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Top 10 Best Healthy Energy Drinks in 2020 (Guru, Celcius, and More)
We all get it—that mid-afternoon slump. It can be tempting to reach for an energy drink for that little boost that can get you through the rest of the day. But most energy drinks are full of sugar and processed ingredients that can quickly leave you feeling worse than before.
Luckily, there is an increasing number of healthier energy drinks with less sugar and less junk that provide an easier, more sustained energy boost. In this guide, we’ll go over the factors you should look for when choosing a healthy energy drink. At the end, we’ve also got a list of our 10 favorites to get you started on your search, including our absolute favorite, Guru's Organic Energy Drink!
Luckily, there is an increasing number of healthier energy drinks with less sugar and less junk that provide an easier, more sustained energy boost. In this guide, we’ll go over the factors you should look for when choosing a healthy energy drink. At the end, we’ve also got a list of our 10 favorites to get you started on your search, including our absolute favorite, Guru's Organic Energy Drink!
- Last updated: 09-17-2020
- 40,672 views
Table of Contents
Compare the Best Healthy Energy Drinks
| Image | 1  Guru | 2  Celcius | 3  Runa | 4  MatchaBar | 5  V8 | 6  Zevia | 7  Sambazon | 8  Hiball Energy | 9  Mati | 10  Uptime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Organic Energy Drink | Live Fit | Clean Energy Drink | Hustle Natural Matcha Energy Drink | +Energy | Zero Calorie Energy | Organic Amazon Energy | Sparkling Energy Water | Sparkling Organic Energy Drink | Mental-Physical Energy Supplement (Sugar Free) |
| Features | The Best One for the Health-Conscious! Absolutely No Artificial Anything | High Caffeine Without the Side Effects | Jitter-Free Energy With a Touch of Real Sugar | Matcha-Based, Buzz-Free Energy | Smaller, Fruit and Vegetable Juice-Based Energy | Zero Sugar, Zero Calories, Tons of Energy | Antioxidant-Rich Energy With Fair Trade Ingredients | Like a Caffeinated La Croix | Sweetened With Only Fruit Juices | Steady, Even Energy in a Resealable Bottle |
| Price | $25.58 | $21.66 | $29.88 | $34.97 | $7.48 | $19.99 | $30.81 | $20.00 | $32.00 | $29.99 |
| Energy boosters | Caffeine (100 mg.) | Caffeine (200 mg.), taurine, B vitamins | Caffeine (150 mg.) | Caffeine (120 mg) | Caffeine (80 mg.), B vitamins | Caffeine (120 mg.) | Caffeine (110 mg.) | Caffeine (160 mg.), ginseng, B vitamins | Caffeine (115 mg.) | Caffeine (142 mg.), taurine, ginseng |
| Sugars | 3 grams | 0 grams | 2 grams | 0 grams | 11 grams | 0 grams | 7 grams | 0 grams | 7 grams | 0 grams |
| Ingredients | Sparkling water, organic cane syrup, organic lemon juice extract, organic green tea leaf extract, organic flavors, citric acid, organic extracts | Filtered water, citric acid, natural flavor, vegetable juice, sucralose | Brewed organic guayusa, organic cane sugar, citric acid, organic mango flavor, natural flavor, ascorbic acid | Water, ceremonial grade matcha, lactic acid, chlorophyllin, monk fruit, green tea extract, lemon extract, lime extract | Water, vegetable juice, fruit juice, mango puree, natural flavoring, citric acid, green tea extract, vitamin c, sucralose, B vitamins | Carbonated water, citric acid, stevia leaf extract, caffeine, natural flavors | Sparkling filtered water, organic erythritol, organic acai juice, organic cane syrup, citric acid, malic acid, sea salt, other organic juices, extracts, and flavors | Carbonated purified water, natural flavor, organic caffeine, organic guarana extract, organic panax ginseng extract, B vitamins | Carbonated water, brewed guayusa, apple juice concentrate, orange juice concentrate, lime juice concentrate, natural flavors | Filtered carbonated water, natural flavors, citric acid, potassium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sucralose |
| Link |
Top 10 Best Healthy Energy Drinks
Here are our 10 favorite healthy energy drinks, in case you need a little inspiration. They've been chosen by sugars, caffeine, and ingredient content.
