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Are Sugar-Free Energy Drinks Bad For You?
On December 11, 2022 by Jane TuSince these sugar-free energy drinks really pack a punch in terms of caffeine content, you can experience some unwanted side effects. Heart problems are associated with excessive caffeine consumption. A quick heartbeat or elevated blood pressure are two typical issues that can occur. Continue reading, you will learn more about energy drinks.
Why Sugar-free Energy Drinks Might Be Bad for You?
It can seem like everything these days is unhealthy, so it probably won’t come as a surprise to learn that sugar-free energy drinks have made the list. Contrary to some products, however, these beverages are regarded as unhealthy for a number of valid, scientific reasons. We’ll look at two of the top issues with sugar-free energy drinks here:
Caffeine
Almost everyone who consumes energy drinks, whether they are sugar-free or not, does so for the energizing impact they have on the body and mind, which is frequently the result of caffeine. Some brands can increase the energizing effects of these drinks by adding additional stimulants, like guarana or ginseng. Although this method of boosting users’ energy levels is frequently successful — at least in the short term — it also has some unpleasant side effects and could even pose serious health risks.
Caffeine levels in energy drinks can range from several hundred milligrams per can to about 90 mg in a cup of coffee on average. Drinking just two of the stronger drink brands could cause you to consume far more than is recommended. If a jolt of energy is your goal, this high caffeine content may seem great, but this level of caffeine intake has been associated with poor sleep quality, anxiety, headaches, and low mood, as well as physical dangers like rapid heart rate, seizures, and a heightened susceptibility to stress.
Artificial Sweeteners
Although the absence of sugar in sugar-free energy drinks may reduce the health risks connected with their consumption, drink producers must replace that flavoring in some way, which leads to the addition of artificial sweeteners like sucralose or acesulfame K (Ace-K). These ingredients are preferred as a sugar substitute because they don’t increase the caloric content of an energy drink while still imparting a sweet flavor.
While this may appear to be the ideal solution to the issue of the high sugar content of energy drinks, the sweeteners added to sugar-free energy drinks may still be unhealthy for you. It’s difficult to say whether sucralose and Ace-K are safe for people to consume because both have been linked to cancer in studies on animals, and there is uncertainty regarding their long-term effects on humans. Public health groups and researchers have called for further investigation2 into the safety of artificial sweeteners, but the question of how bad these compounds might be for you has yet to be settled.
What Are Energy Drinks?
Energy drinks are alcoholic beverages that contain additives that can boost mental clarity, physical energy, and athletic performance. These drinks are particularly well-liked by teenagers and young adults.
There are various variations of these energy drinks. The carbonated energy drink you can buy in a can is the most well-liked type. There are also smaller “energy shots” that are concentrated and non-carbonated and meant to be consumed all at once rather than sipped on.
What Are the Brands of Sugar-free Energy Drinks?
There are sugar-free options available from the most well-known energy drink manufacturers.
These popular brands can be found at any gas station, grocery store, or convenience store:
- Monster Zero Sugar (10 calories and 140 mg caffeine per 16 oz)
- Monster Ultra Blue (10 calories and 150 mg caffeine per 16 oz)
- Sugar-Free Redbull (10 calories and 80 mg caffeine per 8.46 oz)
- Red Bull Zero (0 calories and 80 mg caffeine per 8.46 oz)
- Sugar-Free Rockstar (25 calories and 160 mg caffeine per 16 oz)
- Rockstar Pure Zero (20 calories and 240 mg caffeine per 16 oz)
Additionally, a few niche brands are becoming more well-known. These might be found in convenience stores, gas stations, or healthcare facilities that sell supplements. Some of these brands include:
- Celsius (10 calories and 200 mg caffeine per 12 oz)
- Bang (0 calories and 300 mg caffeine per 16 oz)
- Alani Nu (10 calories and 200 mg caffeine per 12 oz)
- Ghost Energy Drink Zero Sugar (5 calories 100 mg caffeine per 16 oz)
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What About Sugar-free Energy Drinks and Your Health?
Weight
Despite the fact that these energy drinks are low in calories, the possibility of them having an impact on weight is still a subject of discussion.
You cannot necessarily say that sugar-free energy drinks that are low in calories are to be directly blamed for weight gain since weight gain is caused by consuming more calories than you burn. Traditional energy drinks are more likely to cause weight gain than sugar-free alternatives because they are high in calories and sugar.
When examining the effect of sugar-free sweeteners on our weight, there are contradictory findings. We cannot pretend that the majority of research demonstrating adverse effects was conducted on mice, which is equivalent to how it affects humans. To guarantee that sugar-free energy drinks don’t directly cause weight gain, more research is required.
Teeth
Your dental health is one unexpected effect that energy drinks may have on your health.
Energy drinks without sugar may cause dental erosion because of their lower pH, which may cause teeth sensitivity.
Heart
Due to the high caffeine content in these sugar-free energy drinks, you may experience some unpleasant side effects.
Heart problems are associated with excessive caffeine consumption. Increased blood pressure or a rapid heartbeat are two typical issues that can occur. Heart palpitations or other serious side effects could occur if you have caffeine toxicity.
