Journal of Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics

Description

A functional beverage is a standard liquid food that is sold with the intention of highlighting particular product ingredients or claiming to have health benefits. Dairy drinks, sports and performance drinks, energy drinks, ready-to-drink teas, "smart" drinks, fortified fruit drinks, plant milks, and enhanced water are all examples of functional beverages.

New Markets and Needs to Investigate New Functional Brands

Wellbeing specialists are worried about the expanded utilization and ubiquity of practical drinks. Even though these drinks might help a person stay hydrated, they might not prevent obesity, heart disease or cancer. The majority of functional beverages are sweetened, and drinking sweetened beverages is linked to an increased risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease. The greater part of these beverages contains huge measures of sugars and thus calories, which would add to optional and absolute caloric admission. Because of what they contain (sugar and caffeine) or what they replace in the diet (vitamin- and mineral-rich foods), these ingredients pose health risks. People who seek health benefits from their foods and beverages frequently consume functional beverages. Convenience and health have been identified as significant considerations for consumers when making purchases of food and beverages. There are claims made about the various health benefits of functional drinks. Some, for instance, make the claim that they will improve heart health, immunity, digestion, and joint health, while others advertise that they will fill you up and give you more energy. A subsector of the functional food and non-alcoholic beverage industries is the functional beverage industry. Due in part to significant investments made by major food and beverage companies and the maturation of the carbonated soft drink industry, this segment of the industry is expanding at the fastest rate. The consumer-oriented market scheme, in which customers themselves generate innovative ideas, may also be a contributor to the industry's expansion. Functional beverages accounted for 48.9% of the $118 billion non-alcoholic market share in the United States by 2008.

Problem with marketing ethics: As of 2020, there is no scientific evidence for any specific health effects of functional beverages or for their uniform international regulation. However, a functional beverage may be promoted as a panacea or as a substance that improves performance. By acquiring smaller businesses that may have a stake in a particular market segment, larger businesses compete for market share. To increase Coca-Cola's market share, it bought Odwalla and Fuze Beverage from their founders, respectively, and Glaceau from Energy Brands. The functional beverage industry's market segments are primarily broken down into four categories. Among these are hydration; energy/rejuvenation; well-being and health and losing weight. Customers and a target market are unique to each segment. The acceptance of functional beverages by consumers is what leads to overlap between target customers, not undefined market needs. In the past ten years, energy drinks with a lot of caffeine and sugar have become increasingly popular on the beverage market in the United States and around the world. A new generation of energy drink brands with similar amounts of caffeine, calories, and sugar have emerged as a result of consumer demand. Energy drinks may contain taurine, caffeine, B vitamins, guarana, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, L-carnitine, sugars, yerba maté and creatine, among other stimulants. Even though the FDA has approved these ingredients, health experts still advise consumers to read the labels on their energy drinks because they might not be good for their health. Drinks for health and wellness account for 62.2% of total sales, followed by drinks for hydration (28%) and energy/ rejuvenation (8.4%). Drinks for weight management account for 1.2%. Consumer demographic According to a 2006 article, the functional beverage market's consumer group consists of educated females between the ages of 35 and 55 who are members of the upper middle, middle, and lower middle classes. This is thought to be because this group believes that functional drinks lead to positive health beliefs and has a lot of money to spend. According to a 2002 article, young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 are thought to be the primary target market for the energy and stimulant drink industry due to their high consumption rates. However, these target audiences may shift as a result of ongoing shifts in public perceptions of various functional beverages.

Development of Cardiac and Psychiatric Conditions

Energy drinks an energy drink is a type of beverage that is marketed as providing mental and physical stimulation (marketed as energy, but distinct from food energy) and contains stimulant compounds, typically caffeine. In addition to sugar, other sweeteners, herbal extracts, taurine, and amino acids, they may or may not be carbonated. They are distinct from sports drinks, which are advertised to improve sports performance and they are a subset of the larger category of energy products, which also includes gels and bars. In the drink category, there are numerous brands and varieties. Energy drinks typically do not include beverages with naturally occurring caffeine, such as tea or coffee. Even though cola and other soft drinks may contain caffeine, they are not considered energy drinks. Caffeine and other stimulants are present in Buckfast tonic wine and other alcoholic beverages. The Mayo Clinic states that the typical healthy adult can safely consume 400 mg of caffeine per day. This has been confirmed by a panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which also came to the conclusion that adults should not be concerned about caffeine consumption above 400 milligrams per day. This amounts to four 90-milligram cups of coffee or two and a half standard 250-milliliter cans of energy drinks, according to the ESFA. Caffeine and sugar in energy drinks have an effect, but there is little to no evidence that the many other ingredients have any effect. The presence of caffeine is primarily to blame for the majority of the effects that energy drinks have on cognitive performance, such as increased attention and reaction time. These enhancements in performance are attributed in other studies to the effects of the combination of the ingredients. Although there is no scientific consensus to support these claims, energy drink advertisements typically feature increased muscle endurance and strength. Numerous health risks have been linked to energy drinks, including an increased risk of injury when consumed in conjunction with alcohol and the development of cardiac and psychiatric conditions when consumed in excess or on a regular basis. Youth, caffeine-naive or caffeine-sensitive individuals, pregnant women, competitive athletes and individuals with underlying cardiovascular disease are populations at risk for energy drink-related complications.