“It doesn’t contain as much caffeine as some of these drinks, but it’s still not a great choice.”ĥ. “It has artificial coloring in it, which is also possibly carcinogenic,” says Hunnes. Meanwhile, sugar-free Red Bull contains artificial sweeteners, which again, are possibly carcinogenic. Too much sugar, if you didn’t already know, is terrible for you: A sugar-laden diet is associated with all kinds of ailments, from heart disease to depression.
The American Heart Association recommends that men consume no more than 36 grams and that women consume no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day. Red Bull: A 12-ounce can of regular Red Bull contains a whopping 37 grams of sugar, which is a lot - that’s approximately 10 teaspoons, or the equivalent of about 35 gummy bears. FYI, 5-Hour Energy also comes in decaf, which makes no sense whatsoever.Ĥ. “It has artificial sweeteners, which may be unsafe in high doses, and we would pee out the B-vitamins that it contains,” Hunnes explains. 5-Hour Energy: These shots are calorie-free and contain the caffeine-equivalent of a 12-ounce cup of coffee. But overall, this seems close to Yerba Mate in terms of being least unhealthy.” It’s worth noting, however, that Redline energy drinks are extremely high in caffeine, meaning consuming more than a single serving (which amounts to only half of the bottle) may put you into the hospital.ģ. “The vitamins and amino acids probably won’t do much for you at the doses that they come in, and the electrolyte portions are a bit of a joke. Redline : “This doesn’t appear to contain any artificial colors, and it’s calorie-free, since it contains the artificial sweetener sucralose (which is ‘safe,’ according to the FDA),” Hunnes explains. However, when distilled down - as it is in this drink - it probably doesn’t provide much in the way of any of those benefits, except for caffeine.”Ģ. “It also appears to be derived from yerba mate, which is probably extremely healthy when eaten as a whole, since it contains antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Yerba Mate : “This appears to be the healthiest, since it has no artificial ingredients,” Hunnes says. With that in mind, let’s rank some energy drinks before my heart gives out.ġ. “The rest are glorified vitamins, which as I mentioned, have been proven by journals to not do much more than act as a placebo when in isolation.”
“The main ‘energy’ booster in these drinks is caffeine,” Hunnes continues. “But when nutrients and vitamins are isolated, they rarely behave how they might when they’re consumed as the entire food product that they were derived from (which is nutritional wholism).” “The basic premise of energy drinks is nutritional reductionism - taking the ‘best’ parts from foods and putting them in a bottle to sell for profit,” Hunnes explains. She’s right: Caffeine overdoses associated with energy drinks are surprisingly common, which might explain why multiple countries - the U.K., Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, Turkey, Norway, Uruguay, Iceland and France - have implemented restrictions on the sales of them to minors. “They’re nothing more than carbonated, caffeinated and colored vitamin drinks, which can be dangerous when over-consumed, leading to arrhythmia, sleeplessness and possibly even anxiety.” “I don’t recommend any of these drinks for regular consumption,” Hunnes emphasizes. When I asked Dana Hunnes, senior dietitian at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, to help me rank popular energy drinks by how healthy they are, she immediately (and firmly) responded by saying it was impossible, for the simple reason that there’s no such thing as a healthy energy drink, period.
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