Generation Gap or Food Politics? The Complexities of Caffeine

There are number of issues within the politics of food that are always interesting: Organic Vs GMO, soft drinks in schools - and my own personal favorite, coffee Vs energy drinks.

In Huffington Post today is such an article by Matthew Edlund MD. His observations are as follows:

Coffee is an important social lubricant: Energy Drinks are for loners
Coffee comes from trees: Energy Drinks are chemical creations
Coffee is for everyone: Energy Drinks are for teens

But "Used regularly all such drinks create caffeinism, the addiction to caffeine which can move from the buzzing speed of the addict to the withdrawal hell of headaches, nausea, vomiting and terrifying sleeplessness." All this is used to support his thesis that we get too little rest.

While I have some sympathy for his view that, we are all busy... but believing that consumers have no understanding on how to use caffeine is naive. Consumers are well aware of the caffeine in their beverages.

But also thinking that there is no sociability to caffeine drinks is false. Red Bull is drunk just about in every night club around the world. And there are plenty of 7 Eleven parking lots in Arizona where friends are drinking their Monster together.

Now, if we were talking about 5 Hour Energy... well, that is a different discussion.

Welcome to the L Shaped Recovery...

Nielsen analysis is saying that its unlikely that any significant recovery will occur until more people get back to work. Until then as opposed to a V shaped recovery (steep increases in confidence etc) we will get the L shaped recovery.

And its not even an issue of lack of credit anymore. Nielsen believes that credit is available - but its at such a price that no-one is interested - or has the confidence to borrow.

And simultaneously, earnings reports remain strong, and financial services are back in the black in a big way...

It all seems to be out of balance...

Gourmet Soda in New York

There are some really interesting things going in Boheminan NYC - a movement that the New York magazine is calling "Noveau Soda" - but its really a throwback to the days of drugs store prepared soda.

There places in Bed-Stuy, Carrol Gardens and the east village...

Must say that this does look interesting. Anyone up for a tour?

Simple

Interesting report from Mintel that products are getting "simpler" ie fewer ingredients. This is a logical extension of the natural trend (which has just entered its 20h year) and a desire from consumers to avoid highly processed foods.

Alcohol Info

Really interesting information from Gallup on the alcoholic preferences of Americans. Overall we now have the highest penetration of alcoholic beverages in last 15 years.

While Gallup does not go into the causes for this, you would imagine that a combination of the poor state of the economy, the increasing variety and kinds of alcohol and competitive pricing are encouraging consumption even as health and wellness trends may mitigate against them. 

 The additional detail provided is also interesting. While beer remains the dominant beverage, there is an increasing interest in wine across all demos. It is also interesting to see that spirits have an almost uniform interest across the demographics.

Obesity and Soda.

A study by UAB was released today saying that there is no direct correlation between consumption of sugary drinks and obesity.

Anyone out there surprised?

It does appear that we as a society have sought a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition - and weight loss. From the food pyramid to the Atkins diet, we seek a single over-arching philosophy that will our stomachs to satiety and our bodies to six-packs and thin waists.

But these approaches seem extreme and simplistic. In reality the personal genes and metabolism of each individual hold the keys to a healthy diet. Right now we get to our ideal state by trial and error experimentation. But it is likely that within a few years, a simple assessment of an individual's DNA will be all that is needed.

So no decisive link between sugar and obesity. The tax lobby loses a key argument... And the rest of us have to continue to look for our own nutritional answers elsewhere.

The Worst 20

 1 Sierra Nevada Bigfoot = 1 case of Michelob Ultra

Always love a good "worst" list: here are the top (or should that be bottom?) 20 most harmful beverages in the USA.

Enjoy...