Yes, regular Red Bull is generally considered worse than black coffee because of its high sugar content and lack of nutrients, leading to crashes, while coffee offers antioxidants and potential health benefits, though both contain caffeine and excessive amounts of either aren't ideal. Coffee provides beneficial compounds, whereas Red Bull's added sugars and other additives in large amounts can contribute to weight gain, heart issues, and diabetes, making occasional consumption fine but daily use risky.
Bottom line: On a per-caffeine basis, Red Bull is often worse than black coffee because of added sugar, caloric load, and behavioral risk patterns. Sugar-free Red Bull narrows the gap but still lacks coffee's potentially protective bioactives and is associated with more acute cardiovascular effects in some people.
Research has shown that energy drinks can disrupt normal heart function. People who consume energy drinks experience elevated blood pressure and abnormal electrical activity in the heart for hours afterward — changes that may raise the risk of serious, potentially life-threatening arrhythmias.
“Occasional consumption of energy drinks by healthy people is not likely to be harmful,” clarifies Sommer. “But drinking them regularly can increase your risk of adverse health effects, especially if you have an existing medical condition.”
The combination of high caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks can lead to increased heart rate and blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Both of these are risk factors for heart disease.
Can Red Bull be a substitute for coffee? One can of Red Bull has about the same amount of caffeine as a small cup of coffee, so it could replace your regular java. However, Red Bull and other energy drinks contain high amounts of sugar, as well as other additives like taurine and artificial flavors and colors.
In 1965 it was because of the caffeine that made coffee and tea against the Word of Wisdom, but they were fine to drink as long as the caffeine was taken out. But today it's apparently not the caffeine because Mormons can guzzle certain unnamed soft drinks (Coke) and energy drinks, just not coffee or tea.
Monster contains 12 micrograms of cyanocobalamin while Red Bull has 10 micrograms of cyanocobalamin. Higher doses than that can also be prescribed for vitamin deficiencies.
Monster's serving size (16 fl oz) is nearly double that of Red Bull (8.4 fl oz). This means consuming one can of Monster provides twice the amount of most ingredients, including caffeine, sugar, and calories. This larger serving size should be considered when monitoring daily intake of these substances.
Coffee & Tea Don't Harm Teeth As Much As Energy Drinks
Drinking black coffee all day long or with a little bit of half-and-half usually isn't an issue with cavity production.
Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day seems safe for most adults. That's about the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two "energy shot" drinks. Keep in mind that the caffeine content in drinks varies widely.
The Word of Wisdom doesn't mention it. Doctrine and Covenants 89:9 says we shouldn't drink “hot drinks.” The only official interpretation of this term is the statement made by early Church leaders that it means tea and coffee. Caffeine is not specifically mentioned as the reason not to drink these drinks.
Those guilty of committing the unpardonable sin of denying the Holy Ghost and the unforgivable sin of shedding innocent blood must face the justice of God.
“It's not to say that enjoying an energy drink every once in a while is a bad thing,” says Kerner. “But because coffee is a natural, plant-derived food that contains vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients, without added sugar, I'd recommend it as the healthier choice over most energy drinks.”
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded in its 2015 scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine that an intake of up to 400 mg per day (equivalent to five 8.4 fl oz cans of Red Bull or five cups of coffee a day) does not raise safety concerns for healthy adults.
Still, Levine believes “it's potentially dangerous stress on the heart for anyone with heart disease to drink these concoctions of caffeine and sugar and a perfect storm to induce palpitations.” He notes that's especially true for anyone trying to get a little pick-me-up.