A bite of excitement

Many students embarking upon final exam week look to the caffeine in energy drinks and coffee to stay energized.

"I do love caffeine," junior Liam OBrien said. "I exist only because of it."

Jason Kensey, who is an employee of the California-based company Vroom Foods, Inc., has created new alternatives for students to stay in-step.

Kensey is the owner, founder and creator of Buzz Bites, chocolate and mint-chocolate energy chews, and FOOSH energy mints, said Jody Hudson, the director of sales for Vroom Foods, Inc.

Although energy drinks have often been a drink of choice for the college generation, Buzz Bites might be the next big thing with students.

"I don't like coffee, but I use it to keep me awake, and the Buzz Bite sounds like it would be helpful for me," freshman Jessica Cook said.

OBrien was also excited to try a new method of caffeine.

"If there was a way of getting it through chocolate, it would be a great way of combining two things to sustain energy."

Many of the ingredients in a Buzz Bite are the same as those found in energy drinks.

"The Buzz Bite has five B-vitamins, ginseng and taurine which is roughly the same functional ingredients as an energy drink," Hudson said. "If you check the ingredients, there is a tremendous amount of sugar in energy drinks versus the 25 calories and three grams of sugar in one Buzz Bite."

An important factor to a caffeine seeker such as OBrien the amount of caffeine.

A single Buzz Bite chocolate chew outnumbers the amount of caffeine in any leading energy drink.

"One Buzz Bite's caffeine amount equals the amount of 1.25 leading energy drinks," Hudson said.

Hudson said in addition to having more milligrams of caffeine the effects of Buzz Bites happen faster.

"Buzz Bites absorb through the cheek lining in the mouth which allows you to feel the effects in minutes versus energy drinks that have to go through the whole digestive system," Hudson said.

In relation to cost, Buzz Bites are quite affordable for students.

"Buzz Bites are 50 cents per chew and can be found in vending machines around the nation," Hudson said.

These energy chews can also be purchased in tins of six chews for $3-$4 in independent stores or on the Web site www.vroomfoods.com.

Energy drinks, coffee and Buzz Bites may be helpful in getting a quick fix of caffeine during school or anytime, but there are other alternative ways for energy that are considered more healthy, recommended by University Health and Counseling Services Senior Dr. Judy Ciasto.

"There are a lot better alternatives to help get energy," she said. "The biggest way of getting more energy is by getting enough sleep at night and enough exercise. Also, eating a low-fat diet will make you more alert than if you ate foods high in fat. Another alternative is the natural B complex vitamin which gives your nervous system energy to also help with alertness."

Freshman Alicia Stuedemann, who doesn't enjoy the effects of caffeine, is not attentive to the the new energy supplements.

"I might try it because I am more interested in it than an energy drink, but I'm not really into energy products," she said.