You may think that energy drinks are better than other bottled beverages, but here’s why are energy drinks worse than soda.
So why are energy drinks worse than soda? Energy drinks are extremely high in sugar and can lead to weight gain and tooth decay. They also increase your risk of diabetes and other heart diseases. But sugar isn’t the only thing to worry about, energy drinks also contain high amounts of caffeine, as well as other stimulants as taurine, ginseng, and guarana. Consuming energy drinks regularly can increase blood pressure and heart activity. The risks increase if consumed quickly or along with alcohol.
Technically sodas and energy drinks aren’t very different from one another. For example, if an energy drink contains 29 grams of sugar and 139 calories in an eight-ounce serving, eight ounces of Coca-Cola offers a similar 30 grams of sugar and 110 calories.
You may think that these numbers aren’t that big of a deal, but these sweetened beverages are the leading cause of consumption of added sugar (i.e. empty calories). A study conducted in the year 2014 found that drinking two 16-ounce sugary drinks a day, which is a very common habit for teenagers, leads to symptoms of diabetes and a fatty liver.
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Risks Associated With Consuming Energy Drinks And Why Are Energy Drinks Worse Than Soda
Researchers say that the health risks that come along with the consumption of energy drinks are related to their caffeine content.
Probable risks that are associated with the consumption of energy drinks include:
- Caffeine Overdose (which can cause multiple symptoms such as; palpitations, high blood pressure, nausea and vomiting, convulsions, and in extreme cases, death.)
- type 2 diabetes (high consumption of caffeine results in reduced insulin sensitivity)
- Neurological and cardiovascular systems in children and adolescents get affected
- Late miscarriages, low birthrate, and stillbirths.
- Poor dental health
- Ironically, obesity; even though they are associated with sports
- Dependency or usage of other harmful substances
Calorie Count – Sodas Vs. Energy Drinks
It’s quite easy to have a few servings of soda or energy drink in a day without paying much attention to it. Just like any other sweetened drink, the calories present in these drinks can add up quickly. Most of these drinks provide little to no nutrition and are added with huge amounts of added sugar. They also contain large amounts of Caffeine and other stimulants, hence it’s best to limit how much you drink.
Here is a list of some popular sodas and energy drinks, and the number of calories in each.
Calorie count – sodas
| Beverage | Calories |
| Coca-Cola Classic | 140 |
| Sprite | 140 |
| Dr. Pepper | 150 |
| Pepsi | 150 |
| 7 Up | 150 |
| Fanta Orange | 160 |
| Mountain Dew | 170 |
*Serving size 12 oz
Calorie Count – Energy Drinks
| Beverage | Calories |
| Nos Energy Drink | 160 |
| Monster Energy Drink | 200 |
| Red Bull Energy Drink | 212 |
| Full Throttle | 220 |
| AMP Energy Boost Original | 220 |
| Red Bull Energy Drink (Red, Silver, and Blue) | 226 |
| Rockstar Energy Drink | 280 |
*Serving size 12 oz
Grocery stores stock energy drinks and soft drinks on separate shelves and sometimes on completely different aisles because it’s very easy for consumers to mix up the two and get confused, for both are sweet, carbonated, and are marketed for teenagers. But there is a big difference in allowable caffeine levels, according to FDA rules.
Caffeine in soft drinks :
71 mg per 12 fluid ounces (upper limit)
Caffeine does not have to be listed on the ‘Nutritional panel‘ on its label
Caffeine in energy drinks:
Any amount the manufacturer assumes to be safe
Caffeine has to be listed on the ‘Supplement Facts’ label, but mentioning the quantity is optional
Soft drinks are conventional food items, whereas energy drinks and shots are classified as dietary supplements.
Sugary Drink Myths Busted
The Claim: Choose Energy Drinks Over Coffee To Get A Big Boost Of Energy
The truth: An energy-based drink, such as Red Bull or Rockstar, contains less caffeine than one cup of coffee but has a very large amount of sugar. Although an energy drink may be an easier and tastier drink, it won’t change the fact the average cup of coffee contains 95 to 200 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces. Whereas on the other hand red bull has about 80 mg of caffeine per 8.4 ounces.
The Claim: Diet Soda Is Better For Consumption Than Regular Soda
The truth: Dr. Lisa R. Young, Ph.D., R.D., C.D.N., adjunct professor of nutrition and also the author of The Portion Teller Plan “Diet soda is no panacea.” Sugar-free doesn’t translate to it being healthy. On the other hand, the fake sweetness of a diet soda can be chaotic.
The theory suggests that the brain assumes that sweetness equals calories which trigger certain metabolic processes that could result in weight gain among diet soda drinkers. Diet soda has been linked to a whole lot of other health risks, such as increased diabetes, stroke, and heart attack risk.
This doesn’t necessarily prove that drinking diet soda regularly can result in health risks. But there is nothing nutritious about it.
The Claim: Clear Soda Is Healthier Than Brown Soda
The truth: Brown sodas use caramel coloring which may be responsible for the discoloration of your teeth. The other major difference between a brown soda and clear soda is the amount of caffeine that is infused in it.
An average can of soda has less caffeine than a cup of coffee. But if you are nearing the ‘how much is too much’ caffeine tipping point, this can be a good rule of thumb that you can follow.
The Claim: Soda Made With Corn Syrup Is Worse Than Soda Made With Cane Sugar
The truth: The problem isn’t the corn-derived sweetening products, it turns out that the real problem lies in the fact that the sugar Is in a liquid form. There is an instant problem with this because we fail to realize how much sugar we consume in that liquid form.
