What Does Red Bull Actually Do?

This is a can of Red Bull.

It makes a lot of claims that it can give you energy

and points out a number of popular supplements.

We're gonna examine this label

and find out what's inside this can.

Does this drink truly provide energy, and if so,

is it harming your body and mind in the process?

Let's look at the fine print and find out.

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In terms of Red Bull and most energy drinks,

caffeine is the only proven stimulant.

Caffeine works so well as a stimulant

because it blocks adenosine receptors

in your central nervous system,

which then releases a number of neurotransmitters,

but mostly acetylcholine,

which leads to you having a big burst of energy.

In natural sources of caffeine like coffee, tea,

or chocolate,

there's a lot of other compounds in there

that are all produced by plants

in order to make flavors rich and complex.

Red Bull is a highly-refined product,

with very few ingredients.

Often, these supplemented caffeine sources

hit you a little bit faster and a little bit harder

just because it's not being blocked by anything else.

In this 8.4 fluid ounce can,

there's 80 milligrams of caffeine,

which is actually less than your typical cup of coffee,

but Red Bull comes in multiple sizes.

Ultimately,

it is the same formulation of Red Bull in every can,

but because these sizes are so much larger,

you're just getting a much larger dose of caffeine.

Directly beneath the Nutrition Facts panel,

it says not recommended for children,

pregnant or nursing women,

and persons sensitive to caffeine.

It's important that this disclaimer is on this package

because people do respond differently to caffeine.

Children in particular,

might not have any known heart conditions

that might be aggravated.

Heavy users of caffeine during pregnancy

may give birth to underweight children;

the evidence is not conclusive.

That being said, the typical adult

is able to consume a somewhat large amount of caffeine

on a daily basis.

In terms of energy source,

caffeine here in this Red Bull is very effective.

Just keep in mind that because it's not in the same form

as a cup of coffee,

you might be reacting a little bit differently to it

than you would from other sources of caffeine.

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Listed here on the front of the can, it says with taurine.

For a long time, there's this urban myth

that taurine was actually from bull testicles.

[bull roars]

That is not true at all.

It is a naturally present organic molecule

that is present in your body.

It actually makes up about 0.1% of your total body weight.

It serves a number of biological functions,

keeping your cardiovascular health in check,

and also helping with some cognitive function.

Taurine supplements have been rumored

to have some beneficial properties

in terms of athletic performance and cognitive ability;

most of these studies end up being pretty inconclusive.

On the actual package of Red Bull,

it doesn't list how much taurine is actually present.

Nutrition Facts panels and Ingredient labels

have to go down the list of what is the most abundant thing.

It's listed as the fifth ingredient.

Caffeine is well below that,

so we know that it's above 80 milligrams.

Because Red Bull is regulated as a beverage

in the United States,

it doesn't need to actually state

how much taurine is present in the product.

If Red Bull decided that it wanted to be regulated

as a supplement,

they would need to list the exact concentration.

But this supplemental form of taurine

is added to this Red Bull

with the hope that it has some sort of impact

on improving your cognitive and physical function.

While we don't know the exact concentration of taurine

in Red Bull,

taurine is safe to consume.

That being said,

is it actually contributing to cognitive function or health,

that's left to debate.

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Energy drinks are notorious for being high in total sugars,

especially added sugars.

This 8.4 ounce can has 27 grams of added sugar

in the forms of sugar or sucrose, and glucose.

Sucrose and glucose are two of the most readily used,

most common forms of sugar, out there in our diet.

Sugar is sucrose, which is a disaccharide,

which means

that there's two little sugar molecules linked together.

Glucose is actually most similar to the blood sugars

in your body,

which means it can start providing energy

in the form of calories, right away.

Notably, these 27 grams of added sugar

amount to about 54% of the daily recommended amount.

It is recommended that we try to limit added sugars

in our diet,

because they are usually just providing empty calories

without a lot of the other nutritious components

of more whole foods.

Usually,

to calculate the amount of calories from carbohydrates,

you can take total carbohydrates,

multiply that by four calories per gram;

that means that out of the 110 calories,

108 of them are just coming from sugar,

and based on weird grounding rules

that we're not gonna go into,

you can assume that every single calorie in this product

is coming from sugar.

Keep in mind that the serving size

for each of these different sizes is just one can.

You might be tempted to get the larger can,

because it has a larger total amount of caffeine,

but keep in mind that that also comes with more calories

and more added sugar.

The main role of sugar in almost any food

is just to make things taste better.

Red Bull without sugar,

or without some sort of artificial sweetener,

would be way too bitter to be enjoyable,

so sugar is able to make energy drinks and Red Bull

drinkable.

Is the sugar present here providing any sort

of energy boost?

Not really.

It is providing energy in the form of calories,

but that's not really the same thing as being stimulating.

Sugar-free Red Bull removes the sugar

and replaces it with two artificial sweeteners:

ACE-K and aspartame.

Most artificial sweeteners are present in very small amounts

because they are so much sweeter than sugar itself.

That's why they ultimately don't provide much

in the way of calories.

