Red bull is an energy drink that is loved by a lot of people globally. It famous amongst teenagers, younger adults and athletes. Most of them drink red bull to feel energized and rejuvenated. But not many know is red bull good for health or does it have side effects. So, to clear all their doubts and queries, we have come up with all the red bull benefits and side effects. Read on to know everything about red bull before you start consuming too much of this caffeinated drink!
Table of Contents
20 Red Bull Variants
According to various surveys, energy drinks are the most popular among teenagers and young adults in the USA. The majority of the drinkers are men who are between the age of 18 and 34. So, now that you know how popular red bull is, let us first check out the 20 varieties of red bull:
- Original
- Total Zero (no calories)
- Sugarfree
- Ruby Edition Pink Grapefruit
- Red Edition Watermelon
- Yellow Edition Tropical (tropical fruit or mango–papaya)
- Orange Edition Sugarfree Orange
- Lime Edition Sugarfree Limeade
- Purple Edition Sugar-Free Acai Berry
- Peach Edition Peach-Nectarine
- Blue Edition Blueberry
- Yellow Edition Sugarfree Tropical Fruit
- Green Edition Kiwi-Apple
- Green Edition Refreshing Splash (only available in Japan)
- Simply cola
- Lime Edition Lime
- Purple Edition Acai
- White Edition Coconut & Berry
- White Edition Fresh Breeze (only available in Japan)
- Summer Edition Dragon fruit
Red Bull alcohol percentage and Ingredient list
Red bull has 13% of alcohol in it. Here is a complete list of all the ingredients red bull contains:
- Glucuronolactone – 600 mg
- Caffeine – 80 mg
- Taurine – 1000mg
- pantothenic acid (calcium d-pantothenate) – 6mg
- niacin (niacinamide) – 18 mg
- Vitamin B6 – 2 mg
- Citric Acid
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Glucose
- Sucrose
- Vitamin B12
- Magnesium Carbonate
- Natural and Artificial Flavors
- Pyridoxine HCI
- Sodium Bicarbonate
- Carbonated Water
- Calcium Pantothenate
- Colors – Red
What happens to the body 24 hours after drinking Red Bull?
Here is a complete description of what happens when you drink red bull:
After 10 minutes
After you had your red bull, it will take about 10 minutes for the caffeine to go into the bloodstream. Then, you will feel your heart rate rising along with blood pressure.
Between 14 to 45 minutes
At this moment, the level of caffeine at the peak in the bloodstream. Moreover, you will be more aware once the stimulant will affect you. Not only will it improve your concentration level but also you will be more alert towards everything.
Between 30 to 50 minutes
At this moment, the caffeine will be fully absorbed, and the liver will respond by taking in more sugar in your bloodstream.
After an hour
The body will experience a sugar crash, and the effects of caffeine will also die down. At this time, you will mostly feel exhausted, and you won’t be feeling as energized as before.
Between 5 to 6 hours
At this point, the caffeine in the bloodstream will be reduced by 50%.
After 12 hours
Now the caffeine will be removed from the bloodstream. However, how fast it will happen depends on many factors such as your activity level and age.
After 24 hours
At this point, there is no caffeine in the bloodstream. People who drink red bull every day will feel it very well. Some of the side effects once caffeine leaves the body are constipation, headache, and crankiness.
7 – 12 days
If you are drinking red bull regularly, then the body can handle the caffeine dosage. Hence you will not feel much effect of the red bull.
Is red bull good for health? – benefits of energy drinks
Red bull is an example of an energy drink. And you must remember that all energy drinks have some common benefits. Since you wish to know if red bull good for health
or not, let us tell you it does have a positive impact on your body. Here are some red bull benefits below:
Have more energy
The most obvious benefit of red bull, it will give you more energy. Once you have it, you will feel more attentive, sleepless, and productive.
Faster delivery of caffeine
This is because red bulls are served cold hence you can drink it faster than coffee. With hot drinks, we sip on the cup due to its temperature. But if you consume caffeine drinks that are cold quickly, then the caffeine will get in the bloodstream rapidly as well.
Quicker recovery after a workout
Since you wish to know if red bull good for health, let us tell you one of the most prominent benefits. You will recover quickly after exercising if you drink red bull. That is because of the carbohydrates and caffeine content present in it. Moreover, many athletes do consume energy drinks or cold beverages than milk or any other hot beverages. This is because it can give them relief and instant energy.
Has zero-calorie variation
Even though black coffee also has zero calories, but it is bitter and has no flavors. How red bull has various sugar-free options which boost the taste as they have different ingredients in them. Hence you can go for zero-calorie red bull, which will give you some amount of caffeine but without tasting bitter or sour.
Has pantothenic acid or vitamin B5
Red bull good for health as it contains vitamin B5, which helps with stress, skin issues, anxiety, decrease triglycerides, and specific allergies.
In some studies, it is said that vitamin B5 helps to decrease triglycerides and cholesterol levels in people who have diabetes. Thus, people choose the sugar-free version of red bull.
Also, it helps to keep your skin hydrated and heals wounds faster, mainly after surgery.
Deficiency of pantothenic acid can cause physical and mental health issues such as laziness, muscle pain, exhaustion, and acne.
