This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Smart drinks is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
Smart drinks, also known as nootropic drinks, are beverages made from a mix of fruit juices, vitamins, herbal supplements, and a variety of amino acid supplements.
History
The consumption of smart drinks and "smart drugs" began in the early 1980s when baby boomers started using because they believed these products would improve job performance and give them a competitive edge in the workplace. The popularity of smart drinks peaked during the early 1990s, as all-night techno and house music parties took place, events of the underground dance culture at the time, known as "raves." Rave enthusiasts preferred drugs such as Ecstasy, methamphetamine, ketamine, or "poppers" to alcohol. Instead of drinking alcoholic beverages at raves, the dancers would drink smart drinks. Smart drinks not only held a novelty factor for the vibrant social subculture, but they also helped rave promoters by eliminating the need to secure alcohol sales permits and therefore allowed raves to be held outside of the traditional nightclub, bar or pub scene.
Smart drink ingredients often include substances such as DL-phenylalanine or L-phenylalanine, L-tyrosine, choline (trimethylaminoethanol), pyroglutamic acid, and DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol). These amino acids were claimed to have positive or enhanced effects on alertness, stress resistance and energy levels. Some of the acids, then considered "foods" and nutritional supplements by government agencies like the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), changed in status and have since been removed from store shelves. Others are still available when prescribed by a doctor.
References
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 22 April 2008, at 20:36.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Smart drinks".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.