Labor Day Energy Drink Warning

Do you enjoy a lift from a handy energy drink? Well, if your drink of choice is Red Bull, read the article by Reuters below that appeared in a recent edition of Scientific American.

Red Bull Increases Risk of Stroke With Just ONE Can! - based on an Aussie study.

Just one can of the popular stimulant energy drink Red Bull can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, even in young people, Australian medical researchers said on Friday.

The caffeine-loaded beverage, popular with university students and adrenaline sport fans to give them "wings," caused the blood to become sticky, a pre-cursor to cardiovascular problems such as stroke.

"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," Scott Willoughby, lead researcher from the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, told the Australian newspaper.

Willoughby and his team tested the cardiovascular systems of 30 young adults one hour before and one hour after consuming one 250ml can of sugar-free Red Bull.

The results showed "normal people develop symptoms normally associated with cardiovascular disease" after consuming the drink, created in the 1980s by Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz based on a similar Thai energy drink.

The Austria-based company, whose marketing says "Red Bull gives you wings," sponsors Formula 1 race cars and extreme sport events around the world, but warns consumers not to drink more than two cans a day.

Willoughby said Red Bull could be deadly when combined with stress or high blood pressure, impairing proper blood vessel function and possibly lifting the risk of blood clotting.

"If you have any predisposition to cardiovascular disease, I'd think twice about drinking it," he said.

Copyright Reuters

I'm not a fan of energy drinks or even magic fruit juices from far away jungles. Our desire for sweet, fast pick-me ups has lead to dangerous levels of sugar consumption in all forms, increased lack of sleep, a Type II diabetes epidemic, and unprecedented levels of obesity, to name just a few negative results from runaway sweet cravings.

This Labor Day, why not try some new and interesting fruit 'scented' drinks? I'm a big fan of essential oils, so here are a few suggestions for adding a fragrant drop to your water. Really, a drop is all you need.

Try lemon, orange, lime, peppermint, grapefruit, bergamot (used in Earl Grey tea), tangerine or mandarin, or any combination of 2 or 3 in a pitcher of purified water. I've made ice cubes with mint leaves in them - very pretty - and added 2 drops each of lemon, tangerine, and lime to a 64 ounce pitcher of water. It's quite refreshing and delish.

As we say goodbye to summer, have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.