How much caffeine is there in Red Bull?
RED bull is one of, if not the most popular energy drink sold.
It promises to boost mental and physical performance with the help of several ingredients.
One of those is caffeine - a natural stimulant found in coffee, cola, tea and chocolate.
With health concerns surrounding potential side effects of Red Bull, you may be wondering how much caffeine the drinks contain.
Concern around Red Bull is mostly around over consumption, especially in children.
The NHS warns energy drinks are high in sugar - which contribute to weight gain, obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.
Read more explainers
It’s worth knowing the sugar and caffeine content of Red Bull to exercise caution.
How much caffeine is there in Red Bull?
According to the company, one Red Bull Energy Drink 250ml contains 80mg of caffeine.
For comparison, here is the caffeine content of other popular drinks:
- Filter coffee: 113mg per 250ml
- Instant coffee: 79mg per 250ml
- Black tea: 57mg per 250ml
- Cola: 28mg per 250ml
- Cocoa: 6mg per 250ml
Most read in Health News
Therefore, a can of Red Bull is roughly the equivalent of a standard mug of coffee, or two Coca Cola’s.
The company warns its drink is “not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women”.
And it says the drink should be consumed “moderately”.
How much caffeine should I have each day?
Health experts say that up to 400mg of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults.
Caffeine is a natural stimulant that increases alertness, while also being linked to a healthier heart and a lower risk of many diseases.
But WebMd warns: “Caffeine is possibly unsafe when used for a long time or in doses over 400 mg daily.
“Caffeine can cause insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, nausea, increased heart rate, and other side effects. Larger doses might cause headache, anxiety, and chest pain.”
People with particular conditions may want to be wary of caffeine, including those with anxiety, bipolar, bleeding disorders, heart conditions and high blood pressure.
What effects can Red Bull have on health?
It’s safe to say Red Bull shouldn’t be drunk in excess - the company says so, too.
It may have several negative and potentially life-threatening effects in large quantities.
People who have gotten addicted to the sweet stuff have ended up with serious health conditions or worse, dead.
Healthline reports research that shows one can of Red Bull may increase blood pressure and heart rate - although coffee would do the same.
The high sugar content also puts a person at risk of type 2 diabetes, teeth decay and kidney disease.
Many people drink Red Bull as a mixer with alcohol, which is not recommended.
Studies have shown that this can increase risky behaviour, such as drink driving.
It’s harder to keep track of the amount of Red Bull you consume when it’s used as a mixer.
Is coffee better than Red Bull?
Coffee and Red Bull both contain the key ingredient of caffeine.
To be within safe caffeine daily limits, you could drink either five cups of instant coffee, or five 250ml Red Bull cans.
However, the key difference is that Red Bull is packed with sugar.
Drinking five Red Bull's in one day would see you chuck back a staggering 137.5g of sugar.
Each 250ml can has 27.5g of sugar - almost the entire daily sugar limit the NHS recommends for adults (30g).
Read More on The US Sun
Read More on The Sun
There is also a Red Bull Sugarfree and Red Bull Zero, which provide the same amount of caffeine but without the sweet stuff.
One benefit over coffee you may consider is that Red Bull contains some B vitamins.