Blood Pressure Problems? Put Down that Energy Drink!
May 13, 2008 by Liberty Kontranowski
Filed under Drink, Easy Health Tips, Health, Heart Health, Prevention, Your Body
Image details: Arm with blood pressure cuff ‘ Color served by picapp.com
Love the buzz of a Red Bull or Rock Star? If you have high blood pressure, you may want to fall out of love…quickly!
A study by Wayne State University in Michigan which was recently presented at the American Heart Association found that the blood pressure and heart rates of healthy adults increased after they downed 2 cans of energy drinks a day. Most of these drinks, of course, are packed to the gills with caffeine and taurine, an amino acid which can adversely affect the heart.
The important thing to note about this study is that it was done with healthy adults. And though the study subjects did not see dangerous levels of bp and heart rate increases, the increase that was seen could potentially be enough to put someone already suffering with (or at risk for) high blood pressure over that “dangerous” threshold. You don’t want to be that person, do you? Me either.
So, one more thing we must be aware of. My apologies to all you high blood pressure-having Red Bull addicts out there. Just please, please don’t shoot the messenger, hey? 
I don’t know who to believe here: according to Wikipedia -
“There is also evidence that taurine is beneficial for adult human blood pressure and possibly, the alleviation of other cardiovascular ailments.[10]”
Seems the medical profession can never make up its collective mind about ANYTHING!
Oh Jo, I hear you. Conflicting reports abound in the medical community. You know, there are times when I believe there is too much research going on. *sigh*