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When you feel tired or have little energy, most of you will reach for coffee first. A second popular “solution” is energy drinks.
The most well-known of them, Red Bull, is advertised as the drink that gives you wings.
By sponsoring many extreme sports, its manufacturer pushes the marketing motto that it supports active people and innovative ideas.
What it fails to mention, however, are the potential health dangers of its iconic product.
Red Bull and its risks to the cardiovascular system
This popular drink is associated with many heart and vascular problems.
Scott Willoughby, the chief researcher at the cardiovascular science center at the Royal Hospital in Adelaide, Australia, states that just one hour after consuming Red Bull a person’s blood becomes abnormal and resembles that of heart disease patients.
Willoughby warns that combined with high blood pressure or stress, it can cause vascular damage and also increases the risk of blood clot formation.
This is especially dangerous for people who have a predisposition to cardiovascular disease.
How the individual ingredients in Red Bull affect the body
The primary ingredients of Red Bull are caffeine and sugar. The latter is present in the form of sucrose, glucose and glucuronolactone.
It also contains aspartame — an artificial sweetener associated with neurotoxic, metabolic, allergenic, fetal and carcinogenic effects.
The original Red Bull manufacturer in Austria even warns its customers not to drink more than two cans a day.
As with other caffeinated drinks, Red Bull gives you a quick burst of energy that is short-lived.
That is why you then feel you need more. And then more again.
You thus fall into a vicious circle and many people become addicted to it, or to other energy drinks.
Besides the adverse effects associated with its high caffeine concentration, Red Bull contains many other ingredients that have not yet been properly studied.
Why it is dangerous to combine Red Bull with other active substances
Many people mix Red Bull with alcohol, which only adds to the potential risks. It means mixing a stimulant with a depressant.
Such a combination can unduly strain the body and lead to serious consequences.
According to an article published in 2001 in the journal Medicine, Science and Law, when Red Bull is combined with ephedrine, which is also a stimulant, the result can be acute psychosis.
Conclusion
It is particularly regrettable that Red Bull and other stimulating drinks are marketed toward young people and students.
This is creating a whole generation of people who are not able to reach a normal level of energy naturally.
So what is the alternative to drinking excessive amounts of caffeinated beverages?
Many experts advise that by doing the following things you can successfully increase your energy level:
- improve your diet
- increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids
- limit sugar
- reduce stress levels
- get enough quality sleep
- exercise regularly
So before you next reach for Red Bull, carefully consider whether it is really worth the risk, especially since there are other remedies for fatigue.
