Everyone knows that Red Bull gives you wings, but you probably didn’t know that breast milk can too.
There is an amino acid found in both Red Bull and breast milk that studies have shown may improve physical performance and brain function. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and make up 16-20% of the human body. We covered another amino acid found in breast milk called tryptophan in week 57 – where we found out that it can help regulate mood, sleep and anxiety. We also looked at an enzyme found in breast milk called lysozyme in week 63 and found out that it attacks E.Coli and Salmonella!
The amino acid that links these two tipples is called taurine. Taurine is touted as having many benefits – it lowers stress, helps the body metabolise fat, improves insulin sensitivity, raises testosterone, fights oxidative stress, improves cardiovascular health, improves athletic performance and endurance, and when combined with other ingredients it can aid sleep and improve brain function.
The name, taurine, comes from the Latin, taurus – meaning bull or ox. It is often thought that this is where the name Red Bull came from, but that is not the case! The drink was inspired by an existing energy drink named Krating Daeng, originally invented and sold in Thailand. In Thai, daeng means red and krating is a large bovine (cow-like animal) called a Gaur – also known as Indian bison. The iconic 2 charging “bulls” on a can of Red Bull are in fact Gaurs.
