Four reasons why you should stop drinking Red Bull.

I admit I had been quite a red bull addict. However it’s been at least 6 months or so since I’ve been totally clean. Sure, I may pick up a can occassionally, but by no means can go without one. What made me quit? Simple, I turned the can and had a look at the ingredients. If being so damn expensive, is not good enough to give it up, then look no further than the its contents:

Four reasons why you should stop drinking Red Bull.
1. Caffeine If you already drink tea/coffee Red Bull further adds to your caffeine intake. Sure Caffeine gives a nice high, makes you alert and stuff, but give it 20 to 40 minutes once that adrenalin charge runs out, it leaves you even more high & dry before gasping for yet another shot. What the worst part is, your body gets so addictive and immune that the earlier dose will not be sufficient and you need a stronger dose of caffeine next time round.

2. Loads of sucrose, sugar and caramel Red bull tastes sweet. I heard that an average coke can contains seven spoonfuls of sugar. SEVEN! Imagine, chowing down seven raw spoonfuls of sugar one after the other. I’m not sure exactly how much sugar and caramel Red Bull has, but I’m sure it’s not much different.

3. It’s got stuff like…D-pantothenol, insitol, and whantnotol in it.
Don’t know what those stuff are, but I have a rule, try never to swallow anything that I can’t spell.

4. Carbon dioxide.
As if we’re not getting enough of CO2 from the streets of Bangalore already.

I guess I might be going too hard on this harmless soft drink. Afterall it’s got one heathy base ingredient…Water.

Still need help, quitting, check out this comic strip.

10 Comments

  1. I understand that you wanted to provide reasons to stop drinking Red Bull. But isn’t it little unfair to write:

    “Red bull tastes sweet. I heard that an average coke can contains seven spoonfuls of sugar. SEVEN! Imagine, chowing down seven raw spoonfuls of sugar one after the other. I’m not sure exactly how much sugar and caramel Red Bull has, but I’m sure it’s not much different.”

    1) You’ve heard something about coke so you are drawing conclusions about Red Bull. It is not fair.

    2) You write that you do not know how much sugar Red Bull has. It is easy – read the label on the can: 10.7g of sugar in 100ml of RedBull ie. 26.75g of sugar in standard 250ml RedBull can.

    3) If you do not know exactly hom much sugar coke and Red Bull have, how you can be sure that it is the same.

    I do not know if Red Bull is healthy or not but I know that providing facts (not speculations) is essential for credibility.

  2. Dear TesTeq,

    Truly, thank you very much for your comment. I have to say this is one of the best comments I have received. And certainly one of the better comments that I’ve read in a very long time. You spoke in favour of fairness (didn’t matter who it was for/against) and further supported your argument with facts & figures. I LOVED it! If only we all could stand up for the greater issues that plague our world and society with the same approach, we’d truly be living in a much better place today.

    TesTeq, prompted by your comment, I searched further and learnt that the truth is not too far from what is stated above. A teaspoon contains 4 grams of sugar. So if typical can of Red Bull has 26.75 grams, of sugar that would make it about 6.7 spoons of sugar, say 7 Spoons.

  3. @arif: Thank you very much for your response. My mind is designed in such a way that I love exact numbers. The information that typical can of Red Bull contains 6.7 teespoons of sugar is what I needed to be happy. :-)

    On the other hand I am aware that there are people who don’t like numbers and prefer “emotional comparisons”.

    Have a nice day!

  4. Hi TesTeq and Ari, you did seem to miss that a “regular” can of red bull is 250 ml. In comparison, a regular “serving of coke is 350ml or 500ml. red bull has significantly more sugar than coke, by volume. I understand (sorry no numbers) that the caffiene is similarly increased. Ari, best wishes on your continued abstinence. :-)

    Gordon

  5. TesTeq: You’re welcome. Please do keep dropping by to Arif & Ali blog. Look forward to more of your comments.

    Gordon: Gosh, you’re right. 250 ml of Red Bull does contain more sugar than 250 ml of Coke!

  6. Hi Arif, Peace..

    After a long time I came to this blog. Happy to note that you left an unwanted habit (how less mildly can I put it!). At the same time I am sad that you gulped the ‘unwanted’ until you quit! When we come out of unnecessary habits in our life out of solid conviction, we sure stick to it more easily. By the way except pure water, and fresh juice, the rest is unnecessary – may be varying only in which is more unnecessary than the other.

    I also wonder why such corporations – selling people things not only they don’t need but harm them too – are looked upon with awe and respect!

  7. AA Arif,

    I remember almost a year back you hurrying back from a saturday class – and on my asking the reason for your hurry you mentioned a red bull was waiting for you. I wondered at that time that it was quite illogical for a very very logical man like you to say that. I’m glad it was just a matter of time……

    MasH

  8. Hey hey, yes I think I remember that day! Thanks for the reminder Masroor. Now I have to work on my other addictions…Coffee and chocolate :-)

  9. > 3. It’s got stuff like…D-pantothenol, insitol, and whantnotol in it.
    > Don’t know what those stuff are, but I have a rule, try never to swallow
    > anything that I can’t spell.
    Vitamin B – Insitol, Pantothenol.
    Whantnotol – I assume you implied What-all-tol.

    Ignorance is bliss,as the saying goes. The reason to not drink Red Bull would be elevated risk of cardiac arrest, and dental decay.

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