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What's all the fizz about? Naughty G drinks
http://www.asiaone.com/Health/News/S...22-169208.html
Any1 tried?
By: Cheryl Tan
With a name like Naughty G and an ingredient called horny goat weed, the latest energy drink available on shelves here could easily be Austin Powers' beverage of choice.
Comedian Mike Myers' libidinous secret agent from the movie trilogy will surely approve of its raunchy advertisement posters in MRT stations. One features a man about to tear off a woman's tank top and another shows a woman's hands over a man's naked torso.
But the drink's local distributor, which is from Austria, and also called Naughty G, insists that it is not an aphrodisiac.
Company spokesman Jolene Wong said: 'This is a common misconception. Although some of Naughty G's ingredients have aphrodisiacal properties, it is an energy drink and also a supplement that claims to boost vitality and improve the body's performance.'
Horny goat weed, a natural herb found in Asia and the Mediterranean region, is one of these aphrodisiacal ingredients, according to health websites.
While its name may raise chuckles, less amusing is how Naughty G's unconventional mix of ingredients has made some Western and Eastern doctors LifeStyle spoke to wary about going into detail on its effects due to the lack of scientific research about the ingredients.
Imported here from Austria since July, the drink boasts a potent-sounding concoction made up of horny goat weed, Korean ginseng, ginkgo biloba, tribulus terrestris, and a mysterious 'miracle molecule' L-Arginine, which claims to boost energy, stamina and performance.
Popular energy drinks here such as Red Bull and Shark contain only caffeine, sucrose or sugar and taurine, an amino acid that supposedly helps to improve athletic performance.
Naughty G is targeted at young professionals, university students, clubbers, athletes and gym regulars.
Experts are sceptical of Naughty G's claims.
Mr Khoo Eng Lim, director of the School of the Humanities and Alternative Medicine, dismisses the ingredients as gimmicks.
He said while ginseng, ginkgo and horny goat weed were generally believed to increase mental alertness and boost energy, each ingredient comprises only 0.08 per cent of the drink.
'The distributors probably decided to hype it up so that people would buy it,' he said.
He has no idea what the remaining two ingredients, tribulus terrestris and L-Arginine, are and how they boost energy.
According to About.com, a health website owned by The New York Times Company, tribulus terrestris is a Chinese and Indian traditional herb that is often used to treat infertility, erectile dysfunction and low libido.
Award-winning health website Mayoclinic.com says L-Arginine is an amino acid that supplements protein in the body. It is also used to treat erectile dysfunction as well as chest pains and clogged arteries.
The website also claims that horny goat weed is known to possess aphrodisiacal properties.
Like Red Bull and Shark, Naughty G comes with a caution to drink no more than two cans a day. It also advises children, pregnant or lactating women, and those who have suffered from heart problems to abstain from the drink.
Mr Khoo said that energy drinks usually boost blood circulation and speed up heart rates, which is not advisable for people with heart problems.
Dr Stanley Liew, an endocrinologist at Raffles Hospital, said pregnant women should stay away from energy drinks because they could result in raised blood sugar levels that might lead to problems for the mother and baby.
He said the claims of energy drinks that promise performance-enhancing effects are unproven.
He added that energy drinks, which are high in caffeine and sugar, can cause insomnia, heart palpitations, nervousness and an elevation in blood pressure.
As for the mix of ingredients in Naughty G, he said: 'There is no robust scientific evidence to indicate that the ingredients are effective.'
The drink, which comes in four flavours - Original, Cola, Green Tea and Sugar- free, had no discernible effect on this reporter who does not drink coffee or tea.
Its recommended retail price is $3.10 and is available at major supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies and various restaurants and nightclubs.
Close to 50,000 cans have been sold here since its launch in July.
Speaking about energy drinks, Ms Nehal Kamdar, senior dietitian at Raffles Hospital, advised parents to monitor what their children drink. Research has shown that children who consume two or more cans of energy drinks a day may become irritable and anxious.
Dietitian Alvin Wong from Changi General Hospital also urged the public to be cautious where herbal remedies are concerned as they are not regulated as strictly as medicinal products.
He said: 'We do not know what adverse effects there might be if there are any interactions between the different herbal extracts.'
