Is Sugar-Free Red Bull Healthy? 12 Things You Should Know

Is Sugar-Free Red Bull a healthy choice?

Sugar is bad, right? So making something “Sugar Free” must be an improvement, right? Well, not necessarily. Today, let’s take a look at Red Bull Sugarfree to see if this drink is actually healthy or not.

Red Bull Sugarfree has the artificial sweetener aspartame, which studies have linked to increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and other issues. It also has acesulfame K, another artificial sweetener with potential health risks. The caffeine and taurine in Red Bull Sugarfree may provide health and performance benefits.

Below, I’ll dig into all these ingredients in Red Bull Sugarfree and the research on whether they’re healthy. I’ll discuss whether Red Bull Sugarfree is a good choice for weight loss, whether it raises blood-sugar levels, and much more!

Is Sugar-Free Red Bull Bad for You?

Here are the 12 specific questions I’ll be answering about Sugar Free Red Bull nutrition. Click any of them to skip ahead to that section—or just keep scrolling to read them all:

1. What Is Sugar-Free Red Bull Made Of?
2. Does Sugar-Free Red Bull Have Artificial Sweeteners?
3. Is Sugar-Free Red Bull Actually Sugar-Free?
4. Does Sugar-Free Red Bull Raise Blood Sugar?
5. Is Taurine in Red Bull Bad for You?
6. How Much Sodium Is in a Sugar-Free Red Bull?
7. Does Sugar-Free Red Bull Have Caffeine?
8. Is Sugar-Free Red Bull Good for Weight Loss?
9. Does Sugar-Free Red Bull Cause Cancer?
10. Is Sugar-Free Red Bull Healthier Than Coffee?
11. Is Drinking Sugar-Free Red Bull Everyday Bad for You?
12. Is “Red Bull Zero” Healthy?

1. What Is Sugar-Free Red Bull Made Of?

Let’s start by looking at what Sugar Free Red Bull actually contains.

Red Bull Sugarfree Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Citric Acid, Taurine, Sodium Bicarbonate, Magnesium Carbonate, Caffeine, Acesulfame K, Aspartame, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine HCl, Vitamin B12, Xanthan Gum, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Colors. (source)

Here are my takeaway points on these ingredients:

• Red Bull Sugarfree is sweetened with aspartame and acesulfame K. These artificial sweeteners are FDA approved but quite controversial. Studies have linked them to an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, brain disease, mood disorders, insulin resistance, and more. We’ll look more closely at them below.

• Red Bull Sugarfree seems to have artificial colors. Strangely, the ingredients list just says “Colors,” not specifying whether they are natural or artificial. But other sources I found refer to them as artificial colors, including red 40. Studies have linked artificial colors to increased risk of hyperactivity in children and possibly cancer.

• Red Bull Sugarfree has caffeine. Caffeine has pros and cons. It may reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. But caffeine is habit forming, and too much can disrupt your sleep or cause nervousness and other issues.

• Red Bull Sugarfree has taurine. Taurine is an amino acid that may have benefits when taken as a supplement. These benefits may include athletic performance, as well as prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. More on taurine below.

• Red Bull Sugarfree has added B vitamins. This is not a huge benefit, as many B vitamins are easy to come by and may be absorbed better from whole foods anyway. That said, it’s kind of nice there are some extra B vitamins in here.

Consumed in moderation, Red Bull Sugarfree may provide a few helpful ingredients like caffeine, taurine, and B vitamins. But is it worth the negatives of the artificial ingredients?

The biggest concern in Red Bull Sugarfree for most people may be the artificial sweeteners. So let’s take a closer look at those next.

2. Does Sugar-Free Red Bull Have Artificial Sweeteners?

Red Bull Sugarfree contains the artificial sweeteners acesulfame K and aspartame. These are two of the most widely used artificial sweeteners in the world, and both FDA approved. However, studies have suggested possible links to cancer, heart disease, obesity, stroke, Alzheimer’s, depression, and more.

Let’s start by discussing aspartame, since it’s especially controversial. It’d be hard to cover all of its possible health risks here. If you want to go deep on this subject, start with this page from U.S. Right to Know. That said, I’ll try to summarize.

Some of the biggest concerns with aspartame include:

• Cancer: There has been evidence showing that rodents develop cancer when exposed to aspartame over their lifespan. Aspartame was also posed as a possible explanation for dramatic increases in malignant brain tumors in the years immediately after its approval.

• Heart Disease: Several high-profile cardiologists have sworn off aspartame based on the evidence against this sweetener. A 2014 study found that women who had more than two diet drinks per day experienced more cardiovascular events (like heart attacks).

• Brain Disease: Studies show that consumption of diet drinks is linked to three times higher risk of stroke and dementia. There are also possible connections to Alzheimer’s disease, via methanol, which is a breakdown product of aspartame in the body.

• Obesity: This one is quite ironic, as aspartame is used in many “diet” products. But research has linked aspartame to weight gain, along with increased appetite.

• And more: There have been possible links found between aspartame and headaches, mood disorders, learning problems, kidney function decline, diabetes, pre-term birth, and more. Find a more complete list with sources here.

Now, what about acesulfame potassium? This sweetener is often referred to as “acesulfame K” or “Ace-K.” Here are some concerns people have with it:

• Studies in the 1970s suggested that acesulfame K may cause cancer—but the studies were of low quality. (source)
• A breakdown product of acesulfame potassium, acetoacetamide, may cause damage to the thyroid. (source)
• In a study of lactating women, acesulfame K was the artificial sweetener most found to make its way into breast milk. (source)

Overall, remember: The long-term health concerns with artificial sweeteners are just that—concerns. If they were proven to be acutely and definitely unsafe, they would probably not be approved by the FDA and other government bodies around the world.

The important thing is to acknowledge that you’re taking some amount of risk with the artificial sweeteners in Red Bull Sugarfree and other zero-calorie drinks. But you may be just fine, especially in moderation.

3. Is Sugar-Free Red Bull Actually Sugar-Free?

Red Bull Sugarfree is indeed sugar-free. It has no cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or other sugars. It has the artificial sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame K instead.

Red Bull Sugarfree is not carb-free, however. It has about 3 grams of total carbohydrates and 5 calories in each 8.4 ounce can.

4. Does Sugar-Free Red Bull Raise Blood Sugar?

I wasn’t able to find any research directly on whether Red Bull Sugarfree raises blood sugar. However, Red Bull Sugarfree contains aspartame and acesulfame K, which may affect insulin resistance based on early animal studies. (source)

Specifically, aspartame and other artificial non-caloric sweeteners seem to alter your gut bacteria. This can affect your tolerance to carbs on an ongoing basis.

A 2014 study on rats found that “aspartame elevated fasting glucose levels and an insulin tolerance test showed aspartame to impair insulin-stimulated glucose disposal.”

I also found some discussions of artificial sweeteners causing insulin issues through another mechanism. That is, the sweet taste may trigger an insulin response even without real sugar in your bloodstream.

So, proceed with caution. If blood-sugar control is crucial for you, I’d recommend testing whether Red Bull Sugarfree has any affect for you. Also, keep in mind that some effects on your blood sugar may be delayed, via long-term changes in your gut bacteria, which could multiple days or longer.

Related Questions:

• Can Sugar Free Red Bull Cause Diabetes? Consumption of artificial sweeteners has been linked to increased risk of type-2 diabetes in several studies. Therefore, it is possible and logical that drinking Red Bull Sugarfree may elevate diabetes risk.

5. Is Taurine in Red Bull Bad for You?