffeine, carry a warning label, energy drinks like Wired X505 (505 mg), Fixx (500 mg) and Cocaine (280 mg), among others, do not.

WHAT IT MEANS: Caffeine can cause heart palpitations, nervousness and sleeplessness, but it has also been associated with serious conditions like depression, antisocial personality disorder, alcohol dependence, and drug use. Everyone reacts to caffeine differently, but people who don’t have a sensitivity to it can generally tolerate 300 to 400 mg a day. That’s about three or four cups of coffee. Most of the mainstream energy drink brands, like Red Bull or Monster, have about 80 mg of per serving, which is comparable to a cup of coffee. It’s probably best to stay away from drinks with higher levels, and if the manufacturer doesn’t specify the caffeine amount on the label, avoid that drink.

Drinks containing caffeine and herbal blends are riskier. “Energy drinks that include poorly researched plant-herbal extracts, like yohimbe or milk thistle, or combinations of extracts, should be treated with caution. There is as yet little research regarding the interactive effects of these substances when combined with caffeine,” says Kathleen Miller, PhD, principal investigator, Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo.

Here’s what to do next time you need an energy boost:

• Take steps. Walking briskly for as little as 10 minutes a day can clear your head and provide an energy boost.

• Go agave. Don’t let your sweetener cause crash-and-burn syndrome: try cactus-derived agave syrup instead of sugar to sweeten your coffee or tea. It has half the calories, and because it digests slowly it won’t cause swings in energy.

• Check the label. If you absolutely crave an energy drink, “The safest route is to look for a brand with relatively low caffeine, few secondary herbal ingredients, and little or no sugar,” Miller says.

• Don’t add alcohol. Red Bull and vodka don’t mix: drinking alcohol and energy drinks together can make you feel more stimulated and awake, which could make you drink more and get even more intoxicated.