Science vs. the Bull

kj · March 22, 2005

(Yes, loyal readers. This was, in fact, a blog posting that got out of control.)

For the longest time, Red Bull wasn’t for sale in Canada. This used to drive me nuts. Originally, it was a caffeine issue. You didn’t used to be allowed to add caffeine to non-colas for sale in this fine country. When that little issue got resolved, it became a taurine issue: taurine is not an approved food additive in this country. Finally, the Red Bull folks managed to lobby their way around that one, and, last November, Red Bull went on sale, just in time to get me through my qualifying exams.

A while ago, this little piece showed up in my inbox. It may be summarized as follows:

“Pseudo-scientific drivel.”

Seriously, you can’t claim simultaneously “Red Bull is bad, because there isn’t any science to say it isn’t” And then claim “Red bull is bad because of Science.”

Here’s a start.

In fact, because Red Bull has so much caffeine – it can actually dehydrate the drinker. That means if you’re physically exerting yourself and drink just a Red Bull, the lack of hydration could strain your heart.

Well, that’s a load of scientific crap. Caffeine doesn’t dehydrate you. Of course, it doesn’t hydrate you either, but that should be obvious from the tiny little 250ml can.

80 mg of caffeine (more than three times the caffeine that’s in the same amount of Coke)

Now wait a damn minute here. Doesn’t anybody check their facts anymore?

80mg / 250 ml = 320 mg/l
Coke has 45mg / 355ml = 126 mg/l

320/126 = 2.5 times the caffeine content of Coke(by volume). Obviously, that’s not more than three times. More importantly, it’s not even that unusal. Lets compare with something a little more conventional: coffee—specifically, Starbucks coffee.

In a 2003 University of Florida Study, a 16oz serving of Breakfast Blend contained (over a period of 6 days), 564 milligrams, 498 milligrams, 259 milligrams, 303 milligrams, 300 milligrams and 307 milligrams respectively. That’s an average of 371 mg per 473 ml. Let’s do some math.

Strongest (Starbucks): 564/473 = 1192 mg/l (9.4 times that of Coke)
Espresso (Starbucks): 185mg/170ml = 1088 mg/l (8.6 times that of Coke)
Avg (Starbucks): 371mg / 473 ml = 784 mg/l (6.2 times that of Coke)
Weakest (Starbucks) 259mg / 473 ml = 548 mg/l (4.3 times that of Coke)
Sock Soup (Dunkin Donuts): 143mg/473 ml = 302 mg/l (2.4 times that of Coke)

In other words, the amount caffeine content here isn’t the issue. But anybody who has tried it already knows that. It’s true. There is something in the elixer that makes Red Bull work better than coffee. Based on the ingredients, I would have to guess it is the taurine. And speaking of taurine:

The French health committee canned the sale of Red Bull, partly because a study found that rats fed taurine exhibited bizarre behaviour. That behaviour, says Vanrullen, included: “anxiety, irritability, a high sensitivity to noise—sudden jumps in their cages—and most of all, self-mutilations.”

I think these guys need to read their source material a little more carefully. From my read of the available literature, taurine actually suppresses self-mutilation in nerve-damaged rats.

Finally, there’s the whole “mixing with booze” nonsense. Someone, somewhere has claimed that mixing Red Bull with alcohol is bad. (Tell that to your average rum and coke, or irish coffee drinker.) This, because one girl who drank a Red Bull died once. (I’m sure the E had nothing to do with it.)

The bars aren’t helping. They lie, too:

“We are very careful,” Mandell adds. “We don’t give someone the whole can. They would have to do four vodka Red Bulls in order to go through one can.”

Really? You serve a 44ml shot with a mere 75ml of Red Bull? I friggin doubt it. The picture alone gives that one away.

So here it is—a plea to the our bretheren in the dinosaur blog business. If you’re going to write about science, please start applying some yourselves. If 10 minutes with Google is too much fact-checking for you, you might just be in the wrong business.

kj · PDDCXCVI

136 Responses to “Science vs. the Bull”

kev Says:
March 22nd, 2005 at 6:32 pm
First.

Pintday.

Post.

Evur.
Evan Says:
March 22nd, 2005 at 8:39 pm
Me too!
Gopher Says:
March 22nd, 2005 at 10:47 pm
Do you suppose Kjell expected insightful replies?
kj Says:
March 22nd, 2005 at 11:47 pm
Naw. I was expecting comment spam…
kev Says:
March 23rd, 2005 at 5:27 am
Always happy to meet people’s expectations.

Aim low. Stay happy.

Also, in the interests of full disclosure, the “Strongest Starbucks” caffeine content doesn’t approach the “Kjell’s Strongest Starbucks”. I had never seen anyone make coffee that had a putty-like consistency before encountering kj at 6:30am one fine morning in the kitchen at Auriga. 14 tablespoons of coffee for a 10-cup carafe. Great stuff for when you need to strip that top layer of cells off the digestive tract for renovations.
kj Says:
March 23rd, 2005 at 8:09 am
One of us takes our caffeine very seriously…
priior Says:
March 23rd, 2005 at 8:50 am
post #7 wootar!

red bull r teh pwnst kthx.. i r drink it lots kekekeke.

on a side note.. maybe they have a problem because it’s a single 80mg dose of caffeine, not really marketted as caffeine.. in fact.. the cough syrup bottles that are sold in montreal dont even have any caffeine content on them.. not in any language i can read at least.

and boy do they taste so much better than that silver/blue can crap.. for half the price!

mmmm.
kj Says:
March 23rd, 2005 at 10:46 am
Argh. Yes, I meant ml. Not oz. Fixed. Right ratio. Wrong serving size.
Unless you’re me, today, and have to both complete a functional analysis assignment, and dull the pain, all at once.
Corey Koberg Says:
May 1st, 2005 at 2:47 pm
Bars don’t give you 1/4 a can to “protect you” from any dangerous drinks (afer all, they will get you stoned drunk and then watch you leave their parking lot in your car), they do it purely to save money. Each can of red bull retails for about $2, even if they get it at 50% of that, it’s still an expensive ingredient (more than the liquor by far).
Notice that the glasses are always filled to the brim with ice and the bottom of the glass is very thick. Standard bar tricks….
kj Says:
May 4th, 2005 at 10:35 am
We’re in Canada. It retails for $3 here.

But yes, point taken. Still, I used to drink Red Bull and Vodka by the pitcher in Vegas, and they certainly weren’t using one and a half cans for that application.

Of course, the regular rules for bars don’t apply in Vegas…
Paul Says:
May 5th, 2005 at 12:05 pm
You are all missing the boat. The bottle of RED BULLis much better than the can. It has been in Ontario for a little less than a year. No carbination in the bottle.
Elisa Says:
May 8th, 2005 at 9:58 pm
Hey, I have a quick comment… I have really baaaaaaaaaad “black outs” when doing red bull / vodka or anotner favorite Jager Bombs!!! Really it is not just me, almost everyone in the group doing the shots and drink, loses stuff, forgets what “happened”, hell I spent 4 hours trying to find the remote to open my (detached) garage (the ONLY way to get into my garage) to get to my car and just couldn’t find the remote (forgot where I put it the night before) managed to have an at home “accident” with a broken plate and really needed to get to the ER (eventually did to the tune of 12 stitches). So I think that Red Bull certainly DOES some alterations to your “actions” and your mind… and not just mine either. Thought I would put in my two southern cents worth there. Whatever it is typically only causes such “black out/ memory loss” when I have not imbibed in RB for a while… favorite mix of choice would be Manderin Vodka… try it… is goooooode!
Steve Hunter Says:
May 9th, 2005 at 9:15 am
mate at the end o da day, i fuckin lve red bull and vodka and u only got 1 life. Fuck it i don’t care anyway. Science is a fuckin shit bag
aj Says:
May 9th, 2005 at 6:41 pm
No, Elisa. You’re just not very bright.

Thanks blogger!
Chris Says:
May 14th, 2005 at 10:44 am
This site is very confusing, all I wanted to know is how much caffine is in redbull compared to coffee? Now after reading this I know about coke. and starbucks. This site was useless.

Thanks
kj Says:
May 16th, 2005 at 9:43 am
On behalf of the pd.o, I offer my most sincere apologies.

Because at pintday.org, we take our responsibilies seriously. And clearly, one of those responsibilities is predicting what random internet patrons are going to type into Google, and predicting when Google is going to link these queries with a random page from our admittedly content-poor site.

