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Red Bull, can give you... Strokes

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Red Bull drink lifts stroke risk: Australian study

Reuters

By Rob Taylor Reuters - Friday, August 15 03:27 am

 

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Just one can of the popular stimulant energy drink Red Bull can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, even in young people, Australian medical researchers said on Friday.

 

The caffeine-loaded beverage, popular with university students and adrenaline sport fans to give them "wings," caused the blood to become sticky, a pre-cursor to cardiovascular problems such as stroke.

 

"One hour after they drank Red Bull, (their blood systems) were no longer normal. They were abnormal like we would expect in a patient with cardiovascular disease," Scott Willoughby, lead researcher from the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, told the Australian newspaper.

 

Red Bull Australia spokeswoman Linda Rychter said the report would be assessed by the company's head office in Austria.

 

"The study does not show effects which would go beyond that of drinking a cup of coffee. Therefore, the reported results were to be expected and lie within the normal physiological range," Rychter told Reuters.

 

Willoughby and his team tested the cardiovascular systems of 30 young adults one hour before and one hour after consuming one 250ml can of sugar-free Red Bull.

 

The results showed "normal people develop symptoms normally associated with cardiovascular disease" after consuming the drink, created in the 1980s by Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz based on a similar Thai energy drink.

 

Red Bull is banned in Norway, Uruguay and Denmark because of health risks listed on its cans, but the company last year sold 3.5 billion cans in 143 countries. One can contains 80 mg of caffeine, around the same as a normal cup of brewed coffee.

 

The Austria-based company, whose marketing says "Red Bull gives you wings," sponsors Formula 1 race cars and extreme sport events around the world, but warns consumers not to drink more than two cans a day.

 

Rychter said Red Bull could only have such global sales because health authorities across the world had concluded the drink was safe to consume.

 

But Willoughby said Red Bull could be deadly when combined with stress or high blood pressure, impairing proper blood vessel function and possibly lifting the risk of blood clotting.

 

"If you have any predisposition to cardiovascular disease, I'd think twice about drinking it," he said.

 

(Editing by David Fogarty)

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"Popular amongst Uni students".

 

Yes, it is. I am a Uni student and every breaktime I used to be in the Student Union with my mates drinking that, because I don't drink alcohol. It got me through the Java Programming lectures... :b-day::cold::cold:

 

Never knew it had that effect though!

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The drink is popular in the Navy.

 

There is a problem with the study. Why study only on Red Bull? How does this compare to drinking one normal cup of coffee with the same amount of caffeine? How long does this effect last in a normal person and how does that compare to a normal cup of coffee with the same amount of caffeine? Are other energy drinks have the same effects or are they worse than Red Bull? How does other energy drinks effects compare to Red Bull? Too many question left unanswered by this study to give it any weight in my opinion.

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I've never drank Red Bull but I know that Hangon does. Perhaps he should take heed.

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How does Red Bull compare to a cup of coffee? Why does Red Bull have this effect? This study leaves too many questions than answers to be any use to anyone.

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Odie, I think I can answer some questions. One, the study most likely picked Red Bull because it is the most popular and well known of the energy drinks. Two, Red Bull relates to coffee in the caffeine amount. They say the amount of caffeine in Red Bull is about the same as a cup of coffee, 80 mg. That's actually on the lower side of caffeine for energy drinks.

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Odie, whether or not aother beverages can also cause strokes doesn't change the fact that Red Bull does create sticky blood conditions that can be a precursor to stroke. Coffee isn't good for you either. After looking at this list Red Bull appears to be a relative light weight - I worry for the people that drink Charge.

 

Caffeine levels in common beverages

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truthfully, red bull has been a problem for the last couple of years, even before they started adding information about how much caffeine that drinks like red bull actually has. last year alone, 3 kids in parts of Illinois had strokes or heart attacks

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My questions just arise from the article alone. The study was done on sugar-free alone, which make incomplete. They should have tested both versions for more complete results. What is in sugar-free Red Bull to cause sticky red blood cells? The study just raises more questions then they answer which mean more studing on sugar-free Red Bull is needed.

 

I have found another article stating the problem is just in the sugar-free Red Bull and not in the normal verision of it.

 

Red Bull Gives You Sticky Blood

 

There’s some new research coming out of Australia concerning Red Bull.

 

According to the Times Online, a study involving 30 university students showed that one hour after they consumed one can of Red Bull sugar-free, they had the cardiovascular profile of someone with heart disease. They believe that a chemical in the sugar-free Red Bull causes the blood to become sticky which could cause blood clots.

 

Red Bull has denied this study stating that none of their research indicated any potential problems with the beverage. They said that it was in 143 countries and has never been banned where it was introduced.

 

The Australian researchers warn people with heart problems to stay away from the sugar-free Red Bull, claiming that it could make the condition worse. No problems were linked to the regular Red Bull, so my advice would be to drink that one instead.

 

This certainly raises questions concerning the product’s safety, but I think there needs to be further studies performed to confirm the results that Adelaide University discovered.

 

Anyone who has a migraine knows that caffeine does help if not take it away. Caffeine is not nor good for a person. Of course too much of anything is bad.

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I am slowly withdrawing from drinking Coke (Doing things sudden is bad for you) Afgter gaining palpatations and feelings of high anxiety.) Is a chemical is creating sticky blood in university students 1 hour after ingesting, there is a problem. As my articlestated 3 countries banned it and if you look at theback of can of the stuff it looks like the list of componants fornuclear reactor.

 

Yes further studies are needed to isolate the chemical and also broadscale the amount of students and people involved 1000 people studies to confirm the effects,in point of fact, though I will never recommend Red Bull to a heart disease patient, but as preliminary findings, this is enough that there should be some level of concern.

 

On a personal note I have drunk red bull andchrist it was like being high, I was all over the shop and just not controlled at all.

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I am a Uni student

Uni Student? Studying to be a Unicorn? Unicycle? Or is that a British-ism? :P

 

:cold::cold::stars::clap::look::look::look::roflmao: x 1,000

 

Kevin! :b-day:

 

Uni is short for University.

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I am a Uni student

Uni Student? Studying to be a Unicorn? Unicycle? Or is that a British-ism? :P

 

:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao: x 1,000

 

Kevin! :rolleyes:

 

Uni is short for University.

OH! Ok... lol

 

I knew, I just wanted to poke fun at you a little after the "Cotton Candy" thing and a few other things that were "American-isms"

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I am a Uni student

Uni Student? Studying to be a Unicorn? Unicycle? Or is that a British-ism? :roflmao:

 

:roflmao::roflmao: x 1,000

 

Kevin! :rolleyes:

 

Uni is short for University.

OH! Ok... lol

 

I knew, I just wanted to poke fun at you a little after the "Cotton Candy" thing and a few other things that were "American-isms"

 

*struggles to catch her breath*

 

Ok. Ok. I have these moments with Justin, too. At least I wear trousers and not pants. Unless I'm Robbie Williams. :roflmao:

 

I want your quote on a T-shirt, Kev. Made my night.

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I am a Uni student

Uni Student? Studying to be a Unicorn? Unicycle? Or is that a British-ism? :rolleyes:

Actually its from Australia, but it became popular here thanks to two australian soaps

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oh man i had a friend last semester who drank about 3 energy drinks per day and often red bull shes gotta be driving her body crazy!

i never cared for it myself, caffeine barely has any effect on me anyway eh

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