“In France, Red-Bull is different from Red-Bulls everywhere else since the taurine, extracted from bull sperm, is outlawed there! “

A comment usually heard uttered from those seen enjoying their 12th vodka Red-Bull. Sorry to shatter fantasies, but there’s a much more sensible explanation for the origins of taurine – the causative agent of that neurological buzz you feel after downing a couple of metallic, bull-adorned cans.

First of all, far form being made from bull sperm, taurine is derived from cysteine, an amino acid. While you’ll find taurine in bull sperm (if you try hard enough), you can also find the stuff in human bodies and in the majority of meats, seafoods, and milks. However, any taurine that you’ll find in your common energy drinks is, perhaps disappointingly, synthetically manufactured.

The rumor above is true in the sense that taurine really was outlawed from French Red-Bulls when the drink was released in 2003; but this was merely a precautionary decision, since the effects of taurine weren’t sufficiently known yet. For a few years Red-Bull contained arginine instead, until 2008 when they switched to good old taurine, since no noxious effects had been spotted. Since then, taurine has been a gregarious molecule, being added to plenty of sweet, awesome cans of concentrated alertness worldwide.

Here my opinion strikes up an opposition with the mother-blog to this blog, Culture Generale (I’m a mere translator and sponge of their delicious French knowledge) which states that Red-Bull is a pretty vile thing to drink; it probably approaches minor ecstasy for me, as far as food goes. I’ll pass on the warning not to chug barrels of the stuff, though.