I have to admit though, I found your comment confusing, since the page in question happens to answer your question (80 mg per can, or 320 mg/l).

Furthermore, the page in question points out that the amount of caffeine in coffee varies widely (from 302mg/l to 1192mg/l).

You might also have discovered the links to other articles containing this same information.

After reading your comment, it is clear that you don’t spent too much time reading the pages your comment on. It may also be clear that you don’t realize “starbucks” makes “coffee.”

In short, your comment was useless.

Thanks!
Deborah Says:
May 22nd, 2005 at 8:46 am
With 6 kids, a huge house to take care of and 2 businesses one being a very busy restaurant that I usually take the 6 kids to I am one happy camper to have finally found red bull. Looked up whether red bull was bad for you and found this site. Very informative thank you very much. I am now buying it by the case and have found that morning doesn’t seem quite so overwhelming since starting red bull. Even the 52 loads of laundry don’t seem so daunting anymore. Don’t like the taste of coffee so I am outa luck there!
Black Velvet Elvis Says:
June 4th, 2005 at 12:34 pm
Hey KJ! You are a pompus ass… arrogantly tearing at people you think are less than you… when actually NO ONE could possibly be as low as you. Good luck with your life you scum!
- Elvis
kj Says:
June 7th, 2005 at 9:48 pm
Actually, if you check the record, I’m arrogantly tearing at people who show up at my website, and attempt to rip me a new one for failing to immediately answer their questions.

So I’ll take that as a compliment.

Thanks Elvis! Love the pantsuit, by the way.
John Says:
June 8th, 2005 at 10:50 pm
Some of your info. seemed a little stretched and I must say I think I disagree with your opinion. I don’t think it’s smart to mix caffeine with alcohol…it has harmful effects on your body in large doses. However, the ratio’s you presented were informative, which could potentially explain why the only time I ever drank red bull it had absolutely no effect on me. In fact, I went home and went to bed cause I was still tired. It would make sense since coffee has more caffeine. I am an avid coffee drinker and I’ll stick to the basics thank you.
Philana Says:
June 28th, 2005 at 6:15 am
Red bull is truly amazing, its the only thing that lets me sound perky after an all nighter (and I am not talking studying here)It works better than coffee.. it also makes you hungry, that must be the vitamin Bs working. But honestly, it does dehydrate you, a bit more than drinking a coffee.
kj Says:
July 1st, 2005 at 2:06 pm
Actually, that may be possible, as taurine is a mild diuretic.

Mild, mind you. This paragraph is still utter pap:

In fact, because Red Bull has so much caffeine – it can actually dehydrate the drinker. That means if you’re physically exerting yourself and drink just a Red Bull, the lack of hydration could strain your heart.

Seriously folks. If you’re physically exerting yourself, and you drink nothing at all, you have about as much chance of straining your heart. In fact, diurectics are often used in the treatment of heart disease.
Lucie. Says:
July 21st, 2005 at 7:08 pm
Kj…
You are God. Keep it up.
Dean Says:
July 27th, 2005 at 11:56 am
Free will prevails here. Use your ‘common sense’. Pounding down 4 red bulls before a basketball game is not a smart idea - Darwin took care of this individual. Simple fact is: Dumb people make dumb uninformed choices about what is good for them and what is not good for them. Read the warnings on the can, the Heath Board has put them on there for a reason. Retards.
eazy Says:
August 2nd, 2005 at 2:03 pm
for the guy blacking out that would be the vodka (from personal experience) any night with to much vodka always wake up finnishing a conversation i thought i was having at the bar not realizing im in bed and no clue how i got there as for redbull and such it gives you wings but i have also noted a funny head ache when i havent drank enough water in a day so slow down on the vod and drink water through out the day

( wow that just sounds like comon sense eh! darwin?
John Says:
August 15th, 2005 at 2:15 pm
Redbull although great for a lot of things, still doesn’t explain the cost, £1.30 is a way expensive drink for such a small amount….

They even market it for ohhhh £1.09 but thats still too much, you can get a can o tescos for 0.49, bargin just not the same tho, must be a magical ingredent, my arse…….
kj Says:
August 16th, 2005 at 12:11 am
No, capitalism explains the cost.

Er, what the hell is tescos?
harrv Says:
August 22nd, 2005 at 11:29 am
Thank god Elisa couldn’t figure out how to get her car out of the garage. If you’re that drunk none of us want you operating a car.
Brian Says:
September 18th, 2005 at 5:39 pm
Well from my experience with red bull and vodka, i agree it is not good for ya, personally i think red bull should be banned, i have drink it many times and from what i have experience with red bull vodka is that u do end up blacking out or memory loss. I have been so lucky not getting in a bad accident or have killed myself. I recommend people to say away from red bull and mixing it with alcohol. NOT A SAFE THING TO DO!!!!!
H Says:
September 20th, 2005 at 11:08 am
I firstly have to say - i love red bull. I am a massive fan… but i would never consume more than one of two cans in a day!

A simple fact is that - you have to drink it in moderation. There is no harm in drinking it. So long as you don’t go over the top. Caffeine is a drug - may be a fairly harmless drug, but too much, and it will harm your body. Just as any other drugs will. Even medicinal drugs will harm your body… So why should this be considered any differently?
And mixing with alcohol - is never good. Then you’ll end up with ‘hyper drunk people’ And an increased loss of inhibitions. What may feel like ‘harmless fun’ may take a turn for the worse

Hey, but at the end of the day, its your bodies, and you can look after or destroy it as much as you like.
H Says:
September 20th, 2005 at 11:10 am
oh and in response to an earlier question ‘what is tescos’ its a supermarket chain in the UK.
shteeve Says:
September 23rd, 2005 at 9:21 pm
I stumbled upon this forum looking for negative side effects of redbull. Last night i went to a dance party, and instead of peaking or drinking alcohol i decided to just have a couple of redbulls, (not knowing the damage it could do) anyways, being young and always wanting to party hard, i ended up drinking over 8 cans of redbull in just over 2 hours. When i didnt get the buzz that party drugs would usually offer i drank another rb. it got to the point where my legs were shakey, my stomach was bloated, i was overheating, my hands and fingers had turned white and i was extremely iritable and inpatient. i didnt mix with alcohol. by the time i got home, i found myself in bed and unable to sleep, my head was buzzing, i was itchy all over, and couldnt get comfortable. for about 6 hours, i drifted in and out of a semi-lucid state and found myself becoming confused and disorrientated. i eventually gave up trying to sleep and went to work. i could barely hold down my breakfast. im at work now and im still buzzing, almost 12 hours after my last redbull. and i cant remember the last time i felt so ill. so in conclusion, yes i drank too much redbull and yes it was stupid, but the reason i am writing this is to hopefully let everyone know what can happen to u if u drink excessive amounts of redbull. its dangerous and because it is so widely accepted, a lot of people dont know how bad it is for you.
kj Says:
September 28th, 2005 at 10:51 am
How is that any different from drinking too much coffee? Or Jolt?
shteeve Says:
September 30th, 2005 at 12:38 am
to tell u the truth im not sure, ive never had 8 cups of coffee (i dont know wat jolt is but im assuming its similar to redbull?)
kj Says:
October 4th, 2005 at 3:16 pm
Jolt is the original energy drink, sort of. It was a cola dating back to the late 80s that billed itself as a cola with “All the sugar, and twice the caffeine of leading colas.”

To this day, Software Development magazine still gives out its annual “Jolt Awards.”