Aspartame is one of the most controversial food ingredients.

It has been studied extensively,

and it has been proven

that at the levels that it's being consumed,

poses no health risk.

One of the components of the actual aspartame molecule

that arises when it's broken down,

is an essential amino acid called phenylalanine.

Phenylalanine is commonly present in most foods

that contain any amount of protein,

but there are some people out there with a rare condition

where their body cannot break it down.

Otherwise, aspartame is safe.

While many people might be concerned about the safety

of artificial sweeteners,

many dieticians may actually recommend drinking

the sugar-free version,

because it contains only ten calories and zero added sugar,

which if you have any sort of concerns

about the number of calories in your diet,

this is definitely the better way to go.

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On the back of the can, there is the statement saying,

Red Bull is appreciated worldwide by top athletes,

busy professionals, college students

and travelers on long journeys.

Red Bull has done a great job about marketing to athletes.

Caffeine actually can be beneficial

for athletic performance.

It decreases the rate at which you experience fatigue,

can actually increase muscle power,

and that's why a lot of pre-workout has caffeine in it.

And if you are a very active athlete,

the calories from the sugar in here,

you're likely gonna burn them off

doing whatever you're doing.

So that's actually less of a concern.

While caffeine is a diuretic,

meaning that it pulls water out of your body,

you'd have to drink a lot of caffeine

to really put yourself at major risk.

You know you should be staying hydrated while working out.

If you start feeling any sort of heart racing,

or anything that does not feel normal,

you've probably overdone it on the caffeine.

Many of the benefits of consuming caffeine before a workout

could also be achieved with a good pre-workout

or a couple cups of coffee.

If you are using Red Bull

as a way to try to achieve peak performance

in whatever activity you're doing,

there is some benefit, mostly coming from the caffeine.

So this claim about Red Bull helping you

achieve peak athletic performance,

there actually is some truth to it.

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Red Bull doesn't actually have a defined flavor.

In the Ingredients list

you'll notice natural and artificial flavors are listed,

and they don't really have to state which.

There are other flavors in the Red Bull family

that actually do mention distinct flavors.

Natural and artificial flavors

are usually very concentrated oils.

They're really not present in a high enough concentration

to contribute to calories.

Listed here in the ingredients, it just says colors.

Certain ingredients have specific regulations

about how you have to label them.

If it's a Red 40, if it's some of the artificial colors

that have been approved by the FDA,

sometimes you distinctly have to call them out.

In this case, where it just says colors,

it means that it comes from a safe source of food colors.

That means that as consumers,

we don't really get to know what it is.

Colors and food dyes are usually present

in such a small amount

in food products,

that they don't contribute anything

in terms of calories, sugars, or nutrition.

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Another thing that you might notice

is that Red Bull contains some vitamins

that have been added.

Niacin, B6, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B12.

These vitamins are specifically B vitamins.

B vitamins are a group of vitamins

that are all associated with cell metabolism.

They're all the different chemical reactions

that your body uses to generate energy,

and some research has suggested

that supplementing extra B vitamins into your diet

may improve cognitive and physical performance.

The values for some of these vitamins may appear

a little bit high.

For example, niacin says it's 100%

of your daily recommended amount.

Vitamin B6 is 250%.

At these levels, these B vitamins are likely being absorbed,

and if your body doesn't actually need them

for any biological function,

you're just urinating them out.

Although there are potential risks of overdosing

on some B vitamins.

Usually that means some minor cognitive impairment,

or skin conditions, like breaking out in rashes, or acne.

While B vitamins do play a role in energy metabolism

and overall general health,

ultimately the presence of these B vitamins here

are intended to draw you in.

Really, the caffeine's doing the heavy lifting here.

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Is mixing of Red Bull with alcohol, number one, safe?

And number two, is it actually giving you any energy?

The answer to both of those questions is definitively, no.

Mixing Red Bull with alcohol can give you the illusion

that you are getting energized,

when really all you're doing

is sending your body mixed messages,

and doesn't allow

for your body's typical messaging system telling you,

hey, you should slow down,

or, hey, you should stop drinking.

Those get lost in translation

with the presence of a stimulant like caffeine.

You are actually just getting drunker,

and you're allowing yourself to stay drunk

for a longer period of time.

The fact that Red Bull is sweet and acidic

and pairs itself well with alcohol,

it's just gonna allow you to drink more,

and make yourself sick.

I do not recommend it.

It really should be avoided.

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Does Red Bull give you energy?

Essentially, only in the form of caffeine,

but yes,

Red Bull is casting a pretty wide net with its marketing,

and caffeine will help those people in certain tasks.

For most people, Red Bull is completely safe to drink,

but it can also be something that can be a hindrance

in the long run,

especially people who are pregnant,

at risk of heart conditions, and especially children.

We all have moments

where we're trying to achieve our peak performance,

either mentally or physically,

and ultimately, Red Bull can help you achieve that.

But it's your choice.

You know your body, and you need to do what's best for you.

The next time you're considering picking up a Red Bull,

just keep in mind the fine print.

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