The Truth About Celsius Drinks

Are Celsius drinks healthy for you?

A few years ago, Celsius didn’t exist. Today, they’re making over half a billion dollars in annual sales, and the company is worth $13 billion, more than Aston Martin and Mitsubishi combined!

The brand, which presents itself as a healthier, better-for-you energy drink, is everywhere on TikTok and Youtube. How did the brand get so successful so quickly? Is the drink really that good?

According to dietitians, Celsius drinks may not be as healthy as people think… The drink contains three times as much caffeine as a can of Red Bull, causing numerous potential side effects that may include heart palpitations, migraine, and high blood pressure.

But the most worrying part, according to health specialists, is that the drink contains several ingredients that should not be combined together… These ingredients are fine in isolation, but when put together, they may wreck havoc on your health, destroying your gut health and endangering your cardiac health.

As the drink is becoming ever more popular, several TikTok influencers are blaming energy drinks such as Celsius for causing heart problems.

In this article, you will learn the pros and cons of consuming Celsius energy drinks, and get a professional opinion on whether Celsius is good for your health or not. We also present a few alternatives to Celsius if you’re looking for a better-for-you energy drink.

Celsius Energy: the Good

Let’s start by seeing what Celsius is doing well. The brand presents itself as a healthier alternative to other energy drinks, if we look at the composition of ingredients, there is some truth to it:

The drink is rich in vitamins and minerals

It contains ginger and green tea to provide a cleaner boost of energy.

(including Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Niacin, Biotin, and Chromium). These nutrients can help support energy production, metabolism, and overall health. Compared to other energy drinks who don’t have vitamins, Celsius can be considered healthier in that aspect.

Many energy drinks on the market solely rely on synthetic caffeine to give your body an immediate energy boost. Unlike most brands, Celsius added ginger and green tea to their drink (mixed together with caffeine) to provide the body with a less brutal, more sustained boost of energy. Both ginger and green tea have been clinically proven to promote healthy metabolism, without the “energy crash” commonly associated with caffeine from coffee beans.

The drink contains zero sugar and no aspartame.

One of the biggest problems with mainstream energy drinks is that they often contain extremely large doses of sugar. A can of Rockstar, for example, contains the equivalent of 16 teaspoons of sugar - significantly higher than the daily recommended amount. In contrast, Celsius drinks don’t contain any sugar, which makes them less damaging from a health perspective. Another good point is that Celsius doesn’t use aspartame to give its drink a sweet taste. Aspartame is a very common artificial sweetener that may cause gut inflammation and certain types of cardiovascular diseases. (That said, as we’ll see, Celsius uses other artificial sweeteners which may not be completely healthy.)

For these reasons, Celsius drinks can be seen as a relatively healthier alternative to a classic can of Monster or Rockstar. They can give you a boost, without polluting your body with the artificial substances you can find in old-gen energy drinks. Due to these preliminary benefits, it’s not hard to understand why the drink is so popular.

That being said, if we look more carefully at the composition of this drink, we do have a few reasons to be worried about its long-term impact on our health…

The dietitian’s take:

Why Celsius may not be as healthy as you think

Let’s take a brief look at Celsius main ingredients (non-exhaustive list):

Taurine
Ginger extract
Glucuronolactone
Guarana extract
Caffeine (200 mg per can)
Green tea
Vitamins and minerals
Stevia
Erythritol*

*Contained in some Celsius products

Taurine, a key active ingredient in Celsius, may pose cardiovascular risks to adolescents when combined with caffeine. A 2017 clinical review suggests that the combination of taurine and caffeine can be dangerous for our brain and body:

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The other problematic ingredient is “glucuronolactone”, another stimulatory ingredient that could allegedly improve attention.

However, studies have shown that when combined with caffeine and taurine, glucuronolactone can cause negative changes to blood pressure and insulin sensitivity.

In other words, the combined effect of caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone may be detrimental to your cardiovascular health. Something to keep in mind before consuming Celsius drinks.

The dose of caffeine contained in Celsius is concerning

A lot is said about Celsius alleged health benefits, but not enough is said about the very high amount of caffeine present in the Celsius beverage. With 200 mg per 12oz can, Celsius contains more than two times as much caffeine as a classic Red Bull – which is already high in caffeine!

Drinking Celsius is especially worrying for people who already drink coffee during the day, as it is very likely they will exceed the recommended daily limit of 400mg of caffeine.