But you’re right, in that Red Bull doesn’t have the same “taste like ass” quality that coffee has (thus preventing you from drinking 8 cups in a sitting).
jonny C Says:
October 20th, 2005 at 11:03 pm
Pure oxygen. That is the way of the future. It’s all natural (duh, what’s more natural than oxygen?)and has many benefits. If u breathe it in for a minute, you will get refreshed, and feel more alert. It’s like you ‘wake up’ again, and feel heaps more aware of everything around u. I also noticed it’s a mood-lifter, bec it tends to make me smile and just feel a lot happier for no reason (even in my crap job during the boring long days…). There is an Australian company, Cheeky, that’s starting to launch the world’s 1st ‘oxygen booster’- basically it is medical-grade oxygen (99.9% purity) in an aerosol can. It comes in a number of aromas like ’summer beach’ and ’summer rain’. Since 1st trying this stuff, I have completely stopped drinking coffee and have not touched any energy drinks. Coffee gives u bad breath and stains your teeth, and energy drinks are basically chemistry sets in a can- not too healthy i reckon. Cheeky oxygen is just oxygen so no sugar or fat or any chemicals in it and i love the aromas in it too.
Julio Says:
October 26th, 2005 at 9:24 pm
First off KJ, you actually do your research, unlike most of these idiots

for those who dont like red bull because it makes them black out, they are the biggest jerk wads, the vodka might have something to do with the black outs dont you think

i personally love the taste of red bull, and its a great drink, once in a while

if you drink red bulls like water, you deserve the side effcts, its filled with caffine and they probably sell it in such small cans, other than capitalism

they guy who drank 8 cans………enough sayd

and the oxygen hippy, sniffs all kind off cans, he’s higher than a kite thats why he gets such a kick out of oxygen

once again KJ keep up the good work
conor Says:
October 30th, 2005 at 4:48 pm
yo red bull is good, keep fightin the good fight
Anonymous Says:
October 30th, 2005 at 8:40 pm
Liquid Ice is way better than Red Bull!
RB Says:
October 30th, 2005 at 10:34 pm
Man a lot of idiots post on your site kj. Man I have never heard so much bullshit. Who drinks 8 plus cans of an sugary energy drink and complains that his head hurts and can’t sleep. Seriosly I just wanted to let you no that caffeine is a fairly strong diuretic. It inhibits the ADH receptors in the kidney making the distal tubules in the kidney less permiable to water causing someone to piss more out. Alchohol has similar effects but more on the production end of the ADH chain of events. This doesnt make Red Bull dangerous. Just drink so water when your done with the night and all will be well. Since I have a rather important embryology test in about ten hours I am drinking it right now. As a future MD I hope that my opinion is worth something when it comes to health issues. I dont think I even need to get started on huffin O2. People need to realize no matter what you eat or what you do we are all gonna die. Just try not to get fat as you get older because that alone will cause you more health issue than anything else. Including smoking cigarettes.
dani Says:
November 8th, 2005 at 4:51 pm
I just discovered something new, and that’s why I’m writing this review. I had 3 cans od red bull sitting in my riding bag for somethime over a year, and when I picked it up today it was a mess. All 3 cans developed some very tiny holes around the base of the can, and the contents of them began slowly leaking out. The holes were not very apparent, but when I squeezed one of the cans that was still partially full, I could see a small bit escaping.

So, the first bit of advice is to rotate your stock, and don’t let these sit around too long. Now the question is, what’s in the stuff that causes it to eat through the can, and how is that for a human? Also, I’m concerned about using a product that has some level of partially dissolved can material in it. The final thing, be careful about spilling this stuff on your
kj Says:
November 8th, 2005 at 5:55 pm
Riding Bag?

And you (dani) wouldn’t attribute the holes to stresses suffered in your bag?

About 1 time in 100, the pop machine down the hall from me causes cans (of cola, juice, what have you) to spray through pinholes when they are vended. I’m sure this has more to do with the drop to the receiving slot than with the contents of these same cans.
Dr. Guru Says:
November 15th, 2005 at 11:25 pm
Drop a small nail in a can of coke and leave it for a couple of weeks. See if the nail is still there! Then come tell me if RB is bad for you. Who ever cracks on Coke Pepsi 7up Gingerale for mixing it with alcohol. The problem is these and Coffee are all socially exceptable. Energy drinks give you various vitamins and amino acids which is actually good for you. Remember anything in excessive amounts can cause problems for people. No matter what energy drinks are here to stay!
TC Says:
November 17th, 2005 at 12:14 pm
Kjell,
Love what you wrote. RB is made in that size can because that’s all the average person needs. The effect of RB ingredients last 3 hours.The sugars are good sugars not fructose or corn syrup. Also bars make a 66% margin on RB and increase their bottles of alcohol 14%. Most bars make
about $5.64 proffit per RB/alcohol drink. As far as health anything in excess is going to bad for you, Christ now long distance runners and marathoners are going into coma’s because of drinking to much water during races.Actually are to hydrated and getting adema. I used to think as highly about RB until I got to truly know the product. And I think it’s great now. Thanks for your vigor. TC
Johnny Canada Says:
November 25th, 2005 at 2:36 pm
Good, bad…. we’ll probably never know for sure because only long term studies are credible when it comes to products such as energy drinks. What we should be taking into consideration though is that there are a few canadian brands on the market that are all as good if not better than Red Bull. Some of them even add minerals to combat dehydration and fruit juice to make them taste better (honestly, RB tastes like s**t!) They’re also a lot cheaper (RB goes for $2.99 while the canadian ones go for $1.98). Some of them are just exact copies of RB (Red Rain being one of them) but some of them are actually more complete formula wise (Base and Beaver Buzz as an example). So, if you’re canadian, see the big picture and buy canadian. Encourage local economy.
DW Says:
November 28th, 2005 at 8:37 pm
Another Canadian company is Diablo Energy Drink. It is cranberry flavour and taste better than anything else on the market. It is all natural. It does not contain any of the sytnetic ingredients like Red Bull or its cloans. Taurine is not healthy in large doses. Even if your not Canadian you should look for Diablo.
Anonymous Says:
December 1st, 2005 at 2:06 pm
your mathematics are a fucking disgrace. you fucking retard. its amazing you can work a computer
kev Says:
December 1st, 2005 at 10:30 pm
You know, I’ve always wondered about the reality behind “coke as corrosive” The one I’ve heard the most is teeth, so I’m going to ask a certain dentist friend to do an experiment and photograph the results.

The nail I’ll do myself.

The test will use 2L bottles if regular Coke, and I’ll take pics every week and see what happens.

Oh, and Anonymous Coward - care to back up your statement on the math? I love people who use expletives and then don’t even bother to point out where the flaws are. Put up or shut up, would ya?
kj Says:
December 2nd, 2005 at 12:18 am
Anything carbonated should work. CO2 in water should make carbonic acid, albeit mild.

For more science fun, try and float a can of regular coke vs. diet coke in a tub. I believe the density difference is enough so that one does, one doesn’t.
zob Says:
December 19th, 2005 at 4:46 am
fuck you all
kj Says:
December 19th, 2005 at 6:22 pm
Yes. Very persuasive. Thanks, zob.
sugr rush Says:
December 20th, 2005 at 6:42 pm
i luv all energy drinks, and i dont care wat science does or doesn’t say, coz end of the day if i feel bad enough to want one i’ll have one, though not too often, nuthin can b healthier then lettin ur body run naturally wid out chemical inputs. just wanna say,if u oppose energy drinks - dont have them, if you want one - your call.
jordan Says:
December 21st, 2005 at 6:12 pm
my friend had 10 redbulls and 14 shots and he said he had a goodnight? also do you know how many redbulls it would take to kill a male 150 pounds.. over 240.. i think that explains a bunch
carl Says:
December 26th, 2005 at 10:35 pm
Hello everyone. Cool site.
I have been trying energy drinks lately because I dont like coffee and caffene pills (NO-DOZ) make me sick.
I am crazy but I dont think that these energy drinks really work. Sometimes I feel energized when I have not had an energy drink. I think that this is mostly psychological. Placebo effect?
kj Says:
December 28th, 2005 at 11:45 am
Well, it is possible to have energy without artificial stimulation. You know, by getting the right amount of sleep, eating properly, exercising…

But enough crazy talk.
LMO Says:
December 28th, 2005 at 10:59 pm
kj thanks for the article. It was very informative.
gv2fox Says:
January 4th, 2006 at 10:01 am
To anyone who thinks that it’s the Red Bull istead of the massive amounts of liquor, to anyone who thinks drinking 8 cans of ANYTHING, to anyone who can’t see the utter ignorance in their comments - please drink Jim Jones Kool Aid instead of Red Bull.
corndog Says:
January 10th, 2006 at 12:16 am
In response to all those out there who are blacking out from Red Bull-liquor combinations, science (although it kinda has a bad reputation here) may have the answer for you. Both considered harmful themselves, caffeine mixed with alcohol has been found to be much more harmful, it’s alot like mixing other drugs. Because of this effect, many will find that they are out cold after fewer drinks than usual.

