How Healthy Are Energy Drinks?

Red Bull vs. Celsius; Which one is healthier? 

​I’m sure you’ve heard of Red Bull since it’s the biggest energy drink brand in the world, but does that mean it’s the best? Red bull has a 38% market share in the energy drink industry and has sold over 100 billion cans since it was launched in 1987. Celsius is a newer brand of energy drink that claims to be healthy and fit into an active lifestyle. Celsius claims that their proprietary blend of ingredients boosts your metabolism, so you burn more calories and body fat during training.

Red Bull’s ingredient list includes carbonated water, sugar, glucose, citric acid, taurine, natural and artificial flavors, baking soda, magnesium carbonate, colors, caffeine, niacinamide, vitamin B6, calcium and vitamins b12. An 8.4oz. can of Red Bull contains 110 calories, 29g carbs and 27g of sugar with 80mg of caffeine. Celsius ingredient list includes, ascorbic acid, niacinamide, pyridoxine hydrocholoride, cyanocobalamin, biotin, calcium carbonate, chelate, sodium and their Metaplus proprietary blend which contains taurine, Guarana extract, green tea leaf, caffeine, glucuronolactone and ginger root extract. A 12 oz. can contains 10 calories with 0g of sugar, 2g carbs with 200mg of caffeine.

With the Celsius having 2.5 times the amount of caffeine you will feel a higher rush of energy, but I don’t think this is a bad thing since 200mg of caffeine is a safe amount to have. This might be a bit too much to people sensitive to caffeine so I wouldn’t recommend drinking a full can start. The good thing about Celsius is that there’s no sugar so your blood sugar won’t spike, leaving you with a steadier stream of energy.

Red Bull has only 80mg of caffeine, but it has 29g of carbs and 27g of sugar. This will cause your blood sugar to spike so you will feel a big rush of energy from the sugar but will inevitably come crashing down and you will still feel more tired than before. My concern with consuming to much Red Bull is the excess sugar and carbohydrates can lead to health problems. Both drinks should be consumed in moderation, but I can tell you without a doubt that Celsius is a better option for your health in the long term.