No more bull, it's time for the truth!!

It's 3:00 in the morning and I am very very tired. The reason I am not in bed is because a Neuroscience test is keeping me up late and very frustrated. As I feel like an undergraduate again, I decided to revert back to my undergraduate ways when placed in a situation like this.... break out the Red Bull!! It's my favorite way to stay awake while studying or to perk up during a late night out on the town. I personally like the taste even though I know many people seem to hate it. I recently heard that people had died after drinking Red Bull so I decided to search Wikipedia and see what they had to say. Judge for yourself, but all I know is that I am feeling very awake and energized-- clearly enough to write this entry and now I'm ready to get back to work!

In 2001, the drink was investigated by the Swedish National Food Administration after being linked to the deaths of three consumers. It has been subject to a number of other health concerns regarding glucuronolactone, a precursor of taurine. Sale of Red Bull as a normal soft drink is prohibited in Denmark, Norway, France and Uruguay. Due to the link with taurine, local authorities categorized Red Bull as a medicine and suggest customers ask for medical advice before drinking. Because of this, only energy drinks without taurine are sold in France. The official imported Canadian Red Bull is a caffeinated version of Thai Krating Daeng. Until late 2004, its sale was prohibited in Canada. Now a can must carry a warning label that says:

Cautions: Contains caffeine. Not recommended for children, pregnant or breast-feeding women, caffeine sensitive persons or to be mixed with alcohol. Do not consume more than 500 ml per day.

However, no such warning label is present on tins sold in the UK, though people who consume the beverage in excess (more than 2-5 250ml tins in a 24-hour period) have been known to express discomfort, such as nausea, stomach pains, gas, and/or sleeplessness.

Red Bull made the news in Ireland after two hurling players died after drinking Red Bull at half-time in a club game.

Doctors and nutritionists have warned of the dangers of mixing caffeine and alcohol in excessive quantities. Their warnings, however, are often unheeded as many people feel that the benefits of mixing Red Bull with alcohol far outweigh the risks and use stimulants such as caffeine in order to avoid getting drowsy while drunk. Mixing Red Bull with alcohol (most commonly Vodka and Jägermeister) has become increasingly popular among college-aged crowds and club goers. Heavier drinkers of alcoholic Red Bull drinks have cited "euphoric feelings." Many studies have been performed to determine the actual effects on the human body after consumption of Red Bull with alcohol, most finding solely that the mixing of a depressant with an energy drink can lead to abnormal heart rhythms and future heart problems.

The director of biomaterials research at the University of Maryland Dental School in Baltimore found the most wear to tooth enamel occurred, in descending order, from exposure to -- lemonade, energy drinks (especially those with citrus (i.e. Citric acid) flavors such as Red Bull), sports drinks, fitness water, iced tea and cola.