The Complete Guide to Red Bull Ingredients, Monster Ingredients

Surprising Fact of the Day: Last year 3.9 BILLION cans of Red Bull were consumed worldwide. 

That's pretty astonishing. I always knew Red Bull was popular...but that popular? Really? If you look around it's actually pretty interesting just how common it is to see someone drinking a Red Bull, Monster, or whatever other energy drink. If not that then it's one of those doofy looking Red Bull cars.

It's crazy just how frequently people rely on energy drinks to provide an extra boost of energy. What the majority of people don't realize though is that these drinks actually have a ton of other effects on the body other than providing an extra surge of energy. If you've ever taken the time to read the can you'll see ingredients like caffeine, taurine, l-carnitine, guarana, glucuronolactone, and a bunch of other ridiculous names. I'm pretty sure everyone's aware of caffeine's role in increasing alertness, attentiveness, and speeding up the heart and metabolism (click here for a detailed description of what caffeine does and how it works), but I really doubt that the ordinary consumer knows what l-carnitine or any of the other ingredients do. Well, voila...I have the answers! For every ingredient.

Monster

• Glucose and Sucrose - Quite simply...sugar. 
• Sodium Citrate - Used as a preservative and adds a sour/acidic taste. Responsible for the 200mg of sodium. Nothing too important.
• Taurine - Nonessential amino acid that plays a major role in brain tissue and nervous system function. Taurine is an incredibly strong antioxidant, acts as a blood thinner (reduces blood clots), and has been shown to decrease numerous risk factors for heart disease, such as LDL cholesterol (the bad kind), triglycerides, and blood pressure. It also acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, which may help reduce the jitters associated with the high caffeine content. Taurine is NOT a stimulant. It's interesting, but taurine is most likely included to offset the rise in blood pressure and the jitters caused by the caffeine content. Thumbs up.
• Glucuronolactone - a metabolite produced by the body that boosts energy, increases the feeling of well-being, reduces drowsiness, and increases attentiveness/reaction time. Glucuronolactone also has a detoxifying effect on the liver and can help spare glycogen stores--stored carbohydrates that supply muscles with energy during intense workouts. Glucuronolactone = muscular endurance.
• Caffeine - Increases alertness, attentiveness, reaction time, heart rate, and metabolism, as well as the % of body fat burned (compared to carbs). It can also cause jitters and raise blood pressure. Monster contains 10mg caffeine/oz, so about 160mg per can. Red Bull contains 9.5mg caffeine/oz, so about 80mg per 8.4oz can (small).
• Inositol - Although it's not officially a part of the B-vitamin group, it's recognized as Vitamin B8. Inositol plays a major role in the formation of cell membranes, regulates proper fat and carb metabolism, and also helps prevent excess fat buildup in the liver. Inositol combines with choline to form a compound called lecithin, which helps reduce cholesterol levels. Interestingly, inositol is vital for proper hair growth and can help prevent constipation. Inositol has also been shown to improve mood and has been used in the treatment of depression and bi-polar disorder. Powerful stuff.
• Niacinamide (aka niacin/B3) - Niacin is an essential vitamin that's used for the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, as well as fatty acid synthesis. It's also used to treat high cholesterol and certain skin conditions. 
• Calcium Pantothenate (aka Pantothenic Acid/B5) - Helps release energy from carbs and fat. Yay for energy production.
• Pyridoxine HCL (aka B6) - Important for amino acid/protein metabolism. B6 is especially important for people that eat high amounts of protein. Interestingly, B6 has been shown to increase the amount of growth hormone released as a result of exercise...phenomenal for anyone trying to put on muscle mass. 
• Vitamin B12 - Major source of energy for the body, supports new cell growth, and helps with the production of red blood cells. B12 is commonly used by athletes to boost energy production and increase power. 
• Guarana - Guarana is basically herbal caffeine. This stuff is potent. Guarana seeds contain 3x the amount of caffeine as coffee. Needless to say, guarana is a major stimulant and produces the same effects as caffeine. One important thing to note about guarana is that its caffeine content doesn't have to be included on the label, which results in higher than labeled amounts of caffeine. Drinks that combine guarana and caffeine, like Monster, are basically powerful "mega-stimulants."
• L-carnitine - I LOVE carnitine. Carnitine is a naturally occurring substance that helps release stored body fat (triglycerides) into the bloodstream to be used as energy. Physiologically, carnitine helps transfer long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria for energy production. What does all that mean? FAT BURNING!! Not only does carnitine help increase the rate of fat loss, but it has also been shown to increase muscular strength and endurance, increase energy levels, reduce muscular soreness, decrease appetite, and reduce the amount of amino acids used for energy, thus preserving muscle mass. Carnitine has also been proven to benefit cardiovascular health by improving blood flow. Carnitine is a phenomenal ingredient with a ton of beneficial effects...Monster did well with this one.
• Maltodextrin - Food additive that digests really quickly. Maltodextrin is an unhealthy additive because of its ability to quickly spike blood sugar levels, increase insulin levels, and increase the storage of body fat. Yuck...

Go ahead, enjoy an occasional Red Bull or Monster if you need that extra boost of energy, but don't overdo it. I also only support the low carb/low sugar varieties...the regular versions have absurdly high levels of sugar and are pretty high in calories...not good for staying lean and mean.