Caffeine

Amid increasing scrutiny of the fast-growing energy drink industry, federal health officials are investigating reports that five people have died since 2009 after consuming Monster Beverage Corp.'s energy drinks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it hadn't established a link between Monster energy drinks and the reports it has received concerning five deaths and another non-fatal heart attack. The government inquiry comes after a Maryland couple sued the Corona company last week in California for negligence and wrongful death in connection with the death of their 14-year-old daughter, Anais Fournier.

I've always been intrigued by the energy-drink market -- and people's willingness to pay a premium for what's basically sweetened coffee. New York's attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, apparently has the same misgivings. He's investigating whether the $9-billion energy-drink industry is duping consumers with misstatements about the ingredients and health value of its products. Makers of the drinks, including PepsiCo and Monster Beverage Corp., say the pep potions boost energy with a mix of additives like B vitamins, taurine and ginseng.

Residues on pottery cups indicate that residents of the pre-Columbian site of Cahokia, near what is now St. Louis, brewed a strong tea from the leaves and branches of holly, researchers reported Monday. The discovery represents the oldest use of the so-called Black Drink in North America and, because the shrub itself is normally found only along the East and Gulf coasts, suggests the existence of well-established trade routes linking wide areas of the continent. Cahokia was a massive settlement near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.

AeroShot Pure Energy, the inhalable caffeine product that went on sale last month, will be investigated by Food and Drug Administration officials concerned about whether it's safe for consumers. Breathable Foods, the company that makes the powder and the yellow and gray canisters it's delivered in, said in a statement that AeroShot is “a safe, effective product that complies with FDA regulations.” The buzzy item is being sold in convenience stores and other retailers in Massachusetts, New York and France as a $2.99 dietary supplement - a classification that the FDA also will investigate.

If losing weight was one of your New Year's resolutions, you might already be growing weary of counting calories and working out. Wouldn't it be great if you could slim down without so much effort? Anyone looking for a shortcut to weight loss might be tempted to try one of many supplements that claim to burn fat and boost metabolism. These products often contain a not-especially-exotic ingredient that's already a staple of the American lifestyle: caffeine. The morning coffee drinkers at Dunkin' Donuts notwithstanding, caffeine has a strong reputation as a weight-loss aid. The stimulant is one of the key ingredients of Zantrex-3, the popular weight-loss supplement from Zoller Laboratories, based in Salt Lake City.

Compared with uncaffeinated women, those who drank the equivalent of four or more cups of coffee a day are more likely to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes and less likely to volunteer their time in church or community groups. But a new study finds that well-caffeinated women have a key health advantage over their more abstemious sisters: they're less likely to become depressed. In the back-and-forth world of research on caffeine's effects, the latest study suggests that women who get several jolts of java a day may do more than get a quick boost: their mental health may see sustained improvement even as the physical stresses of aging accumulate.

I live with people who salt their pancakes and water down the fabric softener and fill daily life with their own peculiar ways, every one of them. We have the sorts of kids who fall down abandoned wells and post YouTube videos about it. It makes for some very interesting weekends. The dog, whom I legally married the other day for tax purposes, is the only sane one among them, though you will occasionally catch him licking something off the couch. What sort of person does that, licks unknown splotches from a couch?

Caffeine--some people can't live with it, and others can't live without it. Join a live Web chat on Monday, Aug. 1, at 11 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. CT, 2 p.m. EST) and learn how this substance can affect your body, your health and your athletic performance. Chatting with readers will be registered dietitian Ruth Frechman, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Assn. and author of the upcoming book "The Food Is My Friend Diet. " Frechman is also the founder of "On the Weigh," a nutrition consulting business, as well as an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer.

Some people can't start the day without a cup of coffee, knowing that the caffeine will see them through at least a few hours. Learn about the pros and cons of this popular stimulant in a live Web chat with registered dietitian Ruth Frechman Monday, Aug. 1 at 11 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. CT, 2 p.m. ET). Frechman is a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Assn. and the founder of "On the Weigh," a nutrition consulting business in Burbank. Considering the number of people we see chugging coffee at the gym, we wondered whether it was OK to have a caffeinated beverage just before a workout.

Hey, boys and girls, it's free Slurpee day at 7-Eleven stores! To celebrate the company's sort-of birthday (check the date - it's 7/11. Get it?) the company is giving away 7.11-ounce Slurpees at participating stores. But because this is a blog about health we couldn't let this auspicious occasion pass without letting you know what you'll be sucking down if you give in to the Slurpee. Most 8-ounce Slurpees weigh at in about 70 calories, which isn't too bad in the grand scheme of things, provided you don't pair it with a couple of Twinkies, a bag of Doritos and some Skittles.