Heart attacks, aneurysms, and sudden death can also occur in severe cases of caffeine overconsumption brought on by energy drinks. Although much less frequent, it is crucial to be aware of these effects in order to appreciate the significance of keeping your caffeine intake within reasonable limits.
Blood Sugar
The possibility of blood sugar spikes as a result of the excessive sugar in these beverages is one of the main justifications for avoiding them. It’s less likely that the sugar-free varieties will cause a blood sugar spike.
Sugar-free energy drinks should always be chosen over the regular options if you have prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, or simply need to monitor your blood glucose levels.
However, just because something doesn’t contain sugar doesn’t mean it won’t affect your blood sugar levels in any way. Actually, caffeine can have an effect on blood sugar as well.
This implies that the extremely potent, high-caffeine energy drinks may still cause blood sugar to rise, especially if you have diabetes. High levels of caffeine may negatively affect diabetes outcomes because it can also lower insulin sensitivity.
It is important to note that everyone is different. To determine how a sugar-free energy drink affects you specifically if you have diabetes, you may want to check your blood sugar levels before and after consuming it. It’s possible that some individuals can consume higher doses of caffeine without experiencing a significant drop in blood sugar, but this is not always the case.
Digestion
In sugar-free energy drinks, certain sugar-free sweeteners may cause digestive distress. Some people may experience digestive discomfort if they consume large amounts of sweeteners like xylitol.
When consumed in normal amounts, erythritol, stevia, sucralose, and aspartame are not typically linked to digestive problems, so having one energy drink may not cause any discomfort. However, you might discover that an energy drink containing erythritol can cause some stomach issues like bloating, gas, or diarrhea if you are sensitive to these ingredients or consume a lot of sugar alcohols (like erythritol or xylitol) throughout the day.
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Mental Health
After consuming an energy drink, you should stop right away if you experience nervousness or jitters. Especially for those who have a lower tolerance to caffeine, the caffeine and stimulants found in energy drinks can negatively affect your mood and general well-being.
Addiction to caffeine is a possibility. Many people rely on caffeine to get through their days. For this reason, it’s crucial to be conscious of how much caffeine you consume and pay attention to how it affects you. You may need to stop drinking them entirely if it doesn’t seem to be working or if it makes you feel anxious.
Sleep
You can stay awake and alert with caffeine. It may be difficult to fall asleep if you consume too much caffeine too close to bedtime. Your ability to sleep may be affected, which would shorten the amount of time you get to sleep. Even worse, the quality of your sleep may suffer significantly once you are asleep.
This is particularly crucial to be aware of if your doctor has advised you to monitor your blood sugar levels since inadequate sleep and short sleep duration are linked to increased insulin resistance and obesity.
What Are the ALTERNATIVES to SUGAR-FREE ENERGY DRINKS?
If you regularly consume regular or sugar-free energy drinks, you probably already know how difficult it can be to stop using them. To maintain their energy levels throughout the day, people can easily become dependent on these highly caffeinated products, and abruptly stopping them may even cause caffeine withdrawal. If you use energy drinks and dread the prospect of stopping, know that there are safer alternatives; we’ll look at a few of these below:
Green Tea
Green tea has the same energy-boosting properties as sugar-free energy drinks due to caffeine, but it’s much gentler on the body than other drinks. Theanine, an amino acid that mellows the energy boost and minimizes any side effects, tempers the effects of the caffeine in green tea. Green tea is a worthy substitute for your typical energy drink because it has been linked to fat loss and a host of other advantages.
Amino Acid Supplements
Amino acid energy supplements can be a great source of fuel for your body, especially during exercise, even though they don’t deliver the same kind of jolt as a large dose of caffeine. Because branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) can be used by the muscles as a source of energy when your body’s glycogen stores run low and because BCAAs can prevent the buildup of serotonin in the brain, they can also reduce exercise-related fatigue.
Coffee
Coffee has numerous advantages, which you are probably already aware of, but if you’re trying to stop drinking sugar-free energy drinks, it might be worthwhile to review them. Coffee does not contain sugar, and it contains less caffeine than most energy drinks—unless you add it yourself. Additionally, it is widely accessible, and the caffeine it contains might help prevent some withdrawal symptoms.
Are Sugar-Free Energy Drinks Bad for Your Kidneys?
According to the American Kidney Fund, a recent study indicates that consuming two or more carbonated sodas per day, whether regular or diet, may increase your risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Carbonated and energy drinks have both been linked to the formation of kidney stones.
Are Sugar-Free Energy Drinks Worse for You Than Coffee?
Conversely, coffee provides more long-lasting energy and drinking it won’t increase your daily calorie intake. Even if they’re advertised as “sugar-free,” energy drinks contain artificial sweeteners, which are better left out of your diet, anyway.
Conclusion
Energy drinks without sugar are alcoholic beverages with high levels of caffeine and other ingredients that boost energy and performance.
Energy drink side effects are frequently linked to the high caffeine content of these beverages. Because of this, choosing to drink a sugar-free energy drink and limiting yourself to just one can per day will help keep your caffeine intake within safe ranges.
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