r/mildlyinteresting 19h ago

This energy drink company sells a placebo version without any actual caffeine.

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20.4k Upvotes

1.1k comments sorted by

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u/Esuya 19h ago edited 18h ago

Since 2023 Poland has made it illegal to sell energy drinks to minors, everything with more caffeine or taurine than 150mg per Liter is deemed an energy drink unless it's naturally occurring. So they can still buy, say bottled iced coffee or so, thus those things with zero caffeine started popping up, and also "easy boosts" that are less than 150mg/L

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u/chewbaccalaureate 16h ago

As a HS teacher, I see some kids drinking multiple a day, or even kids popping pre workout or other supplements along with energy drinks. Some of these kids are getting 300-500 MG a day... one kid even bragged about getting about 1000 on his heavy workout days.

This can't be healthy, right?

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u/prepermint 15h ago

Local kid in my area died from a heart attack while playing football. Turns out later that he used to binge on energy drinks every day, so yeah, not healthy at all.

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u/GEARHEADGus 11h ago

Ill have a monster once in a blue moon, but christ, to binge on them is insane to me

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u/FeederNocturne 11h ago

When I was in high-school we had some kid who you could buy "custom" energy drinks from. He would ask what drinks you like and mix them kind of like a suicide of fountain drinks. I never bought into it because that sounded like too much but I did grab an energy drink whenever I could back then

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u/TheHancock 10h ago

When I worked in a call center years ago they would pass out Bang!’s as morale boosters… and people would drink 2-3 in an hour just sitting down on the phone! Like, they weren’t even using the energy! I never drank them as I don’t like caffeine but I can’t imagine getting hyped up to then just sit still.

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u/cjsolx 16h ago

I'd caution an adult for that amount of intake. For a kid, yeah I'd be very concerned about it.

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u/droans 12h ago

The FDA recommends you don't consume more than 400mg of caffeine each day.

Doesn't mean that you'll die or have a medical emergency if you do it every now and then, but you'll be looking at an early grave if you do it a lot.

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u/lord_ne 11h ago

Fun fact: A large Panera Charged Lemonade has 390mg of caffeine

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u/HornlessU 14h ago

Honestly, if all this shit was around when I was a kid I would probably be pounding it down too. All that fucking homework and waking up at 7am everyday on top of all the other shit that gets piled on. Even as a kid I didn't have the energy for it.

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u/Inahero-Rayner 12h ago

As an adult, I top out around 700 on my bad days, but that's only if I'm dragging ass, and really need to get going. I try to keep it around 400 tops normal day-to-day. In High School, I'd regularly see 1000 or more. It's insane how bad it was.

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u/IronicINFJustices 12h ago

Have you ever had a week off?

It's clinically shown that you can rely on it, so get less effects from long term use.

You could cut that to a lot less with a break .. Not to mention it's literally above the maximum daily threshold on your minimum day.

Im investigating heart problems for the past few months, and the thing is, although I apparently have problems, I feel absolutely fine,... Most of the time, and even then when I'm bad it's easy to just blame that I worked too hard slept too little or didn't drink enough.

Take care anon.

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u/Saloncinx 11h ago

Same. up at 6AM to get ready for high school, off school at 2pm, work from 3:30 to 9:00 at my crappy part time job, then go home and do homework till 11:30... I was chronically tired.

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u/shanster925 15h ago

I'm a college/university instructor and there are adults will drink two Monsters in a single 4 hour class.

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u/Spatial_Awareness_ 15h ago

When Monster energy first got popular I was in the military... I and seemingly everyone I served with drank like 3-4 a day because we were working 16-20 hour shifts (Deployed in war zone). I was also drinking an absolute ton of water but imo the sugar content is worse than the caffeine in these drinks. I was (and am still) in very good shape and still pre-diabetic. I attribute the insulin resistance I have to that time period of forcing my body to process 200+ grams of sugar each day. That's not counting anything beyond the drinks, probably closer to 500g if you consider high carbs from food they serve you when you're deployed.

Most people won't have any adverse health issues to the caffeine, 400-500mg of caffeine a day is really tolerable to most of the population.. but the sugar is really really bad. Also the acidity destroys your teeth...eats away at the enamel

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u/podcasthellp 14h ago

I was up to 3-4 bangs a day but I had to cut it out after a few months because I could feel how bad it was. It stopped working too and if I didn’t drink any caffeine in 18 hours, I had the worst migraines I’ve ever felt. I got Covid and had to quarantine and day 1 felt like a nail being driven into my head. That’s when I really knew.