By the way excellent work on your peice, it is rare in our time to find someone willing to back their opinions up with factual evidence.
Susan Says:
January 20th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
I just entered this site to find out what Taurine is. I work in a drug store and tried Red Rain with Taurine which I bought on sale for .75. Wouldn’t buy again since I thought the taste was horrible. I’ll stick with coffee.
kev Says:
January 21st, 2006 at 2:27 pm
kj, knock it off with the crazy talk, save that for Tuesdays. Besides, everyone knows natural highs are no where near as fun as artificial ones… well, except for endorphin releases.

susan, might I recommend Wikipedia as a starting point when looking for specific information about one thing or another? They have an excellent overview of Taurine, which is used in a lot of energy drinks because of a common (mis)conception that it enhances the effects of caffeine. This hasn’t been proven, however, so your mileage may vary.
Mike Says:
January 24th, 2006 at 12:41 am
I found this site when I googled no-doz vs energy drinks. Very informative, thought not what I was looking for. I am not a fan of Red Bull but I drink a lot of the others (Amp and Monster especially). I too can attest to the issues with memory loss related to alcohol and energy drinks. I started mixing flavored vodka and Monster energy drinks. It was a ratio of 2 parts energy drink for one part 80 proof vodka, or five airplane bottles to one can of Monster (of course you wouldn’t drink the whole thing). On one occaision I woke up in the storage closet with the doorknob broken off from the inside. I’ve lost bits and pieces of nights when I have had too much alcohol with no energy drinks. However, the gaps would invariably be much larger and more frequent when Monster was involved. Its not a scientific study by any means, but I think that it would be prudent for somebody to do one. Certainly no bar will quit selling such a profitable drink without a very good reason, but whatever is causing the memory loss I sincerely think it is more than just the alcohol. (To anyone who says so, try it). Anways, as someone who moves furniture to pay the bills, I have gone through a lot of energy drinks and have yet to collapse from dehydration. The main concern I have with them is the sugar content (57g in an Amp Tall Boy X3 per day = a lot of sugar). I think that if you can get the same amount of caffeine from coffee it would be better for your body to do so just because of the sugar (if you can stand it black anways). Thanks for the info.
kj Says:
January 24th, 2006 at 11:41 am
Absolutely. Wikipedia is a great reference. I especially like the links in their Red Bull article.
Smitty Says:
February 1st, 2006 at 1:32 am
Wow! This has been very entertaining. As a dedicated Red Bull consumer, I cannot fathom all the fuss over a little caffiene. I had until recently had a bad expresso habit, and would routinely drink multi-shot lattes to maximize kick while trying to avoid the downside of bitter coffee on the digestive tract by matching the expresso with an equal amount of half-and-half. I found that adding the required sugar to cover the bitter taste added an excellent sugar rush. I had long given up on sodas. Mountain Dew has too much citric acid, and coke is too weak. But Red Bull is perfect! I drink the sugar-free version now, and for the first time in my life, I am free of sugar rush addiction. Sugar and caffiene is a great ride, but there is a price. I’m not going to dwell on the connection of sugar and alcohol for getting the proper drunk on. Energy drinks and alcohol? A careful look at drinking habits of alcoholic beverages among beginners would show a wealth of concoctions that have a ton of sugar to keep the energy up and out-pace the natural depressing power of alcohol. The fact for many folks here in America (Land of the Obese), sugar is a the first recreational drug we discover. Oreos and milk? Oh-yeah! All child oriented food is laced with it. Is it coincidence that all our major holidays have so much eating and sweets? The problem with sugar and/or caffiene is the down after the high. It is a cycle of escalation to recapture that good feeling, leading to many bad health conditions. Now, we have Red Bull. It gives you wings with no crash landing afterwards (watch the alcohol level though…)! I have tried AMP, Monster, Jester, KMX, 180, Pimpjuice, Rush, Full Throttle, and their variants (sugar-free or flavor variations like Full Throttle Fury) All the others lack the consistancy of Red Bull in their effect for me. Worse yet, most of these rely heavily on Citric Acid for taste which upsets my stomach. Red Bull has none. It consistantly lifts my overall mental and physical levels, and I do not feel drained afterward (as long as I sleep regularly). Plus, it does not have any discomforting digestive consequences, nor do I feel hungery like I used to after drinking a coke. The high sugar content of soft drinks and those lattes often left me dehydrated, because my personal experience is that lots of sugar does that, even if there is no caffiene. Perhaps, that is not a common reaction(I have no statistical proof-but it makes sense to me. I always want a glass of water after eating a little too much candy), but Red Bull does not have any reasonable downside for me at all, except the cost is a bit much. Thankfully, ALDI stores sell a good copycat brand, Red Thunder, which sells for 75 cents(US) a can. I drink two or three cans a day, and my low carb diet is going great. Thanks again for this great blog. I rarely read blogs, but the tone of critcal thinking expressed so pointedly toward yet another news article of carefully constructed half-truths and myths was too refreshing not to hope for more within the blog. The half-remembered stories told by the drunks was a funny contrast to the more informative bits. Great Stuff! Finally, I have to admit that I was afraid that Red Bull was too good to be true, but your article reflects my own findings. Thanks again.
charity Says:
February 9th, 2006 at 7:43 am
so, from what i’ve learned today, i’m thinking that Red bull and alcohol is a drink that doesn’t allow you to feel full (because of taurine, may even make you hungry?), so that you can drink more than if it was regular soda and alcohol.
if you consider that alcohol is a depressant-that your body would shut down (pass out) after drinking too much- and that red bull is a stimulant (causing you to stay awake) that counteracts the alcohol, you would expect the alcoholics to take that opportunity to drink more. Thus, increasing the BAC. and the higher the BAC the more brain damage you can cause. This might explain the black outs. and both caffeine and red bull are diuretics? adding to the cause of healthh problems
but, why is everyone freaking out? alcohol poisoning has happened before, althetes have had heart conditions before?
priior Says:
February 10th, 2006 at 7:58 am
red bull has no effect on me.. i can drink 8 cans and still function.

you guys are all nuts.
Anonymous Says:
February 13th, 2006 at 2:08 am
The problem with drinking red bull and alcohol (or so I’ve heard) is that Red Bull speeds up your heart while Alcohol slows it down. It acts as a milder form of speed. Basically, not good for the heart.

Maybe you could correct me on that, but I’ve heard nothing about it having a correlation with blacking out.
kj Says:
February 13th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
Exercise also speeds up your heart, and it turns out that that’s pretty good for you.

Yes, Red Bull (caffeine, anyway) is a stimulant. Yes, Alcohol is a depressant.
Relating it to heart rate seems a little simplistic.

And as for the blacking out, there’s a fun little science experiment in there.

“Okay. I drank 8 rye and ginger last night. Did I black out? Damn, I forget.”
Anonymous Says:
February 13th, 2006 at 3:47 pm
Right, exercise does speed up your heart, which is good for you, but so does coke (the drug) not so good for you. I think the idea is that your heart gets mixed signals from the alcohol and red bull, which is very bad for you.
kj Says:
February 16th, 2006 at 12:40 am
Sorry to get all mathy on your ass, but here’s what you just said, in logical terms.

a implies b. a implies not b. So c implies b.

In other words: heart rate has nothing to do with it, and you just pulled the mixed message thing out of (ahem) the air.
joel Says:
February 19th, 2006 at 10:29 pm
I can’t even remember how I stumbled on this. I found it interesting and read the whole thing. I was always under the assumption that enegy drinks were bad, I don’t really think that now. I drink about 4 cups of coffee a day (black), so how can I argue one way or the other. The mixing of red bull and vodka got me thinking. If caffeine increases your heart rate and alcohol thins your blood, what would the adverse effects of that, if any? Would it mean that more blood is being pumped through your heart or just that blood would pump easier? I’ve been searching online for about an hour and couldn’t find anything concrete. Anyone know?
Travis House Says:
February 20th, 2006 at 6:19 pm
Thank you KJ for the lovly read. I compleaty agree with you. Nice job.
Michelle Says:
February 25th, 2006 at 11:39 pm
I have had problems with drinking red bull and jager. One one occassion I had about 5 drinks during a night out and passed out cold sitting at the bar. Decided that I had not eaten enough dinner and wrote it off. Last night I had three drinks over 5 hours and passed out while in the car on the way home. I went to the doc and got a clean bill of health after the first incident. So after last night, I thought I would see if anyone else was experiencing these effects. This is not like a normal black-out (wake up and can’t remember), this is like I get dizzy, my vision disappears and I hit the floor. I can’t say for sure that the cause is the red bull or the alcohol, and it would be presumptuous to accuse either. I have been drinking for quite some time and have never experienced these effects until mixing red bull with jager. Does anyone have this problem? Thanks.
Teddy Says:
February 27th, 2006 at 6:34 pm
I tried Vodka and Red Bull for the first time on Saturday. I probably had equivalent to four bottles of red bull, and maybe 6 shoots of vodka. Also about 6 beers and some whiskey.
I was wasted, but I woke up the next day, and totally tripped out. I was paranoid, anxious… just freaked. I went to the hospital to check if someone laced me with some drug or something, but it was clean. It’s been 48 hours, and I’m still pretty dizzy. Not sure if anyone’s heard of that before… maybe I’m allergic to something in it.
Mike D Says:
March 6th, 2006 at 4:17 am
I agree - Red Bull & Vodka for me - Memory loss. Apparently I was in a fight with a bouncer at a very upscale downtown sushi bar. I don’t remember a thing, and I left at 2am didn’t get home til 4:30 am - where was I for 2 hrs??? It’s a good drink but I don’t think its wise to be driking it. I was dizzy all day today. I think its the Taurine. I probably had 4 red bull and vodkas…
zaid mehiar Says:
March 10th, 2006 at 1:32 am
ohh i wonder why they gave us 2 cans of red bull for free on my graduation party in the collage right after taking the BA certificate with a note saying that congratulations from red bull to you

