Caffeine can offer numerous benefits for the body and mind, like improved mental alertness, headache relief, and even diabetes and asthma treatment.
Yet, it can become a strong toxin if combines with artificial stimulants, sweeteners, and other additives that harm the heart and even lead to heart attacks.
Cory Terry, a 33-year-old Brooklyn father, died if a heart attack as a result of the regular consumption of Red Bulls.
His mother, Patricia Terry, claims that he was an active, non-smoker who drank this energy drink on a daily basis:
“He drank that stuff all the time. He said it perked him up.”
According to the findings of a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Red Bull and similar energy drinks cause serious harm to people who have cardiovascular conditions, and can also cause various adverse effects to healthy people.
A trial involved 15 healthy test participants who received two cans (500 ml) of an unidentified energy drink the same as Red Bull in terms of ingredients every day for a week.
The blood pressure of participants was elevated by 8% just four hours after consuming the beverage and went up to 10% by the end of the week.
Their heart rates were also higher by 8% on the first day and reached 11% by the end of the week.
Both these factors are linked to a higher risk of heart attacks, as high blood pressure damages the arteries, leading to stroke and heart attack-causing blood clots, and high heart rates have been linked to higher risk of heart attacks.
Let us review the ingredients of Red Bull. First of all, it contains tons of sugar and carbonation, caffeine and taurine as stimulants, and several B-group vitamins.
There is very little research on the combination of these ingredients on our health, and many studies have shown that these ingredients are extremely harmful.
One study involved 13 participants, experienced in endurance training, who had to perform exhausting exercise three times daily. Before each exercise, they received Red Bull, a drink similar to Red Bull but without taurine, or a placebo without any stimulants.
The findings showed that the only drink that affected their stroke volume, the amount of blood pumped in and out of the heart, was Red Bull.
Therefore, even though its ingredients might not be harmful when isolated, this chemical combination is definitely seriously damaging our health, especially our heart.
In case you need a quick energy boost, have a cup of coffee or some energy –boosting fresh juice or smoothie.
