Is Red Bull Bad for You? Should You Be Drinking It or Not?

There is no doubt that Red Bull is the world’s top-selling energy drink; but is Red Bull bad for you or is it good to chug it down?

Is Red Bull Bad for You? (Image via Pinterest)

It is advertised as a means to increase energy and enhance both physical and mental performance. But there are worries about its safety and possible negative effects.

This article discusses Red Bull's potential adverse effects, especially whether consuming too much of it can be dangerous.

Red Bull Nutrition Facts

A can of red bull (8.4 ounces/260 ml) consists of:

112 calories
1.2 grams of protein
0 grams of fat
27 grams of carbs
27 grams of sugar.
75 mg of caffeine

Red Bull also offers sugar-free beverages like Red Bull Zero and Red Bull Sugarfree, which are manufactured using aspartame and acesulfame K artificial sweeteners as a sugar substitute.

Are Red Bulls bad for you?(Image via Unsplash/ Luis Dominguez)

Red Bull's components may give you an energy boost, but they can also have negative short- and long-term effects, especially at higher doses.

Why Is Red Bull Bad for You?

Assurance of instant energy in a can or bottle? It seems too wonderful to be true, doesn't it? Energy drinks frequently play a role in that, but they also carry major potential health hazards.

You yourself will be able to answer the question- “is red bull bad for you”, when you get to know its constituents:

High amounts of caffeine
High amounts of sugar

Caffeine and sugar in high doses can be quite harmful to the body and have even been known to stop the heart when consumed in excess.

How Bad is Red Bull for You?

Now that you know why Red Bull is bad for you, it’s time to know what this can do to your body. We get that it has side effects of too much caffeine and sugar, but what does it do?

1) Increased risk of stroke

Even if you're young, drinking Red Bull can increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Australian researchers discovered that 30 young adults displayed cardiovascular disease symptoms after consuming just one can of Red Bull. If you already have cardiac problems, you might want to stay away from Red Bull.

2) Blockade on your road to losing weight

Red Bull has high caffeine. (Image via Unsplash/ Erik McLean)

Your weight is directly correlated with your daily sugar intake. A single 8.4-ounce can of Red Bull has 27 grams of added sugar, according to the Red Bull website. That may not seem like much.

The American Heart Association advises males to consume no more than 36 grams of added sugar per day and women no more than 25 grams. One drink can push you close to or over the daily recommended limit.

A single Red Bull won't make you gain weight, but drinking one every day will surely add up to your waistline.

3) Disrupted sleep cycle

Energy drinks can prevent the chemicals in the brain that help you in a sound sleep since they contain between 70 and 100 milligrams of caffeine. Additionally, caffeine interferes with our circadian rhythm, which alerts us to bedtime. It can cause sleep disturbances if ingested four to six hours before going to bed.

Red Bull has high sugar content. (Image via Unsplash/ Jesper Brouwers)

We might believe that a few Red Bulls will keep us alert on the long journey or help us focus during the day. This might indicate that we aren't getting enough sleep, though. The loop of utilizing energy drinks to fight weariness can have an impact on our mental and emotional health.

Is Sugar-Free Red Bull Bad for You?

Energy drinks without added sugar may not have the extra calories that come from drinks with added sugar. However, the sweetness that is substituted for sugar has its own dangers. Aspartame and acesulfame potassium are both present in Red Bull Zero and Sugar-Free Red Bull. However, Red Bull Zero has sucralose (Splenda) as a supplementary sweetener, per the company website.

Now, things are clear and we have a specific answer to this - is Red Bull bad for you? Yes, if you are drinking in excess. But if consumed in moderate quantities, it does not possess much harm.