Redbull is unhealthy physically and mentally

Question

Redbull drinks are said to have cause long term health issues both mental and physical. It is labeled as an unhealthy 'habit' and cause negative consequences.

Answer 1

A Neuroscience News article goes over the abundance of energy drink consumption, the health effects, and how to kick the habit of drinking them excessively. They claim that energy drinks are linked to physical and mental health problems.

An article from UCLA Health states, “The current recommendation for adolescents ages 12-18 is less than 100 mg of caffeine per day, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.” A table from a PubMed article includes a case where a 19-year-old female with no major health concerns consumed three 8 fl oz cans of Monster energy drink in 2 hours, which resulted in cardiac arrest. A different article from PubMed had a case where a 25-year-old male, also with no major health issues or family history, consumed 6-8 oz cans everyday for four months. Anxiety, irritability, and problems with falling asleep were just a few of his symptoms afterwards.

This article from UCLA Health covers how much caffeine is safe for adolescents, the bad side effects of caffeine, and how adolescents may form a dependence on it.

For teens, energy drinks may have harmful side effects | UCLA Health

This PubMed article concluded that acute and chronic use of energy drinks is unhealthy and sometimes fatal. They also emphasize having a lower daily limit and having more studies on adolescents and energy drinks.

The Dark Side of Energy Drinks: A Comprehensive Review of Their Impact on the Human Body - PMC

This PubMed article concluded that acute consumption of energy drinks have some benefits but chronic use is associated with mental health problems.

A Review of Energy Drinks and Mental Health, with a Focus on Stress, Anxiety, and Depression - PMC

Chronic use of energy drinks does result in physical and mental health problems. Acute use is okay but there are better, healthier alternatives to get the same effects.

Answer 2

What I have found is that Redbull can negatively affect your physical and mental health only if it is consumed excessively but drinking it in a moderate fashion is generally safe. 

Harvard Health shows that energy drinks can cause harm to your heart rate and how your heart functions, and people that drink energy drinks do experience a higher heart rate and blood pressure than those who do not consume energy drinks. Healthline reports that drinking Red Bull causes the risk of diabetes, tooth damage, increased heart rate, as well as impulsive behavior. 

Based on these reports, I would say that these reports are misleading, because this claim makes it sound like if you drink Redbull at all, you will experience these health effects, when in reality, these “mental and physical” ailments only happen when you drink Redbull or energy drinks excessively. 

Answer 3

This claim is true, drinking energy drinks as a whole correlate strongly with mental and health problems. 

According to Cleveland Clinic the ingredients in Red Bull can amplify the psychological and neurological effects” that caffeine usually provides. Drinking energy drinks can put one at risk for things such as depression, anxiety and even stroke. 

This is also backed up by the National Institute of Health and Harvard Health.

Answer 4

This claim is partially true. The person who made this claim has supported it with an article from neurosciencenews.com, which credits reliable sources and states the possible side-effects of an excessive intake of highly caffeinated energy drinks. According to an article published by Harvard Medical School, energy drinks like Red Bull can have negative physical effects such as high blood pressure, irregular heart beat, and an unhealthy amount of sugar and caffeine. But, if a person (without heart problems or high blood pressure) consumes the recommended amount and in moderate use it is very unlikely to cause serious harm. So, this claim is accurate but I think it also depends on the situation.

Sources:

https://neurosciencenews.com/energy-drink-addiction-15608/#:~:text=Side%2Deffects%20of%20excessive%20intake,stress%20PTSD%20and%20substance%20abuse. 

 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/are-energy-drinks-bad-for-you 