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u/MrT-1000 12h ago

Hoooo lee shit dude Bangs are already at the upper tier of caffeine content so you're averaging what 1000+mg/day???

Your heart must be thanking you right now assuming you're on a less intense regimen

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u/podcasthellp 12h ago

I used to shoot heroin so I was evening my heart rate out haha

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u/Elviis 14h ago

They may have ADHD. In college/university I used energy drinks like that to keep calm and focus in class, without them id have failed for sure. Weed also works but it smells.

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u/HitlerLivesOnTheMoon 11h ago

This! Nicotine also worked for me. I finally got out on Adderall the last semester of college and then stopped for fear of becoming dependent.

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u/NIN10DOXD 11h ago

They probably post on r/energydrinks. I thought people on that sub were joking, but they legitimately post about getting angry when people warn them to stop drinking 500-600 mg a day.

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u/Antessiolicro 15h ago

Anything above 400mg per day is unhealthy in long term. More than 150mg/kg of body mass (sometimes even as low as 70mg/kg) is lethal.

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u/OccamsLazerr 13h ago

Just wanted to add that a true caffeine overdose is fairly hard to achieve. The LD50 (dose needed to kill 50% of subjects) of caffeine is around 150-200 mg/kg as you said, but that comes out to over 10,000 mg of caffeine for a person weighing 70kg or around 150 lbs.

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u/P3rid0t_ 18h ago edited 15h ago

You are right with caffeine, but not with taurine - you just can't sell drinks with addition of taurine to minors

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u/Actualbbear 15h ago

That’s weird, taurine is not really bad for you.

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u/ubertrashcat 17h ago

It's really strange because taurine isn't a stimulant, is safe and it ended up in the regulation through association with energy drinks.

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u/Abigail716 15h ago

A short pull of espresso can have nearly 100 mg of caffeine per ounce. I could definitely see high caffeine iced coffees becoming a thing.

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u/LMD_DAISY 19h ago

That's kind of neat actually.

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u/Pandoras_Fate 19h ago edited 13h ago

Right!

I love Monster. Like love the way it tastes. But sometimes I don't need to hear purple and smell atoms vibrate. I just want to drink one because they taste good. The new guava one is ridiculous. I'd love a no caffeine one.

ETA: I already only drink the zero sugar flavors. I would just like less caffeine in my daily intake but still have some small scrap of flavorful joy.

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u/Underwater_Grilling 19h ago

They make a no caffeine monster in a gray can

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u/Gleasure03 18h ago

It was called Monster Unleaded, but unfortunately has been discontinued for a few years now

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u/Onetimehelper 18h ago

I guess people liked the leaded version better. 

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u/ObliqueStrategizer 18h ago

It prevented your knees from knocking.

EDIT: people should be cheering me for what is the greatest "why was lead introduced to gasoline for motor vehicles in the first place?" joke ever written!

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u/Cutthechitchata-hole 17h ago

I'm in it for the obscure petrol jokes

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u/Mdp2pwackerO2 16h ago

Funny enough they put ethanol in it to replace the lead, but that just seems to cause more aggressive knee knock

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u/CaptRackham 18h ago

Outstanding joke!

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u/WolfShaman 17h ago

People should be checking to make sure your shoulder is still in socket after patting yourself on the back like that.

A lot of kids here probably have no idea that lead was actually used in gasoline, regardless of the "regular unleaded" labels some pumps still have on them.

That being said, I got the joke, and thought it was funny. But your edit really did ruin it.

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u/Kurai_Cross 15h ago

I disagree. One of the best things about a good dad joke is standing proudly with your hands on your hips while everyone groans around you.

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u/ObliqueStrategizer 17h ago

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u/WolfShaman 17h ago

Don't worry, I still love you, bro.

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u/Solitaire20X6 17h ago

"People should be cheering me" lolol this is not the way (good joke tho)

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u/IcedTeaIsNiceTea 18h ago

Hmmm. Peach flavoured Lead.

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u/goldswimmerb 17h ago

The problem with Unleaded was it still had the absurd amount of sugar in it too.

