Page 70 - LIN_December 2022

LET’S HAVE A

DRINK

by Dave Trecker

There’s a big choice of beverages out there. Some 85% of American adults drink it. Not What else is happening in beverages?
only does it wake you up in the morning, it’s When you talk about drinking, you have
Most noticeable these days are the energy good for you, at least in moderation. got to include booze. More alcohol is being
drinks, a new wave of pick-me-ups that are Coffee’s health effects have been well doc- consumed in the United States than ever
spreading throughout the country. For peo- umented—reduction in risk of Parkinson’s before. Statistics from the National Institute
ple still reeling from COVID or struggling to disease, prostate and liver cancer, Type 2 on Alcohol Abuse put consumption at about
come to grips with inflation, an extra bump diabetes, certain types of cardiovascular dis- 2.75 gallons per person in 2021, up 17% from
during the day seems to help. Some say it ease, melanoma. The benefits come from five years ago. Beer sales are up 21% in 2022.
wards off depression. numerous ingredients in coffee, not just the But the trend toward healthier lifestyles
For whatever the reason, energy-drink sales caffeine (decaf provides essentially the same is changing things. With alcoholism on the
are up 17% from last year and 56% higher than benefits). Scientists say coffee is loaded with rise, distilleries are starting to reduce ethanol
2019. That’s pretty impressive. anti-inflammatories, as well as antioxidants concentrations in packaged drinks. PepsiCo
What are we talking about here? Beverages that disrupt cell damage, lignans that slow the and Boston Beer recently collaborated on a
laced with sugar and caffeine, but also sport- spread of cancer cells and chlorogenic acid, canned Mountain Dew beverage with 5%
ing vitamins, electrolytes, fruit extracts. Some a substance that lowers blood sugar levels. alcohol. Diageo and Brown-Forman are both
replace sugar with natural sweeteners like designing low-alcohol fruit drinks.
stevia or erythritol. Others add health fads Most of us can’t function without a cup By 2025, brewing giant Anheuser-Busch
like turmeric acid. Many have double the or two of joe, everyone’s beverage of InBev wants one-fifth of all drinks it sells to
caffeine content of a cup of coffee, yet sell for choice. Some 85% of American adults contain little or no alcohol.
half the price of a Starbucks espresso. drink it. Not only does it wake you up in How about complete abstinence? Help is
the morning, it’s good for you, at least
Everybody’s getting into the act. At first in moderation. coming there as well. Researchers have found
there was just Red Bull and Monster. Now that psilocybin, a substance in psychedelic
there’s Celsius, Bang, Mountain Dew Energy Now, to top if off, comes a study saying coffee mushrooms, sharply reduces craving for alco-
and Fast Twitch. Big players like PepsiCo are drinkers actually live longer. That’s right. hol. A study published in JAMA Psychiatry
jumping in. Consumption of 2-4 cups a day can increase reports clinical results that show psilocybin
Are the drinks good for you? Not really. your lifespan by up to 16%, add as much as substantially reduced heavy drinking and, in
The medical community says they contribute 10 years to your life. many cases, led trial participants to quit cold
to high blood pressure, arrhythmia, anxiety As you may imagine, there are all kinds of turkey.
and insomnia. caveats associated with the study—mitigating How about that? Psychedelic mushrooms.
But let’s not be too quick to judge. We cer- factors that include chronic disease, lifestyle, We’re back to the Age of Aquarius.
tainly don’t want to disparage coffee. heredity, and other things. But even the pos-
Most of us can’t function without a cup sibility of an extra 10 years is a pretty good Dr. Trecker is a chemist and retired Pfizer executive
or two of joe, everyone’s beverage of choice. excuse to keep swilling coffee. living in Naples.

70 Life in Naples December 2022