If you spend any amount of time surfing the web, you've probably seen lots of advertisements for a new type of energy drink/supplement called "FRS Healthy Energy". I mean, the ads are everywhere these days... especially the ones featuring American sports hero Lance Armstrong! The products are available at health food/supplement stores like GNC, and you can also order them directly from the company.Since I'm a big fan of energy supplements and drinks, I decided to look for some reviews. Surprisingly, there aren't that many out there. And several of the ones I found looked like they might be "fake" reviews, possibly planted by people who want to promote/market this new product. Of course there's no way to know for sure...
The FRS products are all based on the antioxidant quercetin as well as green tea extract (which I know for a fact is a good "mild" natural energy booster). They also contain B vitamins and the amino acid taurine, which can be found in almost all energy drinks and many supplements. Finally, they throw in some vitamin C, vitamin E, panax gingseng, gingko biloba, and -- course -- caffeine... again, all commonly found in many energy products. Nothing too extraordinary or "new". But maybe they've found just the right "mix" of antioxidants, vitamins, herbs, and other natural ingredients that provide a sustained energy boost without the typical "crash" of most energy products.
Just from looking at the main FRS site and their marketing messages, it looks like they are really focusing on the apparent energy-boosting properties of quercetin. The problem with this is that studies show that quercetin has a very low bioavailability once ingested, and most of it is simply flushed out of the system within a short amount of time. Of course, it is possible that one or more of the many other ingredients included in the FRS products increases the effectiveness of the quercetin.
Personally, I'm an energy fiend. I take all forms of energy boosters. My daily caffeine intake alone is probably way off the charts. I'm always on the lookout for new and better products that boost energy... especially "healthy" products that aren't packed with sugars and caffeine. Most days I take an herbal timed-release energy supplement (B vitamins, natural caffeine, green tea extract, yerba mate, etc.) along with some extra green tea extract and usually large amounts of coffee, tea, and/or diet cola. I would definitely like to know if the FRS Healthy Energy drinks, powders, and "chews" would be a good addition to my daily energy supplementation routine.
The bottom line is that FRS is designed and marketed to appeal to the large (and growing) group of people who are looking for a healthier alternative to coffee, colas, "old school" energy drinks, and caffeine pills. This includes everyone from young athletes to college students to aging baby-boomers to elderly senior citizens. But, while the high antioxidant content in the products is probably pretty healthy, the question stills remains: do the FRS Healthy Energy drinks, powders, and chews actually work? Also, are they worth the money?
If anyone has any reviews for the FRS energy products, please leave them in the comments section below. Thank you!
Update 2/10: Is FRS The Best Energy Supplement Ever?
Related info:
Energy In A Bottle--And More?
FRS Healthy Energy Review on About
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