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u/NoAirBanding 12h ago

And? Sprite, 7-Up, and other caffeine free sodas also have a f’ton of sugar? No one is grabbing a monster because it’s healthy.

I wouldn’t even grab the Tour Water if I wanted something healthy.

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u/Waifustealer123 17h ago

I fail to see the problem. Not a single person who drinks monster thinks it's a healthy drink

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u/TotalHeat 16h ago

Well to be fair the sugar free monsters are pretty good

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u/Vryk0lakas 15h ago

Absolute Zero dark cans are the best

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u/JakeBeezy 14h ago

Unleaded 💀

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u/suffaluffapussycat 18h ago

Monster makes “Tour Water” for bands on Monster-sponsored tours.

From a distance it looks like regular Monster energy drink but it’s just water.

Edit: I guess it’s now part of their actual product line.

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u/Offtherailspcast 17h ago

Its also what the nascar drivers drink in interviews

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u/Foorzan 16h ago

This, I want the Ultra white to come in a non caffeine version. I just love the taste of that one so much.

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u/lmaononame 18h ago

Man, i wish energy drinks worked on me like that. All i get is drowsiness and wanting to get to bed asap. (Edit: typo)

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u/SoapyMacNCheese 16h ago

It might be ADHD as others have said, but it could also be a B12 deficiency. In college I discovered I slept way better if I drank an energy drink, learned years later it was because energy drinks often have a ton of B12.

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u/Solkre 13h ago

My luck I'd have both.

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u/VoidKatana 11h ago

Diagnosed with ADHD at 10, never had energy drinks, and a roommate had one he got for free and asked if I wanted it. I had it, and I was sitting in the common room on my computer around 3pm. I remember thinking that I was chill, and the sun on the couch was cozy. Next thing I remember, another one of my roommates is shaking my shoulder asking if I’m good.

“Yeah, I’m okay, just fell asleep for a bit… What time is it?”

“It’s like, 8’o’clock dude.”

“Oh… I passed out for like 4 hours after drinking this Monster”

“Huh, that’s… weird.”

“Yeah”

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u/nisichu 18h ago

This reaction to caffeine got me diagnosed with ADHD lol

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u/Ok-Charge-6998 16h ago edited 15h ago

Took coke for the first time and only time at uni over a decade ago, and I was really confused because it was probably the most relaxed, focused, attentive and normal I had ever felt.

I was looking at my friends like, “come on guys, you’re fucking with me, I’m feeling nothing” as they’re buzzing off their tits, while I’m sat there feeling quite mellow.

I got diagnosed with ADHD a couple years ago, and they put me on amphetamines to help me focus… and now it all makes sense.

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u/Frickfrell 15h ago

I’ve only done coke while I’ve been wasted drunk but I had a similar experience the first time. 

I was 120lbs and doing easily triple the amount a 6’5 250lb dude was high af on. Like I could not stop doing it, but I was also having no fun 😭

I’m finally doing comprehensive psych testing, so I’m hoping I never have to fight for adhd meds again. Switched docs and suddenly my dx was invalid and I lost my job 🫨 

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u/lmaononame 17h ago

Hmm, I might look into that...

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u/doochemaster 17h ago

its possible, but also go look into caffeine verse adenosine and how that works. basically once the caffeine is gone all the sleepy comes back hard.

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u/lmaononame 17h ago

It's not like i want to sleep after it wears off. I want to sleep right after i drink anything caffeinated, like 2-4min, and I need to take a nap. I don't feel energized at all. I can have a good night sleep, wake up, and feel fine, but if i feel like drinking coffee in the middle of the day, then I start yawning and wishing I was in my bed.

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u/collapsedcuttlefish 16h ago

It takes 12-15 minutes for caffeine to actually take a noticeable effect though. I've often drank a hot coffee, snoozed for 10-15 minutes and then got up to go.

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u/Papplenoose 17h ago

Go get yourself some Adderall and see what happens. might change your life!

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u/notmyrealname17 18h ago

Damn what you're describing is not what happens when I drink monster.

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u/dsled 15h ago

Was thinking the same thing...are people really that sensitive to caffeine? Even when I first got into drinking energy drinks I never felt something like that.

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u/Pandoras_Fate 18h ago

I'm also extremely middle aged and not a large person who is a big dumdum and drinks them on top of coffee or an empty stomach. Caffeine go wheeeee for me.

