No matter if you are young or old Red Bull increases the risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. Because it is loaded with caffeine, Red Bull, makes your body sticky. This can be a pre-cursor to cardiovascular problems and lead to a heart attack. In about one hour after consuming it your blood becomes abnormal like the blood of someone with cardiovascular disease.
This energy drink is banned in Denmark, Norway and Uruguay. Also it has been banned in France from 1996 to 2008. After it caused a heart attack in a 16-year old and a 21-year old, the Ministry of Commerce in Kuwait, banned the consummation of this drink.
Summary of Dr. Mercola’s Comments:
Energy drinks have become popular in the last few years. They can easily be found in local supermarkets or stores. They have even overtaken bottled water brands. This drinks are the fastest growing category of products in the beverage business.
Last year, about 3.5 billion cans of Red Bull were sold in 143 countries. Despite the high sales people keep asking questions on the safety of Red Bull and other energy drinks.
Caffeine and sugar, found as glucuronolactone, sucrose and glucose, are the primary ingredients of any energy drink. This drinks provide you with a quick burst of energy but the effect does not last for long. Regardless of the marketing that convinces you to drink several cans in a row, you must not do that.
According to their official website, Red Bull provides the following benefits:
- Improved performance
- Increased concentration and reaction speed
- Increased endurance
- Increased metabolism
This drink have the same effect as a soda or a cup of coffee. Once the effect is gone, you will crave for another can of the energy drink in order to increase your energy again. You will fee lethargic and this could easily turn in to a brutal cycle.
The Red Bull company warns its customers that they should not consume more than two cans of their product. However on Red Bull’s website there are no references to this fact.
On the website there is only a statement that says you should compare drinking this beverage to drinking a cup of coffee. What you need to take in consideration is that a can of Red Bull equals to a cup of brewed java.
The problem here is that no one really knows the side effects of Red Bull. Beside caffeine Red Bull also contains artificial energy boosting ingredients, including the two artificial sweeteners and other sugars.
Aspartame has multiple neurotoxic, metabolic, allergenic, fetal and carcinogenic effects. It is most certainly not safe and you can read more about it in the book Sweet Deception.