Red Bull causes health risks, says study
Drinking a can of Red Bull a day can increase young people’s risk of heart attack, researchers have warned.
Researchers monitored a group of university students drinking one can of sugar-free Red Bull a day, and found the drink increased the ‘stickiness’ of the blood, and raised the risk of blood clots and heart attacks.
Scott Willoughby, lead researcher from the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, explained:
"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."
The energy drink is particularly popular among students and is often mixed with vodka. It is banned in Norway, Uruguay and Denmark as a result of its health risks.
Red Bull Australia spokeswoman Linda Rychter said: “The study does not show effects which would go beyond drinking a normal cup of coffee.”
But Dr Willougby warned that it could be extremely dangerous if drank by people suffering from stress or high blood pressure. “If you have any predisposition to cardiovascular disease, I'd think twice about drinking it,” he said.
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