"Red Bull": composition and effect on the body

"Red Bull inspires" - that's how the well-known slogan used by the Austrian manufacturer in its advertising campaign for more than 20 years says. Red Bull GmbH specializes in the production of non-alcoholic energy drinks, including the tonic of the same name, which we will discuss in more detail here.

History of occurrence

The history of the Red Bull energy industry began with the fact that Austrian businessman Dietrich Mateschitz first tried tonic drinks in Thailand. During his visit to this country, he worked as director of international marketing for Blendax. The drink, from which the "Red Bull" originated, is called Krating Daeng.

The energy engineer, tested by him, helped to cope with the time zone change syndrome: this prompted the businessman to open his own production. The enterprising Austrian decided to purchase a license for the production and use of the formula of a local drink, and then he began to produce the product at home in Austria. The product entered the European market in 1992, and two years later - in the American market.

What is Red Bull?

It is an energy drink that does not contain alcohol, in translation its name sounds like a "red bull". It is an energy carbonated drink. Has a light brown color, sweet and sour, a bit tart taste, as well as a spicy smell. Like any carbonated beverage, it is made by saturating the aqueous mixture with carbon dioxide. The content of substances in 100 g of the drink: proteins - 4,3%, carbohydrates - 95,7%, fats - 0%. Caloric content is 43 kC. It is produced in tin cans with a volume of 0.25 and 0.5 liters. In addition, in some countries, the drink is also produced in glass bottles.

Red Bull: composition

The main active substances in this drink are caffeine and taurine. The first of them is an alkaloid that stimulates the central nervous system, the second is a biologically active substance, which is characterized by some as an amino acid, and by others as a vitamin-like substance. It should be noted that one bank "Red Bull" contains 80 ml of caffeine. This figure corresponds to the amount of this substance in one cup of coffee.

According to the label, Red Bull contains the following substances: water, glucose, sucrose, caffeine, taurine, guarana, ginseng, acidity regulators (sodium citrate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, carbon dioxide, citric acid), glucuronolactone, inositol, Vitamins of group B, natural and artificial colorings (sugar color and riboflavin).

The non-caloric sweetener acesulfame contained in the drink "Red Bull Shugafri" is sweeter than sugar 130-200 times. According to some reports, it is safe for the body, for others - leads to leukemia and breast tumors. The same goes for aspartame: opinions about it are also opposite. Inositol is a vitamin-like substance and does not harm the body, the same substances were recognized as sodium citrate and xanthan gum. Sugar color, contained in this energy, can have a negative effect on the stomach and liver. Thus, the "Red Bull" -energetic, whose composition is typical for most tonics, but at the same time is characterized by a high content of B vitamins.

Influence on the body

The very formula of the drink is allowed to use, and it is noticed that in moderate doses it has tonic properties. However, the "Red Bull" is a drink that received opposite reviews because of its ambiguous composition. As a result, there are both supporters and opponents of this energy generator.

Caffeine has an effect on the excitation of the brain, which contributes to the activation of conditioned reflexes and increased motor activity. Taurine has a wide impact on the human body, fruitfully affects the metabolic processes. According to a study in France, caffeine in a drink is present in an overestimated amount. However, toxicologists say that the content of this substance in the energy sector is within the normal range. Drinking a drink, especially if it turns out to be immoderate, has a negative effect on the nervous, cardiovascular system and leads to severe dehydration of the body.

The manufacturer claims that the Red Bull is a drink that creates a cheerful effect, increases efficiency, improves the emotional state, attention becomes more concentrated, however, it is observed that this sensation occurs quite quickly and moreover, with frequent use of the drink, this effect no longer occurs .

If to drink, it is correct

There are cases when the excessive or misuse of "Red Bull" led to death. So, the young Irish basketball player Ros Cooney died during the game, having drunk several cans of energy. In addition, a case was recorded where two banks of this drink with alcohol drank a death of a girl who danced at a disco. And this is not the only case when, when combined with alcohol, this explosive mixture led to a lethal outcome.

By the way, about glucuronolactone: there is a version that this substance, recognized from the medical point of view as a stimulant, was used by the US Department of Defense in the 60s of the last century with the aim of increasing the fighting spirit of the troops, based at that time in Vietnam. It had a calming effect in stressful situations, but the remedy had many side effects, such as hallucinations, prolonged headaches, liver diseases, brain tumors. Glucuronolactone is a metabolite formed from glucose, and is present in a certain amount in the human body.

Prohibition in some countries

German public health authorities found in the drink traces of cocaine, which is due to the use of flavoring, for the manufacture of which extract leaves coca bush. In connection with this, France also imposed a ban on the "Red Bull", the composition of which aroused distrust, and also it happened in some lands of Germany and even in Thailand - in the homeland of this energy, where the "Red Bull Cola" also fell into disgrace. Later in France, the ban on the sale of the drink was lifted, due to the lack of sufficient evidence of its harm to health. Energetic was in this country under the ban also because of the fact that the taurine contained in it was found to be fatal to the nervous system.

Instead of taurine in the production of a drink in France began to use arginine - the only country for which the company allowed to make changes in the recipe. In some countries, "Red Bull" is sold exclusively in pharmacies, as it is considered a medicinal product.

Conclusion

One way or another, Red Bull, which contains stimulants, has been widely distributed around the world: it is represented in more than 140 countries. In our country is sold in several forms, namely Energy Drink, Sugafree, Energy Shot, Energy Shot Sugafree, Cola. The varieties of this drink are somewhat different in composition. So, "Red Bull Cola" is saturated with caffeine from coffee beans, but Sugafree contains aspartame and acesulfame, but it does not contain sucrose and glucose.

According to experts, if you use the "Red Bull", the composition of which includes caffeine, then only in the period of mental and physical activity, of course, subject to moderate use. It should be remembered that you can not drink it in combination with alcohol, as well as people suffering from certain diseases, including cardiovascular. It is proved that even in a healthy person, after using it, there are symptoms that speak about the negative impact on the heart of the Red Bull energy generator. Its price is about 70 rubles for a can of 0.25 liters.