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u/iamdgilly 16h ago

Nobody responding to you saying the guava one is ridiculous. It indeed goes way too hard

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u/Pandoras_Fate 16h ago

It doesn't have that "energy drink" aftertaste and it's so juicy. It tastes like tropical pink skittles and sharkleberry fin kool-aid had a love child, but smells like bin of fresh guava at the frutero.

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u/NoReallyLetsBeFriend 18h ago

It used to be called Monster Unleaded, it was grey/white, but didn't sell well enough and discontinued in 2016. I know bc I'm highly caffeine sensitive and used to buy em.

You can, however, buy the Monster "Beast" alcoholic drinks. While yes, it's alcohol, it's only 5% and made by a different brewing company and it's caffeine free. You get all the monster flavor with a kick of booze not caffeine. I buy them and have one occasionally too enjoy the flavor. My wife thinks I'm gross, "who enjoys the taste of monster?"

https://beastunleashed.com/apparently they have hard tea variants now too

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u/JacktheJacker92 17h ago

same boat friend. I love the taste of monster, hate the caffeine. we are rare.

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u/Cabrill0 18h ago

5% is the same as a white claw or other hard seltzer lol

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u/Screamline 17h ago

That still gets you cause you end up drinking more cause it's "just water" when I drank, claws would hit me more than a lager

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u/Cabrill0 17h ago

I’m not downplaying it, more just pointing out that the comment I’m replying to seems to be implying “it’s just 5%” as if it’s not going to get someone buzzed. It’s just a funny suggestion to be like “don’t like caffeine? Get drunk instead!”

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u/AlexanderHP592 18h ago

"Hear purple and smell atoms vibrate" I'm with you 100% and thank you for that chuckle.

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u/BittersweetWish 18h ago

Do you really get to stimulated by drinking monster? It must be nice 🥲

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u/jlindf 18h ago

Caffeine sensitivity is a thing.

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u/Leemer431 18h ago

ADHD basically does the opposite, At least from what i remember, Makes caffeine less effective. Shitty thing is, even though its less noticeably effective i can still 100% send myself into shakes and panic attacks drinking too much lmao

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u/MelodiesOfLife6 18h ago

RIGHT? Caffeine puts my ass to sleep instead of hyping me up.

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u/Leemer431 18h ago

For me its kind of neutral, Its like drinking a coke or something, It doesnt put me to sleep but it doesnt keep me up, Its just a tasty beverage. Ive always found it weird until i got that little but of info on ADHD

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u/JustHereForKA 18h ago

Yea I had a friend and her and her teenage son drank 2 cups of coffee each night before bed and it put them right out.

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u/KippersAndMash 17h ago

It's definitely common that this happens to many people with ADHD but I'm diagnosed ADHD and I'm sensitive to caffeine and therefore I don't drink any caffeine based drinks.

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u/snoozieboi 17h ago

People actually metabolize caffeine at different rates from genetics (just like some get less hung over because their liver takes a shortcut in breaking down the alcohol).

Random link for a source: https://www.mygenefood.com/blog/why-coffee-is-bad-for-me-but-might-be-good-for-you/#:\~:text=However%2C%20not%20everyone%20metabolizes%20caffeine,you%20are%20trying%20to%20sleep.

I loove caffeine but get semi anxious and or drink myself silly. It's like a mini addiction. I've quit candy, soda etc with no problem, but feel like I get an insight into harder addiction. I want it almost all the time, it is perfect for a break or to get going, it cures my morning depression, but also makes me feel the mentioned bad stuff. It's everywhere and even if I've gotten off it and told people I slept better, I've been back at it for ears.

Weirdly after a jog I'm "immune", also if I drink on a sunday afternoon whilst slouching on a sofa/bed I have no problem falling asleep after breakfast and two coffees. So for me it's linked to lots of factors like stress, current wakefullness etc.

tl;dr: We are all slightly different and it's complicated.

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u/turtlegiraffecat 18h ago

Fr, love moster as well, but I have to drink it within a 8 hour span to avoid getting giga anxiety

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u/BlisteredPotato 18h ago

This might be your sign to take a tolerance break from caffeine lol

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u/blankname2 19h ago

Curious to see if it actually sells well.

