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Energy Drinks: Negative Effects & Alleged Deaths

A

Anonymous

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I was sitting in a waiting room leafing through an old copy of OK or Hello magazine (one of those celebrity gossip rags anyway) from Autumn 2001, when I came across an article on 'Natural Highs' which said that the Swedish authorities were investigating 3 deaths associated with drinking Red Bull.

Haven't been able to find anything on the net yet and wondered if anyone had heard anything about this ?
 
This June '01 news item seems to be the latest. The Red Bull site doesn't mention the controversy at all.
Reading between the lines, it appears that RR is harmful only in excess and/or combined with other factors (a heart problem, large amounts of alcohol etc.). Given that it is aimed at the young, who are likely to drink far too much of everything and are unlikely to know if they have heart problems, maybe it should carry a health warning?
 
Thankyou Annasdottir.

Granted some of the deaths could have been due to excessive alcohol intake rather than the Red Bull itself but one case on that site really stands out:

Last year, the coroner at the inquest into the death of 18-year-old Ross Cooney from Limerick, called for more research into the effect of energy drinks.

Ross died of sudden adult death syndrome after a basketball match. Hours earlier he had drunk three cans of Red Bull.
 
Originally posted by Dashwood


Ross died of sudden adult death syndrome after a basketball match. Hours earlier he had drunk three cans of Red Bull.
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Hmmm, the sudden death of a teenager (presumably in his sleep) is certainly very sad and seemingly inexplicable but the link to Red Bull seems a little tenerous. Would the coroner be worried if had drunk 3 cups of strong coffee? Or Coke (the drink, that is)? Is there any history of heart problems in his family? Could it have been an anurism (sp?)?

The teenagers around here - and doubtless elsewhere - seem to think that a can or three of these drinks will negate the effects of alcohol or whatever else the little darlings have been taking (and weren't we all stupid at that age?). They don't.

Having said that, I do find the advertising of these drinks worrying. "Red Bull gives you wings!" seems to me to be nothing short of "this is a legal high, available to anyone!". I'm sure that the advertising execs will explain that it really means something quite different, but I really don't know what.

Jane.
 
It also tastes like vomit. When I was wee, we used to try and OD on pro-plus tablets, to utterly no avail. Far cheaper than Red Bull. ^_^
 
Red Bull DOES have one of the highest amounts of caffeine of any sugary soft drink. Higher than Jolt, even. People with heart conditions aren't suppose to have large amounts of it.

I've never tried it myself. And judging from the general consensus (that it tastes like liquid Smarties), I'm not in any rush to.
 
Smarties hurt my teeth...and so do high-energy drinks. it's just harsh. insulin shock isn't a surprise when i think of the hazards of drinking too much of that junk. they think it's their lifestyle or just the modern times that are "zapping" their energy. JUST EAT RIGHT! JEEZ! if you count on sugar to sustain your energy, you're in for a let down.
 
mejane said:
The teenagers around here - and doubtless elsewhere - seem to think that a can or three of these drinks will negate the effects of alcohol or whatever else the little darlings have been taking (and weren't we all stupid at that age?). They don't.
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I have experimented with this in the past and I have found the following about energy drinks and hangovers:

Good points
They do help get your sugar levels back up
They do help wake you up and aid concentration

Bad points
Expensive (RedBull very expensive)
sometimes make you puke
Effects dont last long

Best combo
Lipovitan B3 energy drink combined with Lucozade sport

Overall conclusion - Poor value for money
 
I've always found:

Lucazade in a morning after drinking = good
Lucazade in a morning if simply tired and due for lectures (in the old days) = very bad

I'll drink glucose drinks, but not caffiene-based energy things - I'm slightly intolerant to caffiene, and have to watch how much coffee I drink or else it hurts... :/

I know people who live on the things tho - not dead yet...
 
The night before my last driving test I didn't go to bed 'til 4 in the morning :rolleyes: so I had a can of red Bull before , I was so wired up I got failed for pulling out in front of other cars ( I did it more than once !)
 
I seam to remember a UL about ared bull related death that circulated a few tears back: someone had taken the advert literaly.:(

I realy do love the taste of red bull but prefere solstice.

oh and to add to my colection of radom points on the subject of red bull...
Can anyone conferm or refute if bull's semen is one of red bulls ingredients?
 
:eek!!!!: If so, I'm glad I threw up every time I drank it. I don't know about deaths, but anything that makes me puke without fail like RB does can surely not be good for me. (Must have been the Red Bull. Can't have been the vodka:)) Too much info? I'm sorry. Suffice to say I won't be drinking it again. Even the smell makes me yick now.
 
Oll_Lewis said:
oh and to add to my collection of random points on the subject of red bull...
Can anyone confirm or refute if bull's semen is one of red bull's ingredients?
Click to expand...

No. but it probably contains bullsh*t.
 
Oll_Lewis said:
Can anyone conferm or refute if bull's semen is one of red bulls ingredients?
Click to expand...

The protein value of redbull is nil and I would imagine Bull semen is packed with protein. So No I would say it isnt in there. It would be a bit of an expensive ingredient to obtain too.
 
Chriswsm said:
The protein value of redbull is nil and I would imagine Bull semen is packed with protein. So No I would say it isnt in there. It would be a bit of an expensive ingredient to obtain too.
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well up in liverpool red bull costs 1.25 a can (and probably costs nearer to a fiver a can in london) so the only way I can see that they justify this cost is if each drink of red bull is hand made by a scientist who carefully allocates one bull mini tadpole per can, much like the worm you get in proper bottles of tequellia (sp?).
 