This article was first published in The Business Times
Any1 tried?
By: Cheryl Tan
With a name like Naughty G and an ingredient called horny goat weed, the latest energy drink available on shelves here could easily be Austin Powers' beverage of choice.
Comedian Mike Myers' libidinous secret agent from the movie trilogy will surely approve of its raunchy advertisement posters in MRT stations. One features a man about to tear off a woman's tank top and another shows a woman's hands over a man's naked torso.
But the drink's local distributor, which is from Austria, and also called Naughty G, insists that it is not an aphrodisiac.
Company spokesman Jolene Wong said: 'This is a common misconception. Although some of Naughty G's ingredients have aphrodisiacal properties, it is an energy drink and also a supplement that claims to boost vitality and improve the body's performance.'
Horny goat weed, a natural herb found in Asia and the Mediterranean region, is one of these aphrodisiacal ingredients, according to health websites.
While its name may raise chuckles, less amusing is how Naughty G's unconventional mix of ingredients has made some Western and Eastern doctors LifeStyle spoke to wary about going into detail on its effects due to the lack of scientific research about the ingredients.
Imported here from Austria since July, the drink boasts a potent-sounding concoction made up of horny goat weed, Korean ginseng, ginkgo biloba, tribulus terrestris, and a mysterious 'miracle molecule' L-Arginine, which claims to boost energy, stamina and performance.
Popular energy drinks here such as Red Bull and Shark contain only caffeine, sucrose or sugar and taurine, an amino acid that supposedly helps to improve athletic performance.
Naughty G is targeted at young professionals, university students, clubbers, athletes and gym regulars.
Experts are sceptical of Naughty G's claims.
Mr Khoo Eng Lim, director of the School of the Humanities and Alternative Medicine, dismisses the ingredients as gimmicks.
He said while ginseng, ginkgo and horny goat weed were generally believed to increase mental alertness and boost energy, each ingredient comprises only 0.08 per cent of the drink.
'The distributors probably decided to hype it up so that people would buy it,' he said.
He has no idea what the remaining two ingredients, tribulus terrestris and L-Arginine, are and how they boost energy.
According to About.com, a health website owned by The New York Times Company, tribulus terrestris is a Chinese and Indian traditional herb that is often used to treat infertility, erectile dysfunction and low libido.
Award-winning health website Mayoclinic.com says L-Arginine is an amino acid that supplements protein in the body. It is also used to treat erectile dysfunction as well as chest pains and clogged arteries.
The website also claims that horny goat weed is known to possess aphrodisiacal properties.
Like Red Bull and Shark, Naughty G comes with a caution to drink no more than two cans a day. It also advises children, pregnant or lactating women, and those who have suffered from heart problems to abstain from the drink.
Mr Khoo said that energy drinks usually boost blood circulation and speed up heart rates, which is not advisable for people with heart problems.
Dr Stanley Liew, an endocrinologist at Raffles Hospital, said pregnant women should stay away from energy drinks because they could result in raised blood sugar levels that might lead to problems for the mother and baby.
He said the claims of energy drinks that promise performance-enhancing effects are unproven.
He added that energy drinks, which are high in caffeine and sugar, can cause insomnia, heart palpitations, nervousness and an elevation in blood pressure.
As for the mix of ingredients in Naughty G, he said: 'There is no robust scientific evidence to indicate that the ingredients are effective.'
The drink, which comes in four flavours - Original, Cola, Green Tea and Sugar- free, had no discernible effect on this reporter who does not drink coffee or tea.
Its recommended retail price is $3.10 and is available at major supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies and various restaurants and nightclubs.
Close to 50,000 cans have been sold here since its launch in July.
Speaking about energy drinks, Ms Nehal Kamdar, senior dietitian at Raffles Hospital, advised parents to monitor what their children drink. Research has shown that children who consume two or more cans of energy drinks a day may become irritable and anxious.
Dietitian Alvin Wong from Changi General Hospital also urged the public to be cautious where herbal remedies are concerned as they are not regulated as strictly as medicinal products.
He said: 'We do not know what adverse effects there might be if there are any interactions between the different herbal extracts.'
This article was first published in The Business Times
. So got freebies for sampling
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