Image | 1 ![]() Guru | 2 ![]() Celsius | 3 ![]() V8 |
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Name | Organic Energy Drink | Live Fit | +Energy |
Features | Our Top Choice - An All-Natural Drink With a Smooth, Bright Finish | Best for a Massive Caffeine Boost | Best for Lovers of V8 Juice |
Price | $24.79 | $28.39 | $7.48 |
Energy boosters | Caffeine (100 mg.) | Caffeine (200 mg.), taurine, B vitamins | Caffeine (80 mg.), B vitamins |
Sugars | 3 grams | 0 grams | 11 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 | Water, vegetable juice, fruit juice, mango puree, natural flavoring, citric acid, green tea extract, vitamin c, sucralose, B vitamins |
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Here are our three favorite healthy energy drinks, in case you need a little inspiration. They've been chosen based on sugars, caffeine, and other important ingredient factors.
*Please note that these products were chosen after extensive research by mybest writers. The choices are not necessarily affiliated with or recommended by Rachel Binkley.
12 pack
$24.79
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 |
Raspberry Acai Green Tea, 12 pack
$28.39
Energy boosters | Caffeine (200 mg.), taurine, B vitamins |
---|---|
Sugars | 0 grams |
Ingredients | Filtered water, citric acid, natural flavor, vegetable juice, sucralose |
Peach Mango, 8 oz. pack of 12
$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 |
While our top three choices are objectively great, there are some other healthy energy drinks that we think might better service more specific situations. Read on for our seven runners-up and why we chose them for our list.
Sparkling Berry, 12 pack
$34.97
Energy Boosters | Matcha caffeine (120 mg.) |
---|---|
Sugars | 5 grams |
Ingredients | Carbonated water, blueberry juice, raspberry juice, blackberry juice, ceremonial grade matcha, lemon extract, green tea extract, chlorophyllin |
Raspberry Lime, 12 pack
$23.88
Energy boosters | Caffeine (120 mg.) |
---|---|
Sugars | 0 grams |
Ingredients | Carbonated water, citric acid, stevia leaf extract, caffeine, natural flavors |
12 pack
$26.40
Energy boosters | Caffeine (110 mg.) |
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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 |
Grapefruit, 8 count
$20.72
Energy boosters | Caffeine (160 mg.), ginseng, B vitamins |
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Sugars | 0 grams |
Ingredients | Carbonated purified water, natural flavor, organic caffeine, organic guarana extract, organic panax ginseng extract, B vitamins |
12 pack
$32.00
Energy boosters | Caffeine (115 mg.) |
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Sugars | 7 grams |
Ingredients | Carbonated water, brewed guayusa, apple juice concentrate, orange juice concentrate, lime juice concentrate, natural flavors |
Sugar-free, 12 pack
$29.99
Energy boosters | Caffeine (142 mg.), taurine, ginseng |
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Sugars | 0 grams |
Ingredients | Filtered carbonated water, natural flavors, citric acid, potassium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sucralose |
Strawberry Kiwi, 12 oz. pack of 12
$27.49
Energy boosters | Green tea (114 mg.) |
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Sugars | 25 grams |
Ingredients | Filtered water, cane sugar, glucose, clover honey, natural flavors (coconut), citric acid, ribose, black tea, salt |
$40.80
Energy boosters | Taurine, caffeine, guarana extract, green tea leaf extract, and more |
---|---|
Sugars | 0g |
Ingredients | Carbonated filtered water, citric acid, vegetable juice, natural flavor, sucralose |
With a market full of options, we're here to help you know what to look for. Here's our buying guide on how to choose the best healthy energy drink for your needs.
Certain ingredients are known to boost energy levels, but too much of a good thing can be bad. Here's a breakdown of the ingredients to look for and how much of them you need.
It's been estimated that you'll reach 400 milligrams of caffeine by drinking two commercial brand energy drinks, so try not to exceed that amount for your own well-being.
In addition to caffeine, many energy drinks also employ other ingredients like amino acids and vitamins to enhance energy and benefit health.
An increasingly common ingredient is taurine. Taurine is an amino acid that has been shown to boost mental performance when combined with caffeine. However, while taurine is naturally occurring in meat foods like fish, it's usually synthesized for the sake of energy drinks.
Still, taurine has many claims to a healthier lifestyle, including the fact that it reduces the risk of heart failure and diabetes. So long as you keep your taurine consumption under 3,000 milligrams a day, you can certainly benefit from having it in your energy drink.
While healthy energy drinks do contain vitamins, we don't recommend relying on them for your nutrition needs. Please look to whole foods as your main source of essential vitamins.
This energy, however, is very short-lived and will inevitably lead to a crash. Worse, there's a lot of solid research showing that too much sugar leads to an increased risk of health issues like diabetes, fatty liver, and tooth decay.
But you don’t want to be adding too many artificial sweeteners to your diet either, so stick to natural sugars in your energy drinks. A good rule of thumb is to look for a drink with less than 10 grams of sugar per eight ounces.
Commercial energy drinks use synthesized caffeine made from urea and chloroacetic acid. While synthetic caffeine is structurally similar to the caffeine found in plants like tea or coffee, there's one dramatic difference: your body absorbs it much faster. This leads to jitters, post-caffeine crashes, and even an upset stomach on occasion.
Healthy energy drinks use natural caffeine sources like green tea and yerba mate, coffee beans, and the guarana seed. Some of these are denser in caffeine than others; guarana is even more potent than coffee! So long as you check the caffeine levels on your drink's label, you should be able to get the boost you need without overdoing it.
It goes without saying, but you'll also want to steer clear of artificial colors and synthesized flavorings in your search for a healthy energy drink. There are plenty of natural flavors that taste just as sweet, and no one really needs their drink to be electric green.
In addition to commenting on our buying guide, Rachel also took the time to answer a couple of commonly-asked questions about energy drinks.
Rachel says, "When it comes to energy drinks, I wouldn't drink them unless you have plans ahead of you. The morning is good if you have a busy day scheduled. It can work in the afternoon as well; however, I wouldn't go later than 3:00 PM.
If you are sensitive to caffeine, it might be a good idea to avoid caffeine after noon. The last thing you want is for an energy drink to prevent you from getting quality sleep."
"Energy drinks can be harmful if they are not consumed in moderation," Rachel explains. "For individuals with cardiovascular disease, these can cause problems with any amount. Energy drinks can be very high in caffeine, which can easily affect heart rate and blood pressure.
The other concern is sugar or sugar additives. Individuals who react negatively to either in large amounts should use caution. If you get into the habit of drinking energy drinks regularly, it may be a good idea to take a step back and consider other strategies."
Hopefully, you aren't living solely off of energy drinks! Here are some other great picks to keep you hydrated.
Author: Jacqueline Oshiro
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