” next days of your life will be a hard working days 5 days weekly, inorder to be powerfull and have a good improvment for your business and responsibilites drink red bull everyday “

well, as a graphic designer i would say smart marketing !!
JB Says:
March 16th, 2006 at 5:24 pm
Red Bull and Vodka is great but - I still can’t remember who I am or what I’ve done at the end of the night. All of my friends have the same problem. What is up with that?
Robert Says:
March 24th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
In response to Jordan’s question about a leathal dose for a 150 pound man:

Let’s round 150lbs to 70kg to make the math easier. There are 1000mg of Taurine in one Red Bull, or 1 gram. The LD50 (Lethal dose that killed 50% of the population of rats when given oraly) is listed at 7 g/kg, or 490 grams of Turine would kill 50% of the 70kg people who consumed that dose (that’s 490 red bulls). The lethal dose of caffiene (rat) however is 192 mg/kg, or a total of 1344 mg for our 70kg man. At 80mg per can, that’s 16.8 cans of red bull to kill 50% of the 70kg population (give or take to convert from rats to humans). This also doesn’t take into account any synergistic effects between the toxicities of caffiene, taurine, and the other stuff in there.
Vanilla Says:
March 29th, 2006 at 5:29 pm
Haven’t tried Red Bull with alcohol, but Red Bull doesn’t have any negative effects on me. o_O
Went to this site to check the whole caffeine content of Red Bull compared with coke etc etc. Thanks for the info. :)
melon Says:
March 30th, 2006 at 5:02 pm
i came here to find out about taurine, bc apperently everyone from doctors to chem teachers to the fda have no real idea about this shit, there all clueless, so what i rly wanna know is when a full study on it will be done, in any country anywhere, something with reliable facts and figures and what not, so if any of u know about uupcoming studys or ongoing ones, pleez do tell. i happen to be a monster man, not red bull, but potatoes-patatoes, energy drinks are amazing
CL Says:
April 6th, 2006 at 1:01 am
That is very interesting about the Lethal doses. I would also really like to see a true scientific study on the effects of Taurine. Caffine is quite well documented but there is limited information on Taurine and some of the other ingreadiants of the energy drinks.
This is an entertaining and fun blog, it never ceases to amaze me how stupid some people are, I was LOL
sarah Says:
April 10th, 2006 at 12:04 pm
hi i think the real issue with red bull is not the ingredients but the quantity of ingredients and yes i agree with you there is less caffeine in a can of red bull than in most cups of coffee… BUT 1000 mg of taurine is VERY high compared to the amounts found normally in taurine high foods (an average piece of meat will contain about 30 mg of taurine) also taurine is found in the body in excessive amounts and its not used up during times of exertion as is being compensated by red bull…. the point is scientists don’t know what tuarine does at high amounts like 1000 mg per can of red bull… most likely it does absolutly nothing… so if taurine does nothing caffeine at 80 mg does nothing than what’s left? its all the sugar!! basically that is all red bull is… and the effects of dehydration when combining alcohol and red bull may not be as profound i think the emphasis is more on the fact that you FEEL less drunk than you are… and people do stupid things thinking they’re not that drunk…
kj Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 9:11 am
Sarah, I agree completely.
kev Says:
April 12th, 2006 at 7:00 am
sarah said:

and people do stupid things thinking they’re not that drunk…

…and, good lord, is there ever a lot of evidence here to support that statement :)
Caleb Says:
April 19th, 2006 at 12:07 pm
Wow. Red bull taste like hot garbage mixed with cat ass. Thanks Austria.

This was a good blog, as for the people who say they got canned from Red Bull, should probably just measure the amounts of alcohol they consume. Plates? stitches? blackouts? Sounds like good times alright…

Peace
Jim Says:
April 22nd, 2006 at 11:03 am
You guys seriously need to learn some stuff about a certain drink you love. From inside the company knowledge……..no-one drinks it there.
Ever heard of caffeine induced psycosis?? or amphetamine induced psycosis—-redbull has similar effects to amphetamine……….if its not your body your are doing damage to, its your mind!!!!!!!!
Jim Says:
April 22nd, 2006 at 11:06 am
As for passing out, it is the redbull, i used to get it all the time, your head feels funny and your legs go week
kj Says:
April 24th, 2006 at 11:19 am
Jim, I think you’re missing the point. The point was to apply some science to the discussion of Red Bull’s effects. In other words, the exact opposite of what you have just done.
Michael RB4daily Says:
May 18th, 2006 at 9:03 pm
I have been drinking Red Bull for a year now, 4 cans per day ave., and lately I have been experiencing muscle strains in my right shoulder. Any experience something similar?

Oh, and for all of you who have mixing red bull and alcohol and blacked out. Dop yourself a favor. Stop drinking! You exhibit signs of alcoholism with blackouts. Listen now, or cry real hard later.
kj Says:
May 18th, 2006 at 11:17 pm
Michael, you might try drinking with the other arm. ;)
Brandon Says:
May 24th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
Hah! If you guys are looking for caffeine, buy some goddamn pills.(200mg/pill)
They really help me in school. Every day, I take one pill before I leave the house, and I take another at around 11:00-noon. They help LOADS if you had say 2-4 hours of sleep the previous night and need to stay alert for whatever your doing.

Gamers: Do caffeine. Lots of it.
Especially for those firstperson shooter-online-adrenaline rush- type games.

Thanks
Red Bulloney Says:
May 30th, 2006 at 6:38 am
Per litre? Whos drinking caffine per litre anyway? If a person is, it is through out the day. redbull is designed to be a shooter. That isnt good.
Energize Says:
June 13th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
Hey, it even says on the web site for redbull; “you must drink plenty of fluids with Red Bull in a physical workout”.
Jenna Says:
June 21st, 2006 at 6:48 am
are there any effects of red bull and birth control pills?
kj Says:
June 27th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
You’ll be awake, and find it hard to get pregnant.
Eric D Says:
July 9th, 2006 at 3:01 pm
One comment about your statement that “caffeine doesn’t dehydrate you”(http://www.ific.org/foodinsight/2002/ja/caffdehydnbfi402.cfm)–the IFIC is an industry-funded organization so you need to take their “scientific” studies and reports with a large grain of salt. I cannot comment to the validity of your claim (more research would be needed) but it is unwise to be drawing from what are generally industry propaganda bodies (just like the particular CBC show on Red Bull isn’t a great source for facts either… sounds like they were a tad sloppy in their research which is disappointing).
amandajoy Says:
July 26th, 2006 at 11:47 pm
When I go out drinking, all i drink is vodka Red Bulls. I drink on average 5 full Red Bulls and 1 whole medium sized bottle of vodka (sorry, I dont know the exact amount). I do this about once a month when its girls night out or whatever. I have never ever experienced any kind of blackouts, if anything I was awake and ready to party all night. I also notice that since drinking these I do not get hangovers in the morning. I am not sure what is causing people to black out, but maybe its the way THEIR body reacts to these drinks, not necessarily that this drink does this. I also work at a hospital (I’m an RN) and have had this discussion with many doctors, to which they cannot say for certainty that this mixture of alcohol/energy drink is bad for you. People drink Rum/coke and irish coffee all the time, which is pretty much the same. The only thing they can say they see wrong with it is the fact some people may feel they can drink more because they are awake and energized. Just my 2….Love em and have no problem with them.
steven Says:
August 1st, 2006 at 6:54 pm
As a social drinker/weekend alcoholic who has woke-up hungover in the morning, went to the bar, started drinking vodka red bulls, and disappeared from my wife for 24 hours, missed work Monday morning, sicker than Nicholas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas.