CELSIUS

200 MG OF CAFFEINE

RED BULL

80 MG OF CAFFEINE

By drinking Celsius, you may encounter health issues associated with excess caffeine, such as:

Headaches and migraines
Anxiety
Insomnia
Irregular heartbeat
Increase in blood pressure

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a statement saying that heart complications can occur from drinking highly caffeine drinks such as Celsius. There have been several cases of atrial fibrillation and heart disturbances linked to the consumption of Celsius.

Notably, several TikTok influencers have recently complained about experiencing heart problems after consuming Celsius drinks.

While it’s difficult to know if Celsius alone is responsible for this, the very high caffeine content could be a potential risk factor.

Some Celsius products contain erythritol, an artificial sweetener with a questionable reputation

Erythritol is a powerful artificial sweetener that is used to replicate the sweetness of sugar. According to a recent study published in Nature Medicine, erythritol may pose a risk to your cardiovascular risk.

In the study, researchers asked more than 1,000 people to drink a beverage sweetened with erythritol. Patients saw a 1,000-fold increase in blood erythritol levels, which remained substantially elevated for several days.

Researchers concluded that this artificial sweetener could cause a two-fold higher risk for heart attack and stroke

If you worry about your long-term cardiovascular health, you may want to stay away from any drinks containing erythritol, which include several products in Celsius offering.

If you worry about your long-term cardiovascular health, you may want to stay away from any drinks containing erythritol, such as Celsius.

Key criteria to choose a healthy energy drink:

To help you choose an energy drink that is genuinely good for you (both effective and healthy), we prepared a list of key “green flags” – following the latest recommendations from leading nutritionists.

Must be sugar-free or low on sugar.

Natural sugar from real fruits is healthier than added sugar. Note that a drink with 5 grams of natural sugar is better than a sugar-free drink full of artificial sweeteners.

No aspartame, ace-K, or erythritol.

These artificial sweeteners can damage gut health and cause long-term health issues. Nearly all low-sugar energy drinks use sweeteners to make the drink taste good. One of the safest sweeteners is stevia: a natural sweetener derived from leaves of the stevia plant.

Provides a sustained boost of energy, without crashes.

The best energy drinks can give you a strong boost of energy for several hours, without causing jitters or crashes. This can be achieved with moderate amounts of natural caffeine and other plant-based energy boosters such as panax ginseng or ginger root extract.

No taurine or glucuronolactone.

These substances have been found to increase the risk of cardiovascular problems if combined with caffeine. It’s better to stay away from these substances if you can.

Moderate to low amounts of caffeine.

Too much caffeine can create jitters and abrupt energy crashes. Anything between 50 and 100 grams is more than enough to give you a perceptible boost of energy, without causing unpleasant crashes. Ideally, the caffeine should come from natural sources (e.g., green coffee beans, black tea leaves)

Rich in vitamins and antioxidants.

Vitamins can not only improve your energy levels, but also boost your metabolism and immune system.

3 Healthier Alternatives To Celsius Energy Drinks

To help you find an energy drink that is just as effective as Celsius to give you an energy boost, but better for your health, our team of health specialists compiled a list of top 3 healthier alternatives to Celsius.

This list was carefully curated in partnership with certified nutritionists, and takes several factors into consideration, including: ingredients quality, health impact, taste, value for money, and verified customer reviews.

#1

Alpine Bliss Cognitive Energy Booster

Final Grade

9.5 /10

Energy Boost

9.5/10

Taste

9.7/10

Value for Money

9.0/10

Ingredient Quality

9.5/10

Scientific Evidence

9.2/10

PROS:

Provides a strong, sustained boost of energy without crashes
Improves mood and well-being thanks to a natural blend of cognitive booster
Low on calories and sugar
Optimal dose of caffeine
Contains a strong dose of vitamins and antioxidants
No ace-k, aspartame, or erythritol
No taurine not glucuronolactone
Great taste, according to users
Uses pure Alpine water with high-quality plant-based ingredients

CONS:

Expensive
Frequently out of stock due to limited production

THE BOTTOM LINE

Alpine Bliss is a premium, fast-growing Swiss brand of flavored sparkling water offering functional health benefits, using clinically studied ingredients. The Alpine Bliss Cognitive Energy Booster is a powerful, fruity energy drink that combines pure alpine water sourced from the European Alps with natural energy-boosting ingredients.

One of the standout features of this Alpine Bliss is its ability to provide a strong, sustained boost of energy for several hours, without causing unpleasant energy crashes often associated with traditional energy drinks. This is achieved through a unique blend of high-quality plant-based ingredients, including an optimal dose of 70 mg of caffeine from natural sources, L-tyrosine, panax ginseng, and high-purity ginger root extract.