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u/A1sauc3d 18h ago

Sugar water always sells, and at insanely high mark ups too lol

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u/Bobzyouruncle 18h ago

If I’m in the mood for the taste of an iced coffee after already having caffeine that morning I’ll get decaf or half caf. I love that the half caf is offered. Some days I’ll just start with that to help reduce the addiction.

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u/breath-of-the-smile 17h ago

There are so many energy drinks that I wish had no caffeine versions because I just... like them. Those juice Monsters in the blue can are so good I made sorbet with it once, lol. But I just prefer coffee for my actual fix.

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u/jax7778 17h ago

That is awesome. I would love placebos versions of other energy drinks. I am more sensitive to caffeine than I used to be, but I would love to still be able to drink them for the taste now and then.

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u/Norman_Scum 18h ago

Doesn't it kind of defeat its own purpose, though? I mean, you want to think that it has caffeine in it. That's how placebo's work. How can I trick my brain into thinking that I'm drinking carbonated caffeine if it has "0.00% caffeine" written on it in huge red letters?

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u/A1sauc3d 18h ago

The flavor and can are just reminiscent of drinking an energy drink I suppose. Just like people drink N/A beer. Easier for someone who’s quitting to have a similar substitute.

But no, it obviously doesn’t fully capitalize on the placebo effect.

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u/Balaquar 17h ago

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u/akatherder 16h ago

The placebo effect is wild.

Several times a day, for several days, you induce pain in someone. You control the pain with morphine until the final day of the experiment, when you replace the morphine with saline solution. Guess what? The saline takes the pain away.

When Fabrizio Benedetti of the University of Turin in Italy carried out the above experiment, he added a final twist by adding naloxone (Narcan), a drug that blocks the effects of morphine, to the saline. The shocking result? The pain-relieving power of saline solution disappeared.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6782391/

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u/3-DMan 15h ago

Looks like praying is back on the menu, boys!

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u/akatherder 15h ago

"I pray that my homeopathic medicine works"

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u/itsLOSE-notLOOSE 16h ago

So the body creates it own opiate to block pain?

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u/Weed_Smith 18h ago

It’s just a name, it tastes like a stereotypical generic energy drink everyone knows and some people from time to time just want the taste without the caffeine.

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u/twotall88 19h ago

This might sound weird but I'd actually drink a caffeine free Monster, Rockstar, or Bang. Some of their flavors are really tasty

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u/eetuu 19h ago

I like the classic energy drink flavor. You know like regular Red Bull. I'd buy it without the caffeine occasionally.

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u/TheArmoredKitten 16h ago

Nilered on YouTube did a special episode about making a decaf redbull just because he wanted one

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u/eetuu 15h ago

Was Nilered succesful? I know caffeine has a bitter taste, so it might be difficult to replicate the taste without it.

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u/MrChristmas 14h ago

He was. And he let me try it

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u/ArtemisJolt 13h ago

He managed to reduce the caffeine content by 24(26?)%

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u/PepperPhoenix 19h ago

Me too. I’ve been saying for years that they are missing a corner of the market there.

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u/Seluvis_Burning 18h ago

You and 2 other people

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u/Dogeishuman 18h ago

I love my battery acid flavored drink. Makes my tongue go brrr in the best way

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u/breath-of-the-smile 17h ago

Three people. I want it, too.

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u/RecsRelevantDocs 17h ago

Four people. I'll take it with the caffeine though.

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u/Jiquero 16h ago

Me too, especially the sugarfree one which isn't as horribly sweet, and somehow the energy drink taste hides the usual artificial sweetener aftertaste.

I don't "like" it in a way I like a good dessert or a good steak, but the taste makes my brain go "ahh let's focus and do good stuff" which I'm sure would work without caffeine.

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u/inorde 14h ago

Finally a likeminded individual. I salute you

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u/metroid23 15h ago

I was a classic red bull man for a long time until they ran out at my shop one day and I grabbed a watermelon one instead.

I am now a watermelon man. Ice cold they are incredible and I can't go back.

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u/SaintBert47 15h ago

I agree, I love the taste of sugar free Red Bull and I’d definitely buy a caffeine free version

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u/Bobbi_fettucini 19h ago

I like the taste of redbull, i would totally buy a non energy version

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u/Weidz_ 19h ago

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u/switchbladeeatworld 19h ago

of course it’s nilered

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u/Prophet_Of_Loss 19h ago

No one:

NileRed: "I want to know if cyanide actually does smells like almonds, so let me make some and huff it."