Well you get my drift. At least I can have one on a Tuesday night now and laugh about it, but they can sure send you on a bender.

Try drinking them all night until the sun rises, passing out a couple hours, waking up half-drunk, half-hungover, and then telling yourself you need more of the same to “get back to normal”.

But like the one gentleman pointed out, you only live once and you should drink what you like!

If you’re not accustomed to drinking them, whatever you do, don’t go pound a dozen vodka red bulls your first time or way may never hear from you again.
tony Says:
August 9th, 2006 at 1:37 am
Thanks for the great article. I am constantly frustrated with the ridiculous rumors. Red Bull is amazing.
Zergio Says:
August 12th, 2006 at 3:50 pm
Any one can tell me where this red bull guys are getting the Taurine?
I heard that from blood.

Thank You
Vernon Flyer Says:
August 15th, 2006 at 10:03 pm
Haha…

It’s funny, being 15, and seeing people trying to stab down the the brick wall kj built with his article with a blunt knife.

There is so many . . . Rumors about alot of stuff. I’ve heard that you would have to drink almost a can a day of diet coke to get the same amount as one normal coke, and then there’s all this crap about coke causing cancer…

Anyways, I avidly drink Red Bull. Around one a day, no more. Sometimes I go down to drink one and find there’s only one left. So I bike to the store and get a new case.

Nothing’s happened to me. Ever. All this Red Bull stuff is bull (I know, don’t quit my day job)

I’ll crack open my can tomorrow and make a toast to KJ… And if I’m feeling guilty about all the crap, I’ll get sugarfree, and get some excercise. Hell, it takes my mind of crap and I don’t feel so “guilty” about drinking it. I shouldn’t, but what the hell, why stop now, excercise is good.

I’m rambling. Peace.
kj Says:
August 15th, 2006 at 10:47 pm
Blood? I’ve never heard that one. I have heard the bull sperm rumour before, which is even more ridiculous (though it might explain the price tag).
evert Says:
August 30th, 2006 at 6:22 pm
oh geez, people are idiots … it’s not the red bull that messes up your mind and actions, it’s the vodka … duh! if you drink red bull straight it won’t do anything to your mind, but I guarantee you if you drink vodka straight, your mind will get messed up.
Justin Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 1:24 pm
amazing…red bull is amazing
Julian Says:
September 19th, 2006 at 10:28 pm
get YOUR facts right. Caffeine does dehydrate you - it’s a diuretic, meaning it stimulates the kidneys to expell water, hence dehydration. You have all fallen for the marketing crap of red bull havnt you.
kj Says:
September 21st, 2006 at 10:38 pm
Julian, I presume you can read, because of your comment. Could it be that you have an inability to click on links?

From the study linked to from the phrase “does not dehydrate you”:

“Moderate caffeine consumption causes a mild diuresis very similar to that of water (water, when consumed in large volume, increases urine output)”

Neither coffee (nor Red Bull) are “caffeine.” They are liquids with a small caffeine content. The net result, especially for anyone who consumes them on a regular basis, is very little dehydrating effect, certainly not enough to have a detrimental effect on exercise.

But as they say, never let the facts get in the way of a good argument.
mike Says:
October 5th, 2006 at 11:44 am
Cafeine doesnt dehydrate you. Decreased uptake of H2O dehydrates you. Increased uptake of alcohol, or cafeine which are diuretics may lead to dehydration (w/o H20 uptake). Basically idiots like you that drink redbull and vodka icrease their chances of dehydration by peeing on their pants or puking their last meal on your best friends car…..
Brinton Phillips Says:
October 6th, 2006 at 5:25 am
I died from drinking too much Red Bull one night, but I’m ok now.
ty Says:
November 23rd, 2006 at 12:53 am
get over it people. red bull works.. thats it! coffee and red bull may have the same effects,depending on the amount of coffee u drink, but as a coffee AND red bull drinker, red bull makes me feel clearer, more alert, and doesnt wear off within an hour.Of course eating a substancial meal before drinking red bull is something i would recommend,considering it increases metabolism. STOP trying to justify red bull being bad for you or good for you. Its being produced for the consumer who would rather drink 250mL without having the feeling of having to take a crap or stomach pains cause u drank too much coffee.Dont be a dumbass and drink 2 or more at once, moderation guys, thats the success of red bull. YOU DONT NEED ALOT.
Red Bull Says:
December 3rd, 2006 at 3:41 am
Red Bull is awesome. I like the sugar free better now so you don’t get the sugar crash. I owe my engineering degree to red bull. Coffee puts me on the crapper for hours. I do go off of Red Bull for a few weeks now and then because I find its effects are not as good when you drink them often. Now I’ve just gone and gotten 500mg Taurine caps and Vitamin B complex at the health food store. I didn’t see much mention of vitamin B in this article. Red Bull has a lot of it and its a well known stress reliever, energy booster, and helps the mind focus. See how much vitamin B you get in your coffee, none. Coffee is only good for its caffine/sugar, and its fun laxitive/teeth staining properties.

By the way, the reason your blacking out from Red Bull and Vodka is probably the 2 shots worth of vodka most bars put in each drink. There is another drink known for its blacking out properties called a Mind Eraser. Its vodka, kalua, and tonic water. These types of drinks make it easy to drink a large quantity of vodka. Try doing 4 shots and vodka and see how much you remember.
Joe Says:
December 6th, 2006 at 5:11 pm
Ok, my friends laugh at me and say im addicited to Red Bull. I usally spend about $50 a week on it. I drink about 3 cans a day. One for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner… So on to my point, I drank 22 Red Bull in about an hour and a half. My friend got me a 24 pack of it for my b-day, and i sat in a hot tub pounding one after the other. Of course my stomache started cramping, just drink that much water and tell me your stomache wont hurt. I woke up the next day, yanked one out of my fridge and still drink them. I had almost like a hang over with my stomache being upset, but yet every time I go and get a physical, blood test, or for some reason go to the hospitol, every doctor tells me im healthy as I can be for being 18 years old. So I say keep on drinking them.
Minni Says:
December 10th, 2006 at 6:48 pm
Yeah i have to say all the red bull and vodka drinkers can’t handle their alcohol. I’m only 20 and probably drank more then all of them combined and me having over 6 beers, 8 shots of jagger bombs, and over three glasses of jack and coke in one night, didn’t get drunk or have any black out experiences. I drink redbull mixed with any alcohol all the time and never had any blackout. So all those pussies just need to build up their tolerance. As for red bull being bad i don’t know, one of my dads good friends is a doctor and i talked to him about energy drinks, and all he could say was that it had some effect on the kidneys or liver (don’t remember which one) but thats only to clean out the blood. However, it doesn’t have much more effects then alcohol or anything damaging. The doc just concluded that go drink a can of red bull and go study. As being a college student i think it does help me, it does help me feel more concentrated to my studies. I’m not an alcoholic or anything like that, only drink like once or twice a month. and only on the weekends. So don’t be commenting on me for being able to control my alcohol and not blacking out like the others.
alex Says:
December 18th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
Say what you will about Red bull, it’s a whole lot cheaper then cocaine. True, you don’t get the metabolized bonus of cacoethelene, but at least if you wake up in jail then it’s probably drunk and disorderly as opposed to CDS…

As for red bull, vodka and memory loss, has it ever occurred to anyone to drink a glass of water with every third drink? Keeps you hydrated and protects you from the evils of rail vodka. Stoli and Absolut aren’t too bad, but anything less is just asking for a wicked hangover and if you’re going to be artificially awake, it might slow you down enough to keep from blacking out. Just more reason to make Alcohol-101 a required class in college.
Simon Says:
January 9th, 2007 at 9:18 am
Interesting post, no suprises that everyone is on difference sides of the fence, ok a few points from my camp… In regards to redbull dehydrating you, yes Caffine is a diuretic, causing the kidneys to expel water, so the same applies to coffee as it does redbull, HOWEVER, its an urban myth this causes dyhydration, and the amount of water in the drink itself is more than the amount we piss back out from the effects of the caffine so although it does cause the Kidneys to expel water it does NOT dehydrate us. Obviously water or any other drink without a diuretic element is more hydrating but neither actually dehydrates us.