Consumers report experiencing a powerful and clean boost of energy, comparable to that of regular energy drinks like Celsius, without jitters or crashes.

Aside from enhancing mental and physical energy, this formula is also known for creating a distinct feeling of well-being thanks to a proprietary blend of plant-based ingredients called DopaBliss™. This natural blend is specifically designed to boost cognitive levels – the “happy hormone” responsible for making us feel good and happy.

From a nutrition standpoint, the drink is also scoring pretty well. The formula contains zero added sugar, just 25 calories per can, and only 5 grams of natural sugar from wild berries. It doesn’t contain aspartame, ace-K or erythritol. It’s also free of taurine and glucuronolactone. The drink is also a rich source of vitamin B6 and B12 – two vitamins that promote a healthy metabolism.

Beyond its functional health benefits, the Alpine Bliss formula also performs well on taste, according to consumers. Users praise its fruity wild berries flavor and refreshing fine bubbles. It strikes a delicate balance of sweetness and freshness, and delivers an enjoyable drinking experience.

On the minus side, we note that the drink is quite expensive ($3.95 per can) – which can be explained by the “fancy” ingredients that it contains, including extracts of saffron and ginger roots (some of the most expensive spices in the world). We also note that the drink is frequently out of stock, because it’s produced in limited batches as of now.

Taking all of this into consideration puts Alpine Bliss Cognitive Energy booster in our #1 spot.

#2

Zevia Energy Drink

Final Grade

8.8 /10

Energy Boost

8.5/10

Taste

9.0/10

Value for Money

9.0/10

Ingredient Quality

8.5/10

Scientific Evidence

9.0/10

PROS:

Strong energy boost
Healthier option than mainstream energy drinks
No sugar, carbs, or fat
Sweetened with stevia leaf extract

CONS:

Caffeine content may be slightly too high for some people (120 mg). May cause jitters
Mixed reviews on the taste. Some find it overly sweet and chemical-tasting

THE BOTTOM LINE

Zevia Zero Calorie Energy Drink, with flavours including Raspberry Lime and Pineapple Coconut, is a good option for people looking for a healthier energy boost.

The drink contains no sugar, no carbs, no sodium, no fat, and it is suitable for a variety of diets including vegan, kosher, Paleo, and Keto. Sweetened with stevia leaf extract, this makes it an appropriate option for those who are on a diet but who still want to drink energy beverages for the energy kick they provide.

The primary source of energy is 120 milligrammes of caffeine per can, which comes from green tea leaves.

While this provides a large energy boost, moderation is essential due to the potential negative consequences of excessive caffeine consumption. We note that this dose of caffeine is slightly more than what is needed to provide a sustainable energy boost without side effects.

Such doses of caffeine may cause jitters and crashes for certain people who are sensitive to caffeine.

While most users appear to be satisfied with this drink, the taste of Zevia is not for everyone. The drink obtained mixed reviews on its taste, with some consumers finding it overly sweet and a bit too chemical in taste.

It does remain a strong option in the field of healthier, better-for-you energy drinks.

#3

Zoa Zero Sugar Energy Drink

Final Grade

8.2 /10

Energy Boost

8.5/10

Taste

7.8/10

Value for Money

8.2/10

Ingredient Quality

8.3/10

Scientific Evidence

8.1/10

PROS:

Strong boost of energy enabled by heavy dose of caffeine
May enhance mental energy and focus
Rich in vitamins
Zero added sugar
Good taste

CONS:

Dose of caffeine may be too high for some consumers (200 mg)
Excessive amount of sodium (200 mg per can)
Contains traces of artificial sweeteners, albeit in very low quantities

THE BOTTOM LINE

Zoa Zero Sugar Energy Drink provides a strong and energizing boost supported by a potent dose of natural caffeine. The high caffeine content delivers a noticeable surge of energy, which may help you stay alert and focused.

Thanks to the inclusion of vitamin B, Zoa Energy Drink may also enhance mental energy and focus, giving you an extra edge when you need it. Additionally, the presence of vitamin C in the drink may contribute to boosting immunity, supporting overall health and well-being.

Zoa Zero Sugar Energy Drink is also a zero added sugar formula. This makes it a healthier choice for those looking to limit their sugar intake while still enjoying an energy-boosting beverage (although it does contain some sweeteners which may be less healthy).

Users have reported that Zoa Energy Drink has a great taste, making it enjoyable to consume.

However, it’s important to note that Zoa Zero Sugar Energy Drink contains a relatively high amount of sodium, with 200 mg per can. This sodium content may be considered unjustified, as excessive sodium intake can have