※These rankings were decided based on user reviews and popular rank lists from Amazon gathered on June 23rd.
1
GuruOrganic Energy Drink
12 pack
$25.58
| Energy boosters | Caffeine (100 mg.) |
|---|---|
| Sugars | 3 grams |
| Ingredients | Sparkling water, organic cane syrup, organic lemon juice extract, organic green tea leaf extract, organic flavors, citric acid, organic extracts |
2
CelciusLive Fit
Raspberry Acai Green Tea, 12 pack
$21.66
| Energy boosters | Caffeine (200 mg.), taurine, B vitamins |
|---|---|
| Sugars | 0 grams |
| Ingredients | Filtered water, citric acid, natural flavor, vegetable juice, sucralose |
3
RunaClean Energy Drink
Mango Tango, 12 pack
$29.88
| Energy boosters | Caffeine (150 mg.) |
|---|---|
| Sugars | 2 grams |
| Ingredients | Brewed organic guayusa, organic cane sugar, citric acid, organic mango flavor, natural flavor, ascorbic acid |
4
MatchaBarHustle Natural Matcha Energy Drink
12 pack
$34.97
| Energy boosters | Caffeine (120 mg) |
|---|---|
| Sugars | 0 grams |
| Ingredients | Water, ceremonial grade matcha, lactic acid, chlorophyllin, monk fruit, green tea extract, lemon extract, lime extract |
5
V8+Energy
Peach Mango, 12 pack
$7.48
| Energy Boosters | Caffeine (80 mg.), B vitamins |
|---|---|
| Sugars | 11 grams |
| Ingredients | Water, vegetable juice, fruit juice, mango puree, natural flavoring, citric acid, green tea extract, vitamin c, sucralose, B vitamins |
6
ZeviaZero Calorie Energy
Raspberry Lime, 12 pack
$19.99
| Energy boosters | Caffeine (120 mg.) |
|---|---|
| Sugars | 0 grams |
| Ingredients | Carbonated water, citric acid, stevia leaf extract, caffeine, natural flavors |
7
SambazonOrganic Amazon Energy
12 pack
$30.81
| Energy boosters | Caffeine (110 mg.) |
|---|---|
| Sugars | 7 grams |
| Ingredients | Sparkling filtered water, organic erythritol, organic acai juice, organic cane syrup, citric acid, malic acid, sea salt, other organic juices, extracts, and flavors |
8
Hiball EnergySparkling Energy Water
Grapefruit, 8 count
$20.00
| Energy boosters | Caffeine (160 mg.), ginseng, B vitamins |
|---|---|
| Sugars | 0 grams |
| Ingredients | Carbonated purified water, natural flavor, organic caffeine, organic guarana extract, organic panax ginseng extract, B vitamins |
9
MatiSparkling Organic Energy Drink
12 pack
$32.00
| Energy boosters | Caffeine (115 mg.) |
|---|---|
| Sugars | 7 grams |
| Ingredients | Carbonated water, brewed guayusa, apple juice concentrate, orange juice concentrate, lime juice concentrate, natural flavors |
10
UptimeMental-Physical Energy Supplement (Sugar Free)
12 pack
$29.99
| Energy boosters | Caffeine (142 mg.), taurine, ginseng |
|---|---|
| Sugars | 0 grams |
| Ingredients | Filtered carbonated water, natural flavors, citric acid, potassium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sucralose |
How to Choose a Healthy Energy Drink – Buying Guide
Here, we'll be introducing the following three important points to check when you choose a healthy energy drink.
