energy drinks

Energy drinks have created quite a buzz over the last few years, but as it turns out, energy drinks have a little competition from the chill-out section. According to Lynn Dornblaser, from the global consumer product and market research company Mintel, relaxation drinks are the new trendy bevvie. The majority of the US population is stressed out, so people have been turning to drinks claiming to offer relaxation perks.

That's right, more than 70 of these kinds of stress-reducing drinks — including Be Happy, Unwind, and iChill — have debuted in the past three years. Active ingredients include everything from melatonin, a sleep inducing hormone, to amino acids, which is thought to reduce stress. But the effects of the drinks are highly subjective and not thoroughly researched.

One international food and drink consulting firm projected the growth rate for this new group of drinks in 2011 alone is a staggering 38 percent. I'll be sticking to my herbal teas and deep breathing techniques to reduce my stress levels. What about you?

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Are you up for trying this new wave of Zen-branded drinks?

Yes. I am curious.

No. I will stick with tea.

I have tried one, and I will tell you what I think below.

I consider myself a big fan of True Blood and Twilight, but I'm beginning to think the whole vampire craze has gone too far. I recently came across a blood energy drink and I've been creeped out ever since.

Blood Energy Potion ($6) is the same color and consistency of blood and it comes packaged in an IV bag. Besides an four-hour energy complex, it contains iron, protein, and electrolytes. It's suppose to mimic blood right down to its nutritional value.

This drink lets you play blood-thirsty vampire except you don't have to go out and kill anyone, and your blood is fruit punch flavored. I can't see myself sipping on synthetic blood, but it might be kind of hilarious to see someone drinking this at the gym. What do you think of this latest gimmick in energy drinks?

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Blood Energy Potion: Cool or Not?

Cool

Not Cool

There's a ton of energy boosting stuff out there — drinks, bars, gels, and chews, to name a few. Now there's D-Mix, an energy elixir that tries to set itself apart by billing itself as the "world's first customizable energy elixir." D-Mix comes in coffee and mint flavors and is a concentrated liquid serum, which, according to the website, you can pump into just about anything. They even provide non-alcoholic cocktail recipes that they think D-Mix will complement.

Each one-ounce bottle of D-Mix contains:

• 400 mg of energy (caffeine and guarana)
• 14 vitamins and minerals
• 5,000 mg of antioxidants
• 50,000 percent of vitamin B12
• 21 amino acids
• 23 fruits and herbs including acai and goji berries

We tried the mixes in our office, first on their own and then in water. Given all the stuff they're made of, I was surprised they weren't too medicinal tasting. Instead, they were similar to children's chewable vitamins, but with a fake-sugar aftertaste that sits on your tongue for a while. I think if diluted enough you'd probably not taste much of the flavor at all.

There's a little chart on the back of the bottle for the amount of liquid you should pump into your drink depending on your weight, but the idea is you can take in as little or as much as you want depending on your needs.

I can see how this product might take off, since the needs of a six-foot-tall bodybuilder are probably different than my own. But the slick marketing campaign and flashy packaging has me wondering if this is bad media hype. Would you use D-Mix?

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D-Mix Energy Elixir: Cool or Not?

Cool.

Not cool.