Full calorie sweeteners break down into two groups – half glucose and half fructose. They behave in a very similar fashion in the body, which is to say dangerously: “HFCS is, of course, 45-55 percent fructose, and liquid cane sugar is 50 percent fructose,” says David Katz, M.D., and director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center. “So they are compositionally all but identical. Sugar is sugar, and the dose makes the poison in either case.”
The Claim: Working Out Demands For A Sports Drink
The truth: If you have ever watched an advertisement for any energy drink in existence, then you know that if you work out or are an athlete then your body needs an energy drink, or at least that’s what those advertisements told you to believe. But the fact is that your electrolyte and glycogen reserves aren’t depleted until more than an hour of intensive training. Hence you probably won’t require anything more than some water.
The Claim: All Calories Are The Same, No Matter What Their Source Is
The truth: Research had suggested that the rapid consumption of fructose, in both sugar and high fructose corn syrup interrupts the stimulation of the production of leptin. Leptin is a hormone that signals the brain when the body is satiated. This very often results in overconsumption of highly caloric drinks.
Research also found out that people who are energy drink drinkers do not compensate for their extra calories by eating fewer calories elsewhere. In other words: they’re probably going to eat some fries with that energy drink – not an apple.
The Claim: Carbonation Results In Weakened Bones
The truth: This claim was most likely born out of the idea that if kids (or adults) are drinking too much energy drinks, they’re drinking less of the bone-benefitting milk. But after conducting proper research, it has been proved that there isn’t any link between energy drinks and bone density.
A study discovered that women who drank three or more carbonated drinks in a week (whether they were diet, regular, or caffeine-free) had lower bone density in comparison to the women not drinking them, leading the researchers to believe the culprit is flavor agent phosphoric acid, found more often in said carbonated drinks, which increases the acidity of the blood.
The body then “leaches some calcium out of your bones to neutralize the acid,” study author Katherine Tucker says. Some others have suggested that it’s the carbonation that hurts bone density, but the effect from consumption of a single bottle would be negligible, according to a report by Popular Science.
Drinks That Contain Just As Much Sugar As Some Energy Drinks
Fruit Juice
If you grab any fruit juice and consider yourself healthy, think again. If you only took a moment to read the label, you will notice that most fruit juices are not 100% fruit juice. Like most, cranberry or grape cocktails have an extra dose of added sugar on top of the fruit juice’s natural sugar content. A cup of grape juice is almost 36 grams of sugar, which is close to 44 calories in a can of soda.
Even if you drink 100% fruit juice, you are still consuming a high level of natural sugar. Instead of fruit juice, consume whole fruit is better. It keeps you full longer while supplying your body with dietary fiber most of which is lost in juice form
Coffee Concoctions
I know how much you love your daily Starbucks cup, but instead of your fancy cup of coffee go for something simple. Like a latte or cappuccino is not that bad, but the calories and sugar in your fancy drink add up. A Grande White Chocolate Mocha is over 450 calories with 12-15 grams of saturated fats and over 45 grams of sugar, and it gets worse with a frappuccino.
Sports Drinks
A study by the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry found that Red Bull, Gatorade were the most harmful drink for your teeth. A 20 oz bottle has over 35 grams of sugar and if you go for the G2 variant which contains an artificial sweetener to keep those calorie numbers low.
Flavored Coconut Water
It sounds fun and the sweet taste and natural flavor make it even better, but if you are thinking of making coconut water part of your daily diet do your research before that and read the label. When the coconut water is flavored, your potassium and electrolyte-packed drink is no longer healthy and turned into a sugary flavored drink. One container is packed with more than 30 grams of sugar.
Iced Tea
Iced tea has become a staple drink for many of us, and why not? Tea is full of antioxidants and is healthy too. Unfortunately, the beverage’s health benefits get lost under the huge quantity of sugar that is often added to it. One bottle of iced tea produced by a popular brand contains over 30 grams of added sugar.
If you love drinking iced tea but aren’t a fan of drinking your dessert, opt for an unsweetened iced tea and then mix in some honey or a single packet of sugar.
Drinks That Contain Just As Much Sugar As Some Sodas
Hard Soda
It’s obvious that if regular soda has a lot of calories, adding alcohol gives it even more. A serving of 12 ounces of hard soda will have 175 to 250 calories, half of which is from alcohol and the other half from sugar. You can go for the light versions of the drink that some brands offer, Flavoured hard sodas have more than 300 calories in 12 ounces.
Beer
A 12 ounce serving of beer has about 150 calories, if you choose a light variant it’s close to 100 calories. Higher alcohol content will add more calories, different brews can have different amounts of calories which can range upwards starting from 200 calories. Keep in mind an average serving at a bar or a restaurant is about 16 ounces.
Smoothies
Smoothies are generally served in16 to 20 ounces at most places or 12-15 ounces in a bottle. Due to the large servings, they have more calories. They generally go well around 200 to 400 calories on average and can go well above 600 calories. Calories can vary because of a lot of things like extra sugar, full-fat milk, added honey, flavors, and nuts. It’s best to choose a flavor having less or no sugar, or the best way is to do your research and make your own at home with some fruits, veggies, water, and low-fat milk.
Chocolate Milk
Plain milk, about 8 ounces, will have 80 to 90 calories, but adding a tablespoon of chocolate syrup will bring it to about the similar calories as soda. Pre-packed versions of chocolate milk will have around 150 to 250 calories, this depends on the flavor, sugar, and which milk is used. Milk also has plenty of calcium, natural sugar, protein, and flavor by itself.
Lemonade
If made with real juice, you can get some vitamin C from this refreshing summer drink. But most of what you will get is sugar, 6 to 7 teaspoons in one serving and it has about 150 to 190 calories, that’s close to one serving of soda. Like smoothies, you can look for no-sugar options or make your own at home without adding sugar, artificial flavor, and sweeteners.