Points to Consider:
Points to Consider:
- Look for Energy Boosting Ingredients
- Keep Sugars Low to Avoid a Crash
- Avoid Synthetic Ingredients
1. Look for Energy Boosting Ingredients (in Moderation)
Certain ingredients are known to boost energy levels, but too much of a good thing can be bad, so it’s best to know what a healthy amount looks like.
To Keep You Awake: Look for Around 100 to 150 Milligrams of Caffeine
There are a few ingredients commonly found in energy drinks that will help you perk up and keep going. Although it may not always be an ingredient list item, caffeine is in nearly every energy drink.
It is found most often in the form of coffee, tea, or guarana. Caffeine can help to boost energy levels, but too much can also lead to jitters, heart palpitations, or headaches. To be safe, stick to less than 400 milligrams per day–as a reference, an average cup of coffee contains 120 milligrams.
Extra Boosters: Amino Acids and Vitamins
Aside from the usual caffeine, a lot of energy drinks also employ other ingredients like amino acids and vitamins to enhance energy or even just add health benefits.
An increasingly common ingredient is taurine. Taurine is an amino acid that has been shown to work together with caffeine to boost mental performance. Another popular amino acid L-arginine expands blood vessels and allows more oxygen to circulate through your body.
B vitamins are essential in helping your body to break down food and turn it into energy, so you’ll likely find these tucked into energy drinks as well. But more does not mean better, and you really don’t need 300% of your daily requirement in one drink.
The same can be said about other vitamins like vitamin C, an important antioxidant and immune system booster, and vitamin D, which adds to strength and energy levels. While energy drinks can act as a source for vitamins in a pinch, it’s always better to get them from whole foods when possible.
2. Keep Sugars Low to Avoid a Crash
It almost goes without saying, but the first thing you should check for in any energy drink is the sugar content. Sugar is normally a key component in energy drinks due to the sudden spike in energy it can give you.
This energy, however, is very short lived and will inevitably lead to a “crash,” which is another reason to avoid it on top of all of the solid research showing the relationship between too much sugar and diseases like diabetes, fatty liver, and tooth decay. You get the drill.
But you don’t want to be adding too many artificial sweeteners either, and a little sugar isn’t going to kill you. A good rule of thumb is to look for a drink with less than 10 grams of sugar per 8-ounce serving.
3. Avoid Synthetic Ingredients
In order to cut down on sugars and increase caffeine and vitamin counts, a lot of energy drinks are packed with synthetic ingredients. And while they may be hard to avoid given the nature of energy drinks, try to do your best to steer clear of ingredients that are unfamiliar and sound like something made in a lab.
This includes artificial flavors and colors. Instead, look for drinks that derive their flavor and benefits from plant extracts and recognizable ingredients.
When's the Best Time to Have an Energy Drink?
When it comes to maximizing your energy drink, timing is important. Too early and you could crash before you need the rush, too late and you could be wired all night.
Generally speaking, you begin to feel the effects of the caffeine and sugar about 10 minutes after having your drink, but don’t feel the peak until about the 30-minute mark.
If your drink has sugar, you may feel a bit of a sugar crash after an hour or so. After five to six hours, about half of the caffeine has left your system, so drinking an energy drink less than six hours before bed may leave you unable to sleep.
Something else to consider is that caffeine can negatively interact with your body’s cortisol levels to increase feelings of stress. Your cortisol levels peak just after waking up, at midday, and in the early evening, so try to have your energy drink after one of those peaks instead of before.
Enjoy Some More Quality Beverages
Hopefully, you aren't living solely off of energy drinks! Here are some other great picks to keep you hydrated.
Summary
So there you have it—a quick guide to choosing the right healthy energy drink for you. Just remember that everyone’s body is different and what works for one person might not work for the next. Keep what we talked about in mind, be patient, and slowly try different formulas out—you’re sure to find something that works.
While relying on energy drinks may not be ideal, it’s reassuring to know that the one you drink isn’t outright bad for you.
Author: Jacqueline Oshiro
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