In regards to Blackouts, lol, sorry guys the alcohol is the likely cuplrit, as that is so well documented a side effect. The stimulates are more likely to have cause you to have not realised you were as drunk, as you had better brain function under the influence than straight drinking alone. This is especially likely with spirits as opposed to wine or beer. The body actually deals with spirits differently, where as beer is processed straight away and you can feel yourself getting drunk, spirits are trapped to be processed and then are released in a burst, hence why you can drink gin, vodka whiskey etc and feel fine then suddenly legless. So may have seemed like a sudden blackout.

In regards to tauring content, a 250ml red bull contains .4% taurine thats about 1 ml, thats near as 1mg essentially.

People who take vitamin supplements normally take 2 grams of taurine three times per day. So you could drink 3 cans and still get no more than a standard miniral suppliment.

Taurine is a non essential amino acid so is naturally occuring in the body it is essential for processing things like potassium, calcium and sodium in the body, and for maintaining cell membrane integrity. It is thought to be helpful with anxiety, hyperactivity, poor brain function and epilepsy as well as HYDRATING the brain. Taurine, together with zinc is also required for proper eye health and vision.

Taurine is a non-essential amino acid and is found in high concentrations in the white blood cells, skeletal muscles, central nervous system as well as the heart muscles. It is also found in large amounts in human milk.

t is a key ingredient of bile, which in turn is needed for fat digestion, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins as well as the control of cholesterol serum levels in the body.

In fact a taurine deficiency may impair vision and problems with fat metabolism may appear, and a theory exists that it may also be involved in epilepsy developing.
Butcher Of Ignorance Says:
January 11th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Red Bull gives you a palpable kick of mental energy, or a rush, approaching euphoria. I think that this and other “energy drinks” have real potential for abuse, due to 1 addiction and 2 misinformation. I don’t agree with your opinions KJ but your site gives the common man a forum for an issue like this that affects the common man. so good on you or something.

My philosophy on the potential long term ill effects of RB is, I don’t really care, it is just a cheap thrill for me. I actually get severe cravings for Red Bull, and have felt disoriented, faint and/or experienced irregularities in heart rate/blood pressure a few hours after coming down from my “fix”. I have found it is hard to obtain very deep sleep even hours after drinking RB. Combining it with alcohol is FUCKING RETARDED. But then again, alcohol is pretty retarded to begin with.

And another thing, humans are fucking retards, just watch them paying $7.50 for a shot of vodka + half a can of red bull, and tell me they’re not. C’mon, I don’t care how much you say you like it, you are probably just a victim of successful marketing. It is likely that certain individuals would die from (repeated doses) of this combination. Certain people will not be affected very much at all (even after repeated doses). Obviously, that the French banned its sale and that it is not viewed as a benign soft drink in several other european countries, suggest there is legitimate concern over its sudden and widespread rise in popularity. Like I say I think it has tremendous potential for abuse, but the same could be said of anything I suppose.

You all make me sick.
Qleyo Says:
April 26th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Ok I’ve just spent the last 6 hours trying to restrain myself from redbull and falling asleep in the library. I’ve just read your article and I’m off to a bar (since its the only thing open at this time of the night) to buy a can of red bull (no alcohol of course) and study! Thank you very very much.
LOL Says:
May 1st, 2007 at 6:37 pm
CRACK WORKS BETTER
lady t Says:
May 18th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
cool
Frobo Says:
July 9th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
red bull is actually bull urine.
what they do is feed a bull on coffee granules, and force it to drink the blood of virgins.
the urine they piss is bottled and sold as Red Bull.
FACT
you will see sooner or later
Redheat Says:
July 15th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Living in the UK we have ALOT of different energy drinks and I have found that the cheaper ones work better and are far cheaper! :)

I have a question how can the price be justified to the cheep ones!

They have near exact ingredients, same percentages of Taurine, Glucur-whatever and caffeine only difference i found was the cheep stuff used glucose-Fructose syrup. The rest of the ingredients were in a slightly different order (so slightly different levels) and the cheap can did not mention E150d it says caramel :) I might of been mistaken on the odd ingredient but how can the price be justified?? 39p and £1.29 ?? Sugar is not that different in expense.. is it?? and maybee a few ml’s content difference?

Just a little random stuff…

I use to have a big addiction to ‘Cheapo Redbull’ as I always called it (I have seen 4 different types of cheaper versions of redbull, Boost (Jacksons version), Referesh (spar or other corner shops, blue charge (asda) and Ummm I don;t know Tesco’s one as I never buy it… Asda all the way!!!!

Oh and they come in 3 sizes!!! :D BONUS! The normal cans, 500ml and 1 Litre (You don’t see red bull selling that!!!)

Anyway my addiction came through college and isnomina. I could not sleep so i started drinking Cheapo Redbull the effects were ace, but then over a period of months my body tolerance got higher and so I needed more to get the same effect. I ended up having around 3 litres a day. [Asda and Tesco have a permanent 3 for 2 offer on the 1 litre bottles! ahahahahha].

Anyway it got to a point where I was drinking alot of it and thinking “it must be doing something even if I cannot feel the effects” (addiction or what). After more than 4 people mentioned my intake in one day I realised oh shit! hahaha i stopped there after!

My point is that this was over a period of 2-3 months and although it was not actual Redbull it is VERY similar! and it did not have massive effects on me. Occasionally I would have the shakes for a while but that is it.

I had no blackouts with just Cheepo Redbull. Next bit…

I use to be a heavy two or three nights a week drinker (Tuesday rock nights) and Friday night! and sometimes Saturday if I could afford it [Factory work and college money … wooohoo] And I would drink stupid amounts of alcohol… Absinthe was by far the best until they banned it :@ i have drunk just about every spirit available in the UK and had stupid amounts alot of times and never blacked out.

In fact i have remembered EVERY single night the next morning after stupid amounts of alcohol…. god i wish i could have memory laps and not remember all the stupid things i did but oh well! :P

I have never had many Voddy and Redbulls when i go out I drink Navy rum and cokes now! Literally no hangover :D so cannot actually comment on blackouts to do with that but…

Redbull or cheepo stuff does not cause blackouts (to confirm other peoples comments) from my own experience

and Alcohol does not cause it (my extensive experience) so

So my advice is don’t mix them, have Navy rum and coke instead….. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Hope someone can answer my question at the start :)

Thanks kj for some information on caffeine junk :)

Oh I do appolagise for my spelling and grammar and there are too many red lines for me to bother going through them as it is 01:15 in the morning (Late night from work which I compared both cheapo and normal Redbull ingredients and came up with my question)

Redheat
Stevie Says:
July 18th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
To Smitty,

