Dissolve Energy Strips Contain Questionable Ingredients: May 2011

Kyle Stack for www.weightwatchers.com. May 6, 2011
Includes Maye's quotes

I found a great statistic the other day, via Consumer Reports, that U.S. consumers spent 26.7 billion dollars on dietary supplements in 2009. Americans certainly are concerned about their health. Yet not every product may actually provide the benefits consumers think. I've found this to be the case for one energy-boosting product endorsed by NBA stars LeBron James and Amar'e Stoudemire which reported for ESPN.com's The Life.
 
Purebrands LLC's Sheets dissolvable energy strips are promoted to athletes as a healthy alternative to sports drinks and energy bars. The product is labeled as a dietary supplement on its packaging, and the brand's website promotes its health benefits. It contains no calories, no sugars and is stocked with vitamins E and B. All good, right? Not according to a pair of trusted dietitians whom I emailed after reading the strip's ingredients, none of which I could pronounce. (That's usually considered a bad thing since they're chemicals with often unknown health consequences.)

Roberta Anding, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, dismisses the idea that a zero-calorie, vitamin-laden product can boost energy. "Vitamins do not provide energy; energy comes only from calories," Anding says. An alternative to this supplement that she recommends is coffee or tea, since each is a stimulant and contains antioxidants.

Don't forget about food, either. One ounce of almonds matches the 40 percent daily value (DV) of Vitamin E that's found in Sheets, according to Maye Musk, MS, RD, a New York City-based dietitian. And almonds are just as convenient to carry as these energy strips.

Sheets contains 200 percent DV of Vitamin B6 and B12. That must look impressive to consumers. However, Musk says one cup of fortified cereal has 125 percent of B6's DV and three ounces of trout hold 90 percent of B12's DV. The point is people can get most or all of their daily DV for these vitamins from types of food that have other healthy benefits.

People have a choice. They can buy dietary supplements hoping they work, or they can make educated, healthy food choices. These strips certainly are convenient and provide the energy boost one gets from a cup of coffee. (The label states that, underneath a warning about overuse.) I just hope folks don't sacrifice their healthy eating habits for convenience.