Answer 5

1. Write a brief overall summary of your findings. This claim is mostly true. Drinking Redbull often can lead to health problems. It has a lot of caffeine and sugar which can affect someone’s heart, sleep, and mood. The risks can be lower if someone drinks it once in a while and in small amounts. 
2. What primary sources did you find: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033350623003189 This article says researchers found strong connections between energy drinks use and mental health issues. https://neurosciencenews.com/energy-drink-addiction-15608/ This article explains how too much caffeine and sugar can lead to stress, PTSD, and substance abuse. 
3. What secondary sources did you find https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-energy-drinks-bad-for-you This is by the Cleveland Clinic and doctors explain how energy drinks can raise blood pressure and be a factor of a stroke if consumed too much. https://www.eatthis.com/is-red-bull-bad-for-you/#:~:text=While%20it%20provides%20a%20quick,not%20be%20the%20best%20choice. This article says that Redbull has vitamin B that helps with energy, but also warns about high sugar and caffeine causing crashes and anxiety. 
4. What potential biases or interests might each of your sources have? The secondary source article Eat This, Not That tried to balance health advice with promoting the product. Neuroscience News might look at the extreme cases to raise awareness, which may be bias because it is looking at a smaller group. Medical journals are not bias because they focus on the facts of health risks. 
5. What evidence supports the claim you are fact-checking? Redbull is linked to heart problems, poor sleep, anxiety, and depression. High caffeine and sugar levels can cause mood swings. Some countries have banned energy drinks for people under a certain age due to health risks.
6. What evidence undermines the claim you are fact-checking? Redbull has B-vitamins that help improve energy. Small or occasional use will not be harmful for healthy adults. Some experts say caffeine can improve alertness and mood. 

Answer 6

Yes, this claim is mostly true. Although drinking Red Bull here and there isn't all that bad for you, drinking it continuously at an alarming rate can have serious long-term effects.  The Harvard Medical School states, "The FDA has received numerous reports linking energy drink consumption to deaths and serious adverse reactions." This shows the long-term consequences of drinking Red Bull/energy drinks over a longer period of time. According to another article by The Mayo Clinic,  it goes more in-depth on how dangerous long-term consumption of energy drinks is: "Long-term exposure to these substances over time affects how the blood vessels and heart react to the chemicals. Our blood vessels that control our blood pressure are reacting to these chemicals, and the potential reason behind stroke risk is the tightening of our blood vessels." All of this shows how dangerous Red Bull can be to your health if you are continuously drinking it. 

Answer 7

This claim is exaggerated. It is partially true, Redbull and other energy drinks have been studied for potential health risks. There are definitely risks involved with drinking too many energy drinks. However, Redbull isn’t directly unhealthy. The site that is listed, NeuroscienceNews.com is an open access website where they take submissions from anyone and post them online. This resource doesn't seem the most reliable to be taking information from. According to the National Institute of Health, some concerns of energy drinks include “cardiovascular problems, nervous system disorders, and the potential for addiction.” In addition, a lot of the major issues with energy drinks come from mass drinking them, having multiple a day. Therefore, it is true that Redbull has health risks, although I think that claiming that it is unhealthy physically and mentally is an exaggeration. 

Sources:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10535526/#sec5-nutrients-15-03922

Answer 8

The claim that “Red Bull is unhealthy mentally and physically” is mostly true, especially when it’s consumed often or in large amounts. Physically, studies show Red Bull can raise heart rate and blood pressure and may strain the heart and liver with long-term use. Mentally, while it can boost alertness and focus for a short time, frequent use is linked to anxiety, poor sleep, mood swings, and caffeine dependence. In moderation, it’s not likely to harm healthy adults, but overuse can definitely have negative effects on both body and mind.

Source: https://www.eatthis.com/is-red-bull-bad-for-you/#:~:text=May%20Lead%20to%20Excessive%20Caffeine%20Intake&text=With%2080%20milligrams%20of%20caffeine,by%20those%20sensitive%20to%20caffeine.

Answer 9

This claim is true. Redbull and other energy drinks cause long term health issues. As Redbull may bring up your energy during the day and improve performance, but people experience side effects of increased heart rate. Redbull increases your blood pressure and heart rate which long term can lead to risks of heart attacks, strokes, and heart disease. Redbull also affects mentally by leading to mood swings, sleeping difficulty and anxiety.

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-happens-when-you-consume-energy-drinks-regularly-11808532#:~:text=Energy%20drinks%20seem%20like%20a,sleep%20difficulties%2C%20and%20worsened%20anxiety.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-bull-side-effects#side-effects

Answer 10

While assumptions can be made based on existing cases that Redbull is harmful to a person's health, there are also a number of unreported health problems that can be linked to energy drink intake. It is very accurate to say that drinking Redbull, or almost any energy drink, can lead to a series of serious health issues, especially heart problems, which can later lead to an early death. The claim that Redbull is harmful mentally, is also true. Research shows that all energy drinks, especially in youth, can decrease the quality of sleep, poorly impact mood, and eventually deteriorate mental health to the point of anxiety and depression. 

Sources: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/energy-drinks-may-cause-mental-health-issues-young-people#Takeaway

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-bull-side-effects#takeaway