Red Bull — Just How Bad is it?

We all know that energy drinks may not be the healthiest things in the world to drink, but just how bad are they?

Well, for example, France and Denmark have both prohibited Red Bull– saying that it is a cocktail of death. This is because its vitamin components are mixed with glucuronolactone. What is that? Glucuronolactone is an extremely dangerous chemical that acts as a stimulant. You may or may not be old enough to know this, but this chemical was actually used in the sixties by United States troops in Vietnam. The United States Department of Defense developed this drug to stimulate the moral of the troops, and this chemical acted like a hallucinogenic drug that essentially calmed the stresses that are associated with the war. However, its use was eventually stopped due to an increase in cases of migraines, cerebral tumors, and diseases of the liver. Sounds healthy, huh?

To continue to focus more on Red Bull, here are some other things you should know.

Red Bull does “give you wings” and energy; in fact, studies have shown that you shouldn’t exercise after having it because you get pumped with so much energy that your heart rate increases to such a ridiculously high rate that is dangerous enough to cause a heart attack. Red Bull also can dilute the blood, so you run the risk of undergoing a cerebral hemorrhage because the blood is delivered more forcefully with less effort. Another danger of it is that when it is mixed with alcohol, which it should never be, it attacks the liver directly and the affected area will never regenerate again.

When used in moderation, energy drinks might not be as bad as this post makes them out to be. However, as with everything, the important word is moderation. I think that even having one energy drink a week is more than moderation. Energy drinks are not even that much more effective than other sources of energy such as coffee or tea. Try a more natural approach next time you think that you need a boost of energy. Try green or black tea. Eat an apple. Go for a run! Sleep! You will most certainly doing your body a favor and it is going to put a healthier spin on your day as well.