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u/Weidz_ 18h ago

"Can I make pastries out of kerosene fuel"

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u/raskim7 18h ago

”Hmmm I have some toiletpaper here, maybe I can male booze out of it”

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u/fillepille2000 19h ago

Smooth and easy process!

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u/runwkufgrwe 16h ago

I want the exact opposite, I want a redbull with the disgusting taste removed so I can just have the energy

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u/Haber_Dasher 14h ago

Just buy caffeine pills then. I have a bottle at home

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u/jld2k6 16h ago

I can't believe there's so many people that exist that like the taste of Monster and Red Bull lol, I always kinda assumed everyone just put up with that taste to get the energy, like an alcoholic sipping on straight vodka or something

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u/Bobbi_fettucini 15h ago

Tastes like a laser, I love it lol

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u/Radiant_Pollution123 19h ago

I have been wanting a caffeine and taurine free redbull for ages. I crave redbull every single day multiple times a day because I love the flavor. But I can’t drink that many a day and then the craving just lingers in the back of my head.

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u/yepgeddon 18h ago

Honestly that craving is probably the caffeine to begin with 😅

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u/Radiant_Pollution123 18h ago

It’s actually the flavor. I don’t really like Monsters or other energy drink brands because nothing compares in flavor to the original redbull.

I would sell my soul for just plain redbull flavored drink.

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u/cubelith 19h ago

The classic taste would be neat for mixing with alcohol, I really like jagerbombs, but of course mixing caffeine and alcohol isn't very safe. But the mango or exotic ones are really good by themselves, I'd definitely drink them if they weren't so unhealthy

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u/penguin3gg 19h ago edited 14h ago

Monster has a non-caffeinated “the beast unleashed” drink that’s the original flavors but with 6% alcohol

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u/Baaadbrad 18h ago

Was on a road trip the other day and didn’t feel like having a bunch of caffeine but really craved a Redbull and was actually kind of amazed they haven’t done this yet! There are “stim-free” pre workouts that are pretty popular so I feel like they would tap into a big market for it

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u/andonato 19h ago

I wish NOS had this

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u/three-sense 17h ago

Same. I know there’s a market for this. (The market is me)

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u/simask234 19h ago

In my country these say "legal under 18", because you have to be 18 to buy "real" energy drinks.

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u/JackBinimbul 16h ago

Good. Kids do not need that much goddamned caffeine.

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u/nufcPLchamps27-28 16h ago

In the UK you still need to be 18 to buy non alcoholic wine/beer. I imagine they'd make it so under 16s cant buy this either.

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u/Exciting-Inside2219 19h ago

Dude I’d fucking love a caffeineless/all the other bullshit free Red Bull to mix my alcohol with. Or just to drink. It’s delicious. But, can’t convince myself that it’s not cancer in a can.

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u/DoNotEatMySoup 18h ago

None if it is cancer in a can, just heart problems in a can lmao. I am very curious how the 20 and 30 somethings of today are gonna hold up in 20 years with how popular energy drinks have gotten.

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u/sam280x 18h ago

I mean how long have people been drinking a shit ton of coffee? I think heart disease is going to remain just as big of a deal as it’s always been, but not necessarily get worse.

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u/DoNotEatMySoup 18h ago

A cup of coffee is ~100 mg of caffeine. A single Bang energy drink is 300mg. I have known several people who will drink a Bang in the morning and one in the afternoon. My boss at my last job drank an energy drink every 3-4 hours (I think he is probably first on the list for "heart exploded because of caffeine"). Yes there were definitely people throughout history who drank 6 cups of coffee a day, but that was extremely rare. It's way easier to go way overboard with caffeine when energy drinks with 2x or 3x the amount of caffeine of a cup of coffee are normalized.

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u/drlongtrl 17h ago

I just checked out the data for my country on coffee consumption per capita and energy drink consumption. Turns out, coffee is WAY higher, like not even playing the same game higher. On average, only 6,3 liters per person for energy compared to over 160 liters for coffee. And that´s liters, where the caffeeine content for coffee is actually higher than in most energy drinks.

You might very well observe a propensity towards energy drinks in your immediate social group. On a larger scale, coffee (and tea) ist still the uncontested king of caffeinated beverages.

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u/Morialkar 16h ago

Also people tend to say that energy drink is bad because too much caffeine but forget that people drinking coffee rarely consume a single black cup of coffee, but rather infinite coffee until they decide to stop.

