Reading Room

Resources & Information

The reading room includes articles and videos of potential interest to consumers and medical professionals. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the NC Medical Board, its members, and staff. Note: Some links may require registration or subscription.

Why new wellness-branded energy drinks have health experts worried

STATNews
May 13, 2025
You don’t need to look further than a can of Alani Nu (center stage in the above illustration) to see that the $22 billion energy drink industry has gotten a makeover. Long dominated by labels like Monster and Red Bull that use extreme sports swagger to appeal to young men, the industry is tapping into the aesthetics of health and wellness to reach new demographics and continue its exponential growth.

But it’s not just aesthetics. Many of the newer brands tout “better for you ingredients,” STAT’s Sarah Todd reports, from biotin to lion’s mane mushrooms. Despite the magical powers one might assume “lion’s mane mushrooms” have, many energy drinks still contain supercharged doses of caffeine that are particularly risky for children, teenagers, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people with underlying heart conditions. Health experts say the new wellness-themed marketing may be worsening consumer confusion over the risks.

The EPA will likely gut team that studies health risks from chemicals

WIRED
May 12, 2025
In early May, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would split up the agency’s main arm devoted to scientific research. According to a report from NPR, scientists at the 1,500-person Office of Research and Development were told to apply to roughly 500 new scientific research positions that would be sprinkled into other areas of the agency—and to expect further cuts to their organization in the weeks to come.

This reorganization threatens the existence of a tiny but crucial program housed within this office: the Integrated Risk Information System Program, commonly referred to as IRIS. This program is responsible for providing independent research on the risks of chemicals, helping other offices within the agency set regulations for chemicals and compounds that could pose a danger to human health. The program’s leader departed recently, ahead of the restructuring announcement.