How is red bull made

While it is true that taurine was originally isolated from bull semen, it is now produced synthetically. Since it is found in meat and fish, and can also be synthesized in the body from the amino acid cysteine, there is no evidence of anyone ever having a shortage. There is some minimal evidence that as a supplement it may help with congestive heart failure and that it may improve athletic performance and reduce anxiety.

Energy drink producers have capitalized on the few studies that have shown some benefit while ignoring others that showed no effect and have proceeded to add taurine to their formulation. These energy drinks promise to stimulate both the body and the mind with a combination of ingredients which in the case of Red Bull amount to caffeine, taurine, and various B vitamins.

The literature on energy drinks is extensive and reveals many cases of emergency room visits, mostly due to palpitations and arrhythmias, either when such beverages are consumed with alcohol or alone. A randomized controlled trial has even shown that energy drinks produced more electrocardiogram aberrations than a control beverage containing an equivalent amount of caffeine. This suggests that further evaluation of non-caffeine ingredients in energy drinks is warranted.

In virtually all cases of adverse effects, though, consumption was high, over mL. Obviously, excessive consumption of energy drinks should be avoided but not because of a concern that taurine is isolated from bull semen. But even if it were, so what? The origin of a compound has no bearing on its function. Posts with the same photos have been spreading on social media for many years, as seen in these posts shared thousands of times in and here , here.

Taurine is an amino sulfonic acid that is found naturally in humans and other mammals in the brain, heart, blood and retina. It has various important functions in the body. The main dietary sources of taurine are meat, fish, dairy products and it is also added to energy drinks here , here , here. Red Bull confirmed that the taurine in Red Bull is produced synthetically by pharmaceutical companies. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.

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