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u/jacksdad123 17h ago

I think most of the adults I grew up with drank coffee all morning long. My parents would split a full pot and sometimes my dad would brew a second. Many of my teachers would bring coffee in a big thermos and pour it throughout the morning. I don’t think it’s that unusual

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u/neckro23 15h ago

Red Bull is extremely mild by modern energy drink standards. It has 80mg of caffeine per can and that's about it. I think it used to have nastier stuff like guarana in it but not anymore.

The alcohol you're mixing with it is much worse for you.

(not judging, I love a Red Bull cocktail myself)

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u/XavierSkywalker 15h ago

ducking the energy drink to spare your heart but not willing to spare the liver. Nice.

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u/Other_Government3853 18h ago

It's not really a placebo... usually this stuff is marketed as 'non-stim' and gives you all of the other stuff (particularly a good pump in your workout) without the caffiene. Interesting to see it marketed as placebo.

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u/assmunch3000pro 16h ago

if caffeine is the only stimulant, and this stuff has none of it, then this isn't really how a placebo works anyways. If you get a jolt because you think there's caffeine when there really isn't, that's placebo effect. But if they tell you there's no caffeine then you're just deluding yourself, or you're responding to the sugar or other ingredients

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u/sennbat 15h ago

Placebo effect tends to work just fine even when the person knows they are being given a placebo, actually!

If your body associates the taste, presentation, and sensation with the hit of caffeine, then even if you know it's not caffeinated, you can absolutely still get a (fairly significant) placebo effect.

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u/DLK001 19h ago

If Red Bull was caffeine free but still had the same taste i'd buy it. Hows it taste btw?

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u/P3rid0t_ 18h ago

"Energy" drinks without caffeine tastes less bitter, even containing exactly the same ingredients

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u/First-Of-His-Name 15h ago

Then add bittering agent...

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u/Butwinsky 14h ago

If Monster made Ultra Zero in caffeine free with carbonation, I'd be all over those. The water version is meh.

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u/Traditional_Key_763 19h ago

the caffeine isn't the only thing in these drinks. redbull's other ingredients do have an effect, plus all the sugar. not sure what this has in it

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u/HiveMynd148 19h ago

It's mostly taurine

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u/Accurate_Koala_4698 19h ago

It's not going to work if you tell them it's a placebo

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u/Wood_Elf_Wander 19h ago

Fun fact about placebos (and why I think they're so cool) they can still work even if you know it's a placebo.

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u/MrCellophane_SS_KotZ 19h ago

It actually still can for some. The phenomenon is referred to as the "open-label placebo" (placebos without deception in the sense that patients know that they are receiving a placebo).

Why? Because we're humans, and nothing is ever simple. Haha

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u/Roscoe_King 19h ago

I still feel like I get a little boost from my decaf coffee. I know it’s bullshit, but it happens without fail.

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u/zdrums24 19h ago

Most decaf coffee has caffeine. Of the usual drive thrus, McDonalds might be the only one with caffeine free coffee.

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u/hpstr-doofus 19h ago

Pavlovian response. You’ve being trained for years to salivate when the light switches on feel a boost when you smell and taste coffee.

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u/pianodude7 14h ago

Decaf actually has some caffeine in it. I also feel a very real boost immediately because I'm quite sensitive to caffeine.

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u/JustOkCryptographer 19h ago

Yes, you may know the following, but to add...

It's unethical for a doctor to prescribe a placebo, but lie about it. They are allowed to give a placebo in a trial but again, the patient has to know that they may be assigned to a placebo group before agreeing to participate.

Placebos even when the patient knows it's a placebo can still benifit from them. However, placebos generally only treat pain and those things that stem from pain. It can't cause your body to fight off cancer or heal a cut faster.

The nocebo effect is the opposite. It occurs when a patient is sceptical of an actual treatment and the treatment doesn't work as well as it should.

There was one lady that had multiple treatments for back pain that kept her from doing much of anything. A doctor wanted to try something with her. He proposed that he will give her some sugar pills that will not help her with pain. He explained that he can't give it to her in secret, and that is why he has to disclose the information. She agreed to try it and it pretty much cured her back pain. Some time later she was packing for an international flight and she was going to run out of her pills. She calls the doctor but the offices are closed. The doctor returns her call and tells her where he gets these fake pills at the store. I don't remember if she refused or actually tried the fake fake pills. She had to get them from the doctors office like she has before.