Glucuronolactone
It is a natural chemical that can be found in the plant gums and connective tissues. The benefits of this natural chemical are plenty. It will help you be more attentive, boost memories, anti-inflammatory, lowers cholesterol levels, suitable for joint health, boosts athletic performance, prevents liver damage (mainly caused by tuberculosis drugs), and has mild anti-depression effects.
Niacin or vitamin B3
It is fantastic for health, and that’s why it makes red bull good for health. Niacin helps with the creation and use of energy.
Few more benefits of niacin are suitable for the nervous system, fights fatigue, treats type 1 diabetes, helps to lower blood pressure, and prevents arthritis.
Inositol
It is a vitamin that is found in both animals and plants. Moreover, it is one of those ingredients which has very few side effects.
Some of the benefits of inositol are that it is a mood-booster, strengthens the bone, and improves metabolism.
Riboflavin or vitamin B2
Since you want to know how is red bull good for health, let us tell you it is because of its vitamin B2 and riboflavin. This content helps to maintain the body’s energy level. It also increases cell growth, protects the digestive system, and increases blood circulation.
Disadvantages of red bull
As we are focusing on is red bull good for health or not, let us now discuss the disadvantages of red bull. Check out the following:
Kidney health
Too much red bull can be harmful to the kidneys. This is because it has a high sugar level, and regular drinking of red bull might increase the risk of having kidney problems.
Furthermore, a three months study was done on rats where they were given red bull constantly. It was seen at the end of the study that they had a deterioration in their kidney function. However, no such tests are done on humans yet.
Increase in heart rate and blood pressure
In research done in 2018, it is seen that intaking 24 oz of red bull within 90 minutes can raise heart rate levels and blood pressure. It is also seen that it makes the inner diameter of the arteries halved if someone consumed that much energy drink. This is due to red bull has a tremendous amount of caffeine in it.
Another study done in 2019 showed that drinking 1 liter of red bull within an hour causes a rapid change in the rhythm of the heartbeat and raises blood pressure. Hence the excess amount of red bull can cause heart attacks and even death, mainly to young adults.
Dehydration
Too much red bull might lead to vomiting. Thus, making your body dehydrated.
Increase type 2 diabetes
Excess sugar consumption will put anyone at risk of type 2 diabetes. As a matter of fact, a study has seen adults who drink red bull every day are about 26% more at risk of getting type 2 diabetes. This is mainly because an excessive amount of energy drink will stop the pancreas from producing insulin cells, leading to type 2 diabetes.
Damage teeth enamel
Most acidic drinks damage the tooth enamel, which is the outer coating that protects the teeth from decay. A study has found that drinking red bull four times every day for 15 minutes has shown a permanent loss of the enamel. Also, the same research stated that red bull is much more harmful to tooth enamel than soft drinks.
Mental health problems
A recent study done in the US has seen that people who drink more than two cans of red bull every day are more likely to have mental health problems. Some of the problems people can suffer from are exhaustion, anger, and mood swings.
Too much niacin or vitamin B3
Some amount of vitamin B3 in the red bull is not harmful; instead, it is good for people. But, if someone already takes vitamin B3 supplements, then it is not suitable for their health.
Some signs of excessive vitamin B3 intake are rapid heath palpitations, diarrhea, shakiness, gout, excessive itching, and nausea.
Not a good option as a drink before a workout
Red bull or any other energy drink sometimes makes people dehydrated. Even though they are energy drinks, it is advisable not to drink them before your workout.
Is the sugar-free version of Red Bull healthier?
The sugar-free version of red bull does have calories but no sugar. However, all the other ingredients are the same. Thus, it does have some side effects like the normal red bull.
Furthermore, sugar-free red bull has two artificial sweeteners that are acesulfame K and aspartame. Both of them can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is when the bacteria in the intestines change, and the bacteria that helps store fat grows a lot more.
Also, according to researches, aspartame is related to neurological and chronic inflammation and might be a cause of mental illness such as manic episodes and mood swings.
All the artificial sugar in the market is much sweeter than regular sugar. Hence it confuses the brain, and you would have more cravings for sugar.
Finally, artificial sugar will make you gain weight in the long run.
Can too much red bull cause death?
It is very uncommon, but excessive drinking of red bull is linked to heart issues that can lead to death. Also, these mostly happen to young adults as most of them drink energy drinks regularly.
First of all, a healthy adult who does not have any health issues can intake two cans of red bull every day without any worry.
According to studies, the lethal amount of caffeine is about 10 grams. The regular red bull (8.4 fluid ounce) contains 80 mg of caffeine. Hence one needs to drink more than 100 cans of red bull in a single day to overdose on caffeine.
However, some studies said, drinking a lot of liquid might be the reason for death and not the caffeine or other ingredients.
Related to heart health
In a study, 34 healthy adults were told to drink 32 ounces of red bull every day for three days. After three days, there was a change of interval in their heartbeats.
Furthermore, change of heartbeat might be the cause of few types of arrhythmias, which can be the reason for sudden death. However, people who have preexisting heart problems and have high blood pressure issues are more at risk.
Final Thoughts
Red bull is a sweet, caffeinated drink that makes a person feel energized for a certain amount of time. Regular intake of red bull is not harmful to healthy people. However, it is not good for people who have heart issues or other health problems. People with heart problems and kids and pregnant women should not drink any energy drinks.