Oll_Lewis said:
the only way I can see that they justify this cost is if each drink of red bull is hand made by a scientist who carefully allocates one bull mini tadpole per can, much like the worm you get in proper bottles of tequellia (sp?).
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nah they justify the cost by limiting the product to the wealthy or the foolish. Asda do their own version called Blue charge with exactly the same ingredients and very similar taste and charge about 60p for it.
 
Chriswsm said:
nah they justify the cost by limiting the product to the wealthy or the foolish. Asda do their own version called Blue charge with exactly the same ingredients and very similar taste and charge about 60p for it.
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still 60p is expensive for a small can, I recon Asda just use people on work experience rather than qualified scientists as 'jazz men'.;)
 
breakfast of the champions

personally I find the following far better than any caffeine or sugar energy boosters:

Piracetam
Choline or Lecithine
vitamins B5,B6,B12
Hydergine
Centrophenoxine

if available, I would also have Pramiracetam and Galantamine. Galantamine is vegetable based.

Piracetam is thought (by some) to partially stop the aging process of the brain (which starts after you're 24-25), moreover pot-heads all over embrace it for its sobering effect. This is boosted by taking hydergine, choline and B6. Hydergine is beneficial for the long term memory. Choline and Lecithine (which transforms to acethylcholine in the brain) are equally vitalising and a good protection against Alzheimer's. So is Piracetam, which like Pramiracetam and Galantamine, is an "antagonist". Some claim it increases information flow between the hemispheres, often associated with "creative flashes".
Centrophenoxine I haven't used for a few years (none around), but I remember taking it only when expecting critical work (or after a sleepless night). On the extreme end, I used Deprenyl, which is an antidepressant (it turns to methampetamine in the brain), but we dont do that no more. Interestingly Deprenyl has extended the lifespan of rats from an average 3 years or so to 4,5. Problem is, the therapy has to start prior to birth (on the foetus) in order to be really successful.

Should be noted that this it is recommended to use the above substances over periods of a week at a time then one week off.

In all, performance boosting foods should also have other beneficial effects, such as life extension.

End the hegemony of the Sugar and Caffeine bosses, eat this and excel.

k*
 
Sleep, exercise and drink lots of water. Take a half hour Zzzzz in the afternoon.

Save the coffee for when you really want it. Then a small sharp expresso will hit you like a blast.

Does anyone else remember pink speed which was, I think, cut with dental cocaine? Froze the pipes. Or those big yellow inductrial strength NATO exercise pills?
 
Re Red Bull + Semen,
a diabetic chemist friend has checked out many energy drinks. He tells me the ingredient to be concerned about is the Taurine...(Hence the bull bit) which is indeed taken from bulls, though not from the testicles. He says it is found in the adrenal glands, from where it is extracted, and is related to adrenaline.
Out of interest...he finds the energy drink in the bright blue bottle the most balanced, effective, and safe drink for him.

Personally...I advise honey. There is a large range of different sugars, all broken down at different rates, to provide a sustained energy boost.

Hagrid.
 
Re: breakfast of the champions

Klinkmann said:
personally I find the following far better than any caffeine or sugar energy boosters:

Piracetam
Choline or Lecithine
vitamins B5,B6,B12
Hydergine
Centrophenoxine

Pramiracetam and Galantamine.

Piracetam hydergine, choline and B6. Hydergine Choline and Lecithine (which transforms to acethylcholine in the brain) Piracetam, which like Pramiracetam and Galantamine,
Centrophenoxine Deprenyl, antidepressant methampetamine in the brain Deprenyl
Click to expand...
....it all sounds quite natural then.
 
Hagrid said:
the ingredient to be concerned about is the Taurine..
Click to expand...
Taurine? Isn't that the amino acid that cats can't produce, so if they have food without it (dog food in other words) they eventually go blind? I haven't noticed any bull's adrenal gland extracts on the ingredients for Whiskas.
 
Taurine is an essential amino acid, that is correct. It is thought that in times of stress or high activity taurine levels are depleted, and it is needed as a precursor on a metabolic pathway that produces further energy boosting substances.
My chemist friend tells me that part of the molecule is almost identical to certain amphetamines, and he equates it closely with parts of the adrenaline molecule..in his words, when metabolised, it could be considered a natural `speed`.
However, his understanding is that this is unproven, hence the claims on taurine based drinks are toned down, and on some it is just called a `flavouring`.
Taurine occurs naturally in all body tissues in small amounts, and got its name when first isolated from Bulls about 40 years ago.
The source of taurine in Red Bull is unspecified, and indeed is more likely to come from other sources than bulls themselves.
Apologies for muddying the waters a little, I hope this is clearer.

Hagrid.
 
I'm sure this has come up before...
Red Bull is banned at RMA Sandhurst after two officer cadets died of exhaustion and dehydration directly linked to drinking excessive quantities of the vile goo to give themselves a bit of an energy boost on exercise. A Mars bar might have been a better idea.
 
One rumor i have heard is that drinking Red Bull lowers sperm count but i personaly think that is a variation on the bull sperm idea.

Usually drink a load on a Friday night before going out due to feeling tired after school etc. Dont know if it actually does anything or if its all psychological. I think one of the dangers could be the double vodka that usualy goes with it.

While skiing with the school a few years back in Switzerland i think we were told that we had to be over 18 to buy Red Bull because it contained anphietimines (sorry bad speller) and that these had been taken out in the UK version. Of course we all went out to buy it just to see what it was like and i didnt notice much difference that the drink in the UK except it didnt seems to taste as nice. (not that it really tastes nice anyway!)
 
Isn't Red Bull banned in certain countries? I don't think I've ever seen it in France for example.

I've also heard that in the Far-East (where I think it originates) it has a higher taurine and caffeine infusion and is generally stronger.

Weird isn't it, how so many rumous and myths can revolve around a soft drink of all things!!
 
That said, imagine how much more popular Coca Cola would be today if it still contained cocaine ;) :D
 
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