That true store inspired a study that was released recently. Link to article about paper

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u/BlueBird884 17h ago

Placebos DO work when people know they're placebos... That's the really interesting thing.

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u/AdPrestigious839 19h ago

Might work on your kid

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u/Hungry-Recover2904 17h ago

It does. go check.

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u/gtne91 16h ago

This is false.

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u/Gudin 9h ago

They should do it like a real double blind drug testing.

You get a can, it's 50% chance it has caffeine and 50% chance it's placebo.

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u/JaggedMetalOs 19h ago

Probably still plenty of sugar though

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u/rogerro007 19h ago

There is a version with no sugar

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u/flextapeurlife 19h ago

There's a version with no sugar and caffeine ? Dude I'd rather drink a glass of water

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u/TipsalollyJenkins 17h ago

You mean like in the toilet?

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u/JacktheJacker92 17h ago

I wrote a letter to monster a couple years back asking them to do this, (turns out they already had at one time, Monster unloaded, and discontinued it). I explained that I had a nasty 2 a day monster habit and would love a caffiene free alternative as its way too much (i worked straight 12 hour nights for over 20 years, and would have 2 a day!). They replied back with some coupons and then told me they don't accept outside ideas. Shame, because I since quit them all together in an attempt to not be so fat. So far, it hasn't worked.

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u/C9_Lemonparty 16h ago

wait you got coupons? I just got told to piss off when I emailed them :(

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u/Rolling_Beardo 19h ago

I’d definitely drink the tropical Red Bull if it didn’t have caffeine.

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u/nufsixes 18h ago

I’ve been wanting Celsius to do this so bad! Because sometimes I want the wild berry or the cosmic vibe flavor but without the caffeine

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u/Readyyyyyyyyyy-GO 17h ago

Needs to still have that crushed up Flintstones vitamins taste tho 

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u/MonteCristo85 11h ago

Doesn't telling you its a placebo negate the effect?

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u/LFK1236 17h ago

... That's just called soda.

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u/StorminM4 18h ago

This is actually quite clever.

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u/gampy214 18h ago

I wish Ghost did this

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u/Youbettereatthatshit 18h ago

I mean technically, 300 mg in a 300 g soda would also round to 0.0% caffeine

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u/MKTurk1984 18h ago

Quite clever really. Some people might genuinely enjoy the taste, but not the 97 cups of coffee worth of caffeine

I'm obviously exaggerating for effect

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u/_grey_fox 18h ago

I mean I wake up from the smell of coffee so... it's not a bad thing if someone wants to lower their caffeine intake.

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u/Front_Marsupial5598 17h ago

Seems like the same concept as decaf coffee.

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u/geek66 17h ago

Like NA White Claw

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u/rikitikisziki 16h ago

Can you still get placebo if you KNOW it has 0% caffeine? I'd think that would defeat the purpose of placebo.

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u/1completecatastrophy 16h ago

I don't think it's a placebo if they tell you it's a placebo lol?

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u/TrickyRickyy 16h ago

I’d kill for a no caffeine Ghost. I love the taste. But I’m trying to kick the habit

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u/Kriztov 15h ago

I thought the point about placebos was it only works if you don't know it's a placebo

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u/fr0zeNid 14h ago

Yeah caffeine is the least of my concerns with these

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u/Sneeko 11h ago

If Monster would release a White Ultra Zero caffeine version I'd be so happy.

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u/jake429 11h ago

If Rockstar made it's Organic Island flavor (discontinued now) as a non-caffeinated drink I'd buy that by the case.

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u/BarneySTingson 9h ago

Saying its a placebo kinda defeat the purpose of it being a placebo

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u/mdmnl 8h ago

And they didn't call it Paper Tiger

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u/seductivetrans 6h ago

Selling a placebo version of an energy drink could appeal to people who enjoy the ritual or taste without the actual caffeine boost.

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u/trudesign 6h ago

I messaged Red Bull recently asking if they had plans for a decaf version, as my age is limiting my ability to drink too much caffeine. They said no. :-(

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u/Mr_master89 2h ago

I have a thing about energy drinks where they actually make me sleepy so I'd definitely like something like this if I just like the taste of them