In her column, Washington Post nutrition columnist Jennifer LaRue Huget recently highlighted opportunities for both physical activity and nutrition including marathons, yoga classes and advice on the value of vegetables.

When it comes to nutrition, there’s lots of information out there and sometimes it can be hard to sift through. What we know for sure is that the key to living a healthy, active and balanced lifestyle is consuming a variety of foods and beverages in  moderation along with engaging in regular physical activity. We hope our readers are succeeding in staying healthy – particularly during National Nutrition Month.

First, whether categorized as a conventional food or as a dietary supplement, all energy drinks and their ingredients are regulated by FDA.  This is true for energy drinks as well as any other food or beverage. The activists claiming otherwise are not being forthright.

Caffeine, a core ingredient of energy drinks, is one of the most thoroughly tested ingredients in the food supply today.  Its use has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as more than 140 countries around the world.

And when it comes to caffeine, it’s important to put the facts in perspective when it comes to energy drinks.  Energy drinks contain about half the caffeine of a similar size cup of coffee you would buy at your favorite coffeehouse.  In fact, young adults getting coffee from popular coffeehouses are getting about twice as much caffeine as they would from a similar size energy drink.

But most importantly, government data shows that children and teens are not large consumers of energy drinks – undermining a fundamental attack leveled by “the study of the day.”  According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination (NHANES) Survey, the caffeine consumed from energy drinks for those under the age of 18 is less than the caffeine derived from all other sources including soft drinks, coffee and teas. And total caffeine consumption from energy drinks among pre-teens is nearly zero.  In fact, the data show that caffeine consumption from energy drinks for children and teens, on average, is far less than even one can of an energy drink per day.

ABA and our member companies encourage all consumers to stay informed about the products they consume.  Reading the nutrition facts panel and heeding the voluntary advisory statements that many of our members place on their product labels is important.

We’ll be straight with you. Energy drinks contain a good dose of caffeine. So, those who are sensitive to caffeine – or aren’t regular consumers of caffeine – should keep that in mind. In other words, take the same common sense approach you would take with coffee.

For more information on energy drinks, visit our Energy Drinks product page at: www.ameribev.org/minisites/products/.

In a news release issued last week, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stated that this week “reminds us how important it is that our children be healthy and active, that they not go hungry, and that they have access to nutritious meals.”  We agree.

In fact, in an effort to improve nutritional standards for children in schools, our industry has worked with distinguished Members of Congress over the last few years on this very issue as it relates to beverages in school vending machines.  We have already delivered on our commitment to change the beverage landscape in schools with our national School Beverage Guidelines, which have removed full-calorie soft drinks and replaced them with more lower-calorie, nutritious, smaller-portion beverage options.  With the guidelines, our companies have slashed beverage calories shipped to schools by a dramatic 88 percent since 2004.  Under the voluntary guidelines, 100 percent juice, low-fat milk and bottled water are allowed in elementary and middle schools, with the addition of diet beverages and calorie-capped sports drinks, flavored waters and teas in high schools.

These guidelines are having a meaningful impact on our nation’s schoolchildren, and we are proud to be doing our part.

As U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, stood alongside Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., and representatives from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Beverage Association, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Dietetic Association, American Heart Association, The Coca-Cola Company, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Mars Inc., National PTA, Nestlé and PepsiCo, those in the room could feel the excitement over what has been decades of commitment to bringing school nutrition standards into the 21st century. In fact, during her remarks, Chairman Lincoln compared the build-up to this momentous occasion to someone trying to open a pickle jar. You keep turning and turning the lid – to no avail. Then, all of a sudden, someone else comes along and gives it a turn and voila – the lid comes off. This was a nod to the years of dedication and hard work by Sen. Harkin as former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

ABA President and CEO Susan Neely acknowledged the hard work of Sens. Blanche Lincoln, Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Tom Harkin, as well as Reps. George Miller, D-Calif., and Lynn Woolsey, for their bi-partisan leadership on school nutrition. Over the last few years, our industry has worked with these distinguished Members of Congress on child nutrition as it pertains to the vending of beverages in schools. So yesterday was a long time coming – and a notable achievement.

Our industry has long been a leader in school health and wellness. In fact, the beverage industry has spent the past several years implementing national School Beverage Guidelines that remove full-calorie soft drinks from schools across America and replace them with lower-calorie, smaller-portion beverages. This initiative has resulted in 88 percent fewer beverage calories available in schools. As ABA President and CEO Susan Neely stated in a press release issued yesterday, “We believe this standard, which is already implemented and working, provides a strong cornerstone for developing a new federal nutrition standard for all foods and beverages sold in schools.”

So we look forward to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s review of all foods and beverages in schools – and to further opportunities to work together to advance nutrition in schools across America. Our School Beverage Guidelines are proof of our commitment to this issue.

In light of this article, we at Sip & Savor thought we would use today’s post to respond to a few of the allegations regarding sugar as it pertains to the products made by our industry:

• First of all, let’s address HFCS – or high fructose corn syrup.  The name is really a misnomer. HFCS is not fructose nor is it high in fructose. HFCS is simply a liquid sweetener made from corn with a similar composition to sucrose – what we commonly call table sugar. You can learn more about HFCS on our products issue site or on a Web site developed by the Corn Refiners Association, SweetSurprise.com.
• When it comes to the caloric contribution of beverages to the American diet, today’s article had some outdated information. In fact, according to a National Cancer Institute of government data that was presented to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee just last year, the combined category of soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and sweetened bottled water contribute only 5.5 percent of the calories in the American diet.  That means 94.5 percent of calories come from other foods and beverages.  Assuming a 2,000 calorie diet, this means that the combined categories of beverages listed above provide about 110 calories per day – that’s less than one 12-ounce can of soda.
• Calories from beverages uniquely promote weight gain.  Myth.  So what’s the fact?  Consuming too many calories from anything, even apples, can lead to weight gain.  There is nothing unique about the calories in beverages.  What matters is balancing the calories we get from foods and beverages with those we burn through physical activity.  And if you’re trying to cut back on the calories you’re taking in, our industry provides a wide variety of no- and low-calorie options.  In fact, according to Beverage Marketing Corporation data, beverage calories in the marketplace have decreased by 21 percent over the last decade due to this innovation.
• Sugar-sweetened beverages uniquely contribute to negative health outcomes.  Again, like many foods, soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are a source of calories.  But in and of themselves, they are not a unique risk factor for obesity or other negative health outcomes, such as heart disease or diabetes.  In fact, according to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes has many known risk factors, including family history, age, weight gain, central adiposity, ethnicity and incidence of gestational diabetes – nowhere in this list of risk factors is consuming sugar-sweetened beverages.  When it comes to heart disease, the American Heart Association notes that the major risk factors are increasing age, gender (being male), genetics (including race) and being overweight.  Again, consuming sugar-sweetened beverages is not a risk factor.
• And while some try to point the finger at added sugars, saying Americans’ added sugars intake has greatly increased over time, this is simply not true.  In fact, added sugars intake has changed very little in the last 15 years or so.  This is supported by Economic Research Service data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

So where does this leave us?  Hopefully with a little more knowledge about sugars.  After all, sugar is sugar.