Opinion: Does Red Bull really give you wings?

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Red Bull claims to 'give you wings' and it may succeed in doing so, with the high caffeine content in the drink giving you that extra boost to pull the extra long hours at work or during exam time at school.

A study of 30 university students between 20 and 24 years old found that drinking just one 250ml sugar-free can of the caffeinated energy drink increased the “stickiness” of the blood and raised the risk of blood clots.

According to numerous tests to measure blood pressure and the state of blood vessels around the body, conducted by Australian researchers, it was found that after drinking just one can, participants had shown a cardiovascular profile similar to that of someone with heart disease.

A report by TImes Online, stated:

Scott Willoughby, of the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Adelaide University, said that he was alarmed at the results, and suggested that older adults who already have symptoms of heart disease should refrain from drinking too much of the energy drink.

“After one can it seemed to turn the young individual into one with more of the type of profile you would expect to see with someone with cardiovascular disease,” he said. “People who already have existing cardiovascular disease may want to talk to their physician before they drink Red Bull in future.”

Red Bull rubbished these claims by stating the drink, which is distributed to 143 countries worldwide, has been proven safe by numerous scientific studies and has never been banned anywhere. That statement is not true, however, as Red Bull is banned in countries such as Norway, Uruguay and Denmark because of health fears.

Red Bull currently holds its strongest market in Britain where an estimated 330 million litres of energy drinks were consumed last year, a market worth £1 billion. Red Bull attributes its popularity to bars and pubs in England, where it's mixed with Vodka and other forms of alcohol, which is actually more likely to cause harm, according to studies.

Another report stated:

People who drink Red Bull or other “energy drinks” mixed with alcohol during a night out are twice as likely to be injured or otherwise come to harm than those who have alcoholic drinks on their own.

Earlier this year, a teenager from Darlington was sent to hospital after drinking eight cans of Red Bull. Paramedics reported that the 15-year-old suffered heart palpitations.

A 40-year-old man in Oxford who suffered a fatal heart attack in April after collapsing at an Asda store where he worked died.The man reportedly died as a result of high caffeine intake, doctors said.

Similarly, in 2007, an 18-year-old British basketballer died after consuming three cans of the drink, and in July 2001 and 33-year-old Australian man died of a heart attack after drinking a pitcher of Red Bull and vodka.

Although Dr. Willoughby may say he now aims to extend this preliminary study to a larger group of students to verify the results, I (a fan of Red-Bull) will probably think twice before picking up that next can.

Red Bull has sold more than 3.5 billion cans in 143 countries since it was created in Austria in the 1980s. In spite of the fact that it carries health warnings advising consumers not to drink more than two cans in a day, I guess the feeling of having 'wings' really does get the better of most of us.