Great job of pointing out the Aldi Red Thunder alternative! It is truly awesome for the price! Otherwise, I only drink 100% Arabica (not Robusta!) coffee brewed from home ground beans (like Eight O’Clock 100% Columbian - made in the same location since 1910) and red wine: Cabernet, Malbec, Cotes du Rhone, and Spanish reds. And I run 4 or 5 days a week and I play solo guitar around Madison, WI !!
Evan Spence Says:
July 19th, 2007 at 2:03 am
Cotes du Rhone? Finally, something in this thread to which I can relate.
Emily is addicted to RedBull Says:
August 15th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
People, just build your tolerance to alcohol if you really wanna drink redbull mixed with any form of it…. Alcohol WILL fck you up in quantity or if your body’s not used to it… Redbull+vodka, for me & everyone I know who drinks the combo on the regular when out to clubs or lounges.. No blackouts, no memory loss, and strange thing, we awake with NO hangover. When I dont have any redbulls while consuming alcohol, I do awake sometimes with headaches or mad hang overs… Same story for more than 30+ peoples I know of… Bottom line is.. Set all your hardcore research & google-ing aside.. RedBull is heatlhier on your body than most canned sodas or juices, coffee or coffee drinks.. Drink too much of ANYTHING and it will be bad for you… RedBull is cheaper than any speeds or drugs out there.. It’s legal.. And on its own will not damage your body or mind!! Just stay between 1 to 6 cans a day & you’ll survive.. Eat well.. Drink water couple times a day (like all our doctors told us since we’re babies water is something to drink lots daily to stay in better health state).. Sleep well.. Work out…. Active lifestyle… And voila!! RedBull will give you wings & you wont have any horror stories along with it. As for all you binge drinking & hard liquor newbies.. alcohol+Redbull mixes: enjoy with moderation like everything in this world. (Or else find yourself discovering that alcohol can mess you up big time if not used to it & push you in experiencing some bad events and even potential health issues.. And if you got trash drunk or crunked’ all mixed with RedBull, all RedBull’s guilty of is you’re just gonna be more alert/cranked-up when its happening.. Or find yourself insomniac, or once up from blacking out you’ll be fcked up in the brain for the day… hahaha)
Caroline Says:
October 17th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
I went out last saturday and had 3 vodka tonics and 2 jagger bombs. I also had eaten dinner. this was in a 3 1/2 hour period and I was literally fine one minute talking and having a great time and out the next. I could hear and understand everything that was going on I just couldn’t, talk, see or move. Has anyone else experienced this with the Red Bull and Jagger? I am an experienced drinker and was not really intoxicated at all.
Chris Says:
November 1st, 2007 at 5:21 am
Unless you are in the mountains or suffering some kind of blockage in the blood to your lungs, 100% oxygen won’t do crap for you. Your blood can only bind so much… less than what is in the normal atmosphere.
Sarah G Says:
November 26th, 2007 at 8:23 am
Ok well i go out on a Sunday night and Drink Red Bull without Vodka… I am flat out on the dance floor which is not me ,just have loads of energy..But i always realise that when i go home after night club i cant sleep, i feel very strange and stay awake but my heart goes 90..It’s mad like i dont even drink alcohol with it and i can feel the effects..Bad effects that is..I am sober and very aware.. I remember that once i drank alcohol with it and it totally messed with my head..I wasnt drunk but very emotional.I know for a fact that it is the red bull.As any other drink does not do this to me…Maybe i am stupid but i enjoy the red bull on a sunday..apart from the trying to sleep after.
Sam Says:
December 2nd, 2007 at 2:58 am
Hey Guys,

I went clubbing in Bali for almost 18 days straight and i was drinking redbull for 10 of those. Everyday I would have upwards of 6 double strength redbulls (Its gold labelled in Bali, and i think only available there) and i was completely fine. It Hypes your body up and i was dancing in clubs for hours at a time. Vodka Redbull is the best drink because it gets you over the nervousness stage and then the redbull lets you dance for ages.

Come on guys embrace redbull. I was having waters aswell but it wasn’t because of the redbull it was because i was sweating so much from dancing.

Have fun :)
mike Says:
December 9th, 2007 at 5:12 am
right on! i am a treeplanter in b.c. one of the mostphysicly demanding jobs in the world and drinkin 1 rd @ 2 p.m. doubles my production adding almost 20 bucks to my paycheck..if you have ever had to run uphill over logging slash from a grizzly bear you would appreciate the bull!
Red Bull IV Drip Says:
February 9th, 2008 at 2:48 am
What’s this? 8 cans of [insert product here] fucked you up? No way. I drank 8 cans of [insert another product here] similar to [insert product here] and I was just fine! Seriously, large amounts of caffeine in any product takes some getting use to. Some people smoke a pack a day. Let a non-smoker smoke one pack in a day. It just may kill him. As with any substance that can be abused, if you do.. There is a price. No one would be shocked if they felt like shit after drinking 8 cups of coffee with vodka. Somehow, Red Bull is in it’s own nasty little category. If you drink alcohol (to the point of being drunk), if you smoke, and espescially if you are OBESE STFU about Red Bull. That’s my 2-cents. On a side note, i drank 3 red bulls after not drinking coffee for a month and got extremely “jittery”. Yesterday, i drank 3 red bulls but i’ve been hitting the coffee pretty regularly and i couldn’t tell a difference. Do we understand now? Like the site. Later.
Nemanja Says:
May 14th, 2008 at 5:23 am
Vodka - Red Bull

Hi there,

I drink vodka red bull almost every night (about 7-10 drinks per night) and I notice one thing!
Police stopped me 3 times during last month, to see if I am drunk. They gave me their instrument witch measures alcohol in blood! In our country the limit of alcohol in blood is 0.5 ppm (if U have more than that goes fine). So, three times I blow in their thing and each time I had less then 0.5 (the 1st and the 2nd time I had 0.0, and the 3rd time I had 0.1). The 1st time I thought the instrument is out of order and I thought for the 2nd time too, but three times is not coincidence!
I can’t find anywhere on internet what Red Bull REALLY do to alcohol in blood.. On wikipedia they say that Red Bull does that U think that U are not drunk, but in fact U are drunk….

On my opinion It does something more than that, I THINK THAT RED BULL HIDE ALCOHOL IN YOUR BLOOD TOO (how, I don’t know)! And that’s the reason why police instrument didn’t measure well alcohol in my blood and that’s why I didn’t got fine from cops!!

Best regards, Nemanja!
Anonymous Says:
July 9th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Red Bull is being investigated for fraud. They ripped off 100s of investors for over 20 million dollars. Just wanted you all to know how F**ked up this Austrian company really is.
Devlin Nullinger Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Wow, this has got to be pushing some sort of record for longest running thread.

Thanks for the clear information and commentary. Thanks as well for the amusing way you dealt with nearly a hundred oxygen thieves.

Regards,

D
Ed Says:
November 15th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Well, I really don’t recommend any caffeine. I’m not a coffe drinker, Tea, energy liquid, cigarettes or Alchool. I always eat a lot of vegitables and fruites and make my own fresh juice and never been at Doctor clinic or taking any medications for 25 years and sleep with no problem even though I work 15-18 hours a day with no off and I always feel good and health. So why take all these crap drink to give us energy where God give us natural food to give us energy!!!!
Beside, I just read an article in Dubi Magazine that the police arrested a driver when he was DUI, but he claim that he doesn’t drink, all he had was 4 can of Red Bull, so the court order to test some of the red bull and found out that each can has % 0.04 alchool.

Eitherway consume unnatural drink or food is not good for the body.
That’s my opinion.
thank you
Evan Spence Says:
November 18th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Ed, thank you for your opinion.

I’m curious though: You abstain from alcohol, caffeine and energy drinks, but subscribe to Doobie Magazine?

That’s a whole other tangent for this thread.
pineapple poll Says:
February 5th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Here’s a salutary story for you caffeine junkies to ponder. My husband and I were in Belgium a couple of years ago, doing a thank you tour to people who had helped him write a book about World War I. Out came the beer at every turn, and since Belgium beer is rather strong and I was driving, I switched to coffee. This was a bit silly, because I knew too much coffee made me feel a bit ill - but it was much more dramatic than that. On our way back to the hotel, by which time my husband was well incapable of driving, I suffered really frightening symptoms - including thirst, feelings of nausea, tremor in the hands, & an inability to concentrate. Fortunately, a very low alcohol fruit beer - of the kind I would normally reject in disgust - and copious glasses of water improved matters. What I was suffering from was caffeine poisoning - but, fortunately, only very mildly. If you keep up drinking Red Bull, you could be opening yourselves to much more serious symptoms than that - and apparently they can strike without warning. Too much Red Bull is bad for you. That’s it.
kj Says:
February 6th, 2009 at 2:05 am
Caffeine poisoning? Are you sure you weren’t just suffering from “too much coffee”?

Clearly, your problem was choosing the coffee in the first place. Had you gone with an equivalent volume of Red Bull, you wouldn’t have ingested nearly as much caffeine, and hence, wouldn’t have had to sedate yourself with the booze afterwards.

Seriously. RTFA.
Chris Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 4:21 am
I drink 1-2 cans of Red Bull daily. I want to cut down because it really just becomes a self sustaining (downward) spiral. Much more useful as an impact player when required.
Damn it’s tasty though. And worth an extra 3 hours of productivity.

My friends say it will kill me, as they chug back several serves of espresso coffee each day, mostly with sugar. At the end of the day it is a soft drink high in caffeine.

I’m interested: in New Zealand we have a 250ml can, 250ml bottle and 355ml can. Does anyone agree the bottle tastes less carbonated than the can? Is this my mind or the glass or what?

Also - I have always noticed all Red Bull comes from Austria, until recently I noticed a can that came from Switzerland. Can we expect variations in taste as Red Bull distributes manufacturing? I thought that’s what I paid the Red Bull premium to avoid!

Science vs. the Bull

136 Responses to “Science vs. the Bull”

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