to Drink or Not to Drink?...THAT is the Question

Source: http://www.healthzone.ca/health/dietfitness/article/783496--caffeine-gets-okay-in-non-cola-drinks

I was reading the newspaper yesterday morning, and stumbled upon the above article. In accordance to this article, Health Canada has deemed the use of caffeine as a food additive in all carbonated beverages (not just colas) acceptable if their concentrations do not exceed 150 parts per million, as no health concerns has been detected at such levels of consumption. The article also notes that the maximum caffeine concentration in colas is 200 parts per million, thus allowing beverage companies to fall only slightly behind cola companies in terms of their caffeine concentrations. Furthermore, the article states that although consumption at 150 parts per million is usually of no concern, the consumption of caffeine at exceeding levels (above 400 milligrams of caffeine per day) can cause symptoms such as insomnia, headaches, irritability, dehydration and nervousness. Pregnant women are also not encouraged to consume a high level of caffeine containing beverages, as caffeine can actually lead to miscarriages and low birth weight infants. In terms of children and adolescents, depending on their weights, they too are not recommended to consume caffeine at specified high levels. Lastly, the article notes that Health Canada is urging soft drink manufacturers to voluntarily list the total caffeine contents in their products so that consumers can make informed decisions when purchasing beverages, and manage the amount of caffeine consumed.

After reading this article, I was a little shocked to say the least, and not in a good way either. I could not believe that Health Canada, one of the supposedly most trusted sources of information related to healthcare in Canada, deemed the caffeination of all carbonated beverages as acceptable. I mean sure, I am glad that there is a limit on exactly how much caffeine is allowed to be added to these beverages, but with all the health concerns related to caffeine consumption (i.e. in pregnant women), why are they still allowing other non-cola beverage companies to add caffeine to their drinks? Yes, only approximately 400 milligrams of caffeine a day would truly cause health concerns, but with caffeine being added to almost every single beverage that many of us consume on a daily basis, it could quite possibly add up to dangerous levels. What is even funnier is that they are “urging” beverage companies to “voluntarily” state the caffeine concentration of their products on their labels so that consumers can make informed decisions. Do they honestly believe that just because they “urge” the beverage companies to state the caffeine concentrations of their products, that they will actually do so? Most of the companies will probably just ignore this and continue on with their daily operations, especially since this action is completely voluntary. No regulations have even been passed controlling caffeine labelling on products, which means that consumers most likely will not even know how much caffeine they are truly consuming on a daily basis, allowing caffeine consumption to reach dangerously high levels even more readily. I feel like they are not truly trying to assist in the prevention of health-related issues, but more so waiting for some type of mishap too occur before they are willing to actually do something about it.

Furthermore, I find it interesting that they would first state caffeine consumption below a certain level as being acceptable, yet also tell the public that caffeine consumption can cause harm if consumed in excess (above 400 milligrams). At the same time, Health Canada has also consistently discouraged the consumption of soft drinks because of the added sugars and calories found in such beverages. I feel like they are sending the public mixed messages because they appear to be saying that the consumption of soft drinks below a certain level of caffeine is okay, but the consumption of soft drinks is not encouraged anyways because of the added calories and sugars found in them. Confused yet? I know I was, as I soon found myself wondering whether consuming soft drinks is okay or not. At this rate, I think I will just stick to drinking water all day, as it seems like the safest and healthiest thing to do.