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Sunday 4 January 2015

Energy Drink

Energy drinks were an active subset of the early soft drink industry. Coca-Cola's name was derived from its two active ingredients, both known stimulants: coca leaves and kola nuts (a source of caffeine).

The federal lawsuit "United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola" forced the Coca-Cola to reduce the amount of caffeine in its formula by 1916, thus bringing an end to the first wave of energy drinks.

RadiThor, an energy drink sold in the 1920s, claimed it provided energy and cured a host of ailments, including impotence, but was simply radium dissolved in water. The industrialist Eben Byers died in 1932 from ingesting it in large quantities throughout 1927–1930.

a bottle of Radithor by Sam LaRussa from United States of America 

In the UK, Lucozade Energy was originally introduced in 1929 as a hospital drink for "aiding the recovery." In the early 1980s, it was promoted as an energy drink for "replenishing lost energy."

In 1995, PepsiCo launched Josta, the first energy drink introduced by a major US beverage company (one that had interests outside energy drinks), but Pepsi discontinued the product in 1999.

Red Bull was created as an energy drink for truck drivers in Thailand in 1976.

Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian entrepreneur, introduced the Red Bull product in Europe in 1987. It took its name from the Thai energy drink that inspired Mateschitz to create Red Bull, “Krating Daeng”, with “daeng” meaning “red”, and “krating” being a reddish-brown bovine.

Red Bull became the dominant brand in the US after its introduction in 1997 and a worldwide bestseller in the 21st century.

Taurine, the main ingredient in Red Bull, is an extract of the stomach lining of cows.

The average male would have to drink 149 cans of Red Bull to die from a caffeine overdose.

The energy drink has been using the slogan "Red Bull gives you wings," since its introduction though according to New Yorker Benjamin Careather that's just not true. He sued Red Bull in 2015, stating that after a decade of consuming the product, he received no wings, or enhanced physical or intellectual performance.

According to the Mayo Clinic, it is safe to have up to 400 mg of caffeine a day. This is equivalent to two energy shots.


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