Energy drink survey - Round One

Energy drinks. They're the "new generation" in soft drinks - high in stuff which makes people more alert/energetic/whatever. Recently I decided to start a fairly pointless survey of energy drinks in New Zealand.

You might want to check out what the heck I'm drinking.

Red Bull

Can: 250ml/$3.95
Recommended dosage: 5 cans max daily (1.25 litres)
Active Ingredients: Taurine, Glucuronolactone, Caffeine, Inositol, Vitamins (Niacin, Pantothenic acid, B6, B12)
Taste: very sweet and candy-like, vaguely apple.
Caffeine content: 80mg per can

One of the ways this gives you wings is by making your wallet lighter. I suspect the main reason for the price is the fact it is (according to the can) manufactured in Austria and imported. I also suspect if someone drank 1.25 litres a day, they would never get any sleep. This drink may possibly cause hyperactive children to explode.

V

Can: 250ml/$1.99
Bottle: 350ml/$2.99
Recommended dosage: 5 cans max per day (1.25 litres)
Active Ingredients: taurine, guarana extract, Glucuronolactone, caffine, inositol, Vitamins (niacin, B6, B2, B12)
Taste: Vaguely of apples but sweeter. Not as powerfully sweet as Red Bull though.
Caffeine content per can: 0.02% (80mg, according to the web site)
Guarana content per can: 0.12%

Manufactured in NZ, this seems to be the most widely promoted energy drink. Assuming the caffeine content listed includes the caffeine content from the Guarana, should be about as effective as Red Bull, though I experienced less caffeine jitters.
I also didn't feel any need to play chicken with oncoming cars, as per various adverts...

Lift Plus

Can: 250ml/$1.99
Bottle: 350ml/$2.99
Recommended dosage: 5 cans max per day (1.25 litres)
Ingredients: caffeine, vitamin B1, guarana, ginseng, niacin
Taste: Vaguely lemon/citrus
Caffeine content per can: Unknown

Regular Lift contains 5% lemon juice. Apparently Lift Plus doesn't. The can doesn't list the caffeine content, so I went to look at web sites. www.cocacola.co.nz redirected me to the Australian site, which just had pictures of watches www.cocacola.com didn't help much more, as it didn't know what Lift Plus was. D'oh.

Ikon Energize

Can: 250ml/$1.90
Bottle: 355ml/$2.70
Recommended dosage: 2-3 cans per day (750ml)
Ingredients: taurine, guarana extract, caffeine, Inositol, ginseng extract, ginkgo biloba extract, nicotinamide, co-enzyme Q10, Vitamins (B6, B12, A, C, E)
Taste: of berries
Caffeine content: not given.

Notable because it has a twin (sold in a blue can, as opposed to red) called "Ikon Harmonize" presumably to do the opposite. Also apparently the product of a New Zealand company. (2001 Health Beverage Co Ltd)

Handy Information

The first two drinks were bought from a service station, the Ikon was from a dairy. In all cases after drinking, I was wide awake, however in some cases I was already wide awake, so no change there.

"Recommended dosage" was labeled on the can, therefore it is information given by the manufacturer. I have not listed all ingredients in each drink, just the ingredients which are supposed to have a positive effect.

It should also be noted these products have warnings about not drinking them if you are sensitive to caffeine.