A teenager, Naomi Haynes, who drank 50 cans of caffeine-laced energy drinks such as Red Bull a week, was warned her addiction could kill her.

Teenager collapsed after becoming addicted to Red Bull
article in the Telegraph

Extracts:

"Naomi Haynes, 14, became so dependent on the drinks that she would spend all her money on them and even borrow from friends to fund the habit.

"The drinks made me happy and I got a great buzz from them, but then I would feel tired and unhappy so I would have another drink to pick me up," said Miss Haynes, of East Cowes, Isle of Wight.

It got to the stage where she would smuggle them into class to stop her from falling asleep.

But she says she has now been warned by doctors that her addiction could lead to a heart attack."

"A spokesman for Red Bull said: "One 250 ml can of Red Bull Energy Drink contains about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, which is 80mg. The consumption of Red Bull Energy Drink should therefore correspond to a person’s intake of coffee and the same is true for children. We do not recommend Red Bull Energy Drink to caffeine sensitive individuals including children."

A single can of energy drink Red Bull could raise the risk of a heart attack and stroke, researchers claim.

Red Bull puts heart at risk, says study
Article in the Telegraph

Extract:

"An Australian study found the sugar free version of the caffeine-loaded beverage causes the blood to become sticky and increases the chance of a life threatening clot.

Dr Scott Willoughby, who tested the drink on students, said: “One hour after they drank Red Bull, their blood systems were no longer normal. They were abnormal like we would expect in a patient with cardiovascular disease.

“If you add in other risk factors for cardiovascular disease - stress or high blood pressure - this could be potentially deadly.”

The study was carried out at the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Red Bull spokeswoman Linda Rychter said the report would be assessed by the company’s head office in Austria."

If you are worried about your risk of cardioascular disease you should also consider reducing your intake of salt and salty food, a major factor in heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.
Lose weight, reduce your risk of most cancers, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, heart attack, angina, vascular dementia, osteopenia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolaemia, depression, liver and kidney problems, and improve your health in many other ways without drugs or expense by eating less salt! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!

See Sodium in foods

Caffeine in Red Bull may have contributed to the death of Asda worker, Alfredo Duran.

Heart attack man 'drank four Red Bulls a day'

Extract from the Telegraph:

"Fears have been raised over the safety of high-caffeine energy drinks after an inquest heard they could have brought on a fatal heart attack.

Alfredo Duran, 40, who drank four cans of Red Bull every night, collapsed and died after working a supermarket night shift.

An inquest into his death heard that he had an enlarged heart and that caffeine may have triggered an attack.

Dr Ian Roberts, a pathologist, said the amount of Red Bull Mr Duran drank could have contributed to his death.

Levels found during the post mortem examination were not fatal, but were dangerous for a man with an underlying heart condition.

He said: "For an individual with this condition, the risk of problems with the heart is increased by stimulants such as caffeine and may be triggered by levels which would have no effect on people with a normal heart.

"My feeling is, given the evidence available, it was a cardiac arrest, possibly contributed by sub-toxic caffeine ingestion.""

You can reduce the size of an enlarged heart and reduce your risk of heart attack by avoiding salt and salty food. See Sodium in foods and Associated health conditions