3 ms·

Coffee is a lot more than caffeine, though. It contains a whole family of monoamine oxidase inhibitors, which have a host of effects on the nervous system. Tha

Coffee is a lot more than caffeine, though. It contains a whole family of monoamine oxidase inhibitors, which have a host of effects on the nervous system. That said, Red Bull very likely contains several types of flavonoids that also act as MAO-B inhibitors. Coffee, on the other hand, contains both MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitors mainly from the Harmala alkaloid family. Some of the compounds are neurotoxic.

arcticbull 6y ago
It seems like caffeine alone is an MAOI [1] and that decaf may not have the same effect [2] - very cool, thank you for sharing! I know there's a lot more in coffee too, so I'm looking forward to learning more. [edit] Found this [3] which I assume is what you were talking about? Which I assume is the reason studies show it can act as an antidepressant [4]. Fascinating! [1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23850513/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23850513/ [2] https://www.jwatch.org/fw108796/2014/05/06/severe-hypertension-linked-caffeine-mao-inhibitor https://www.jwatch.org/fw108796/2014/05/06/severe-hypertensi... [3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16139309/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16139309/ [4] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313988#possible-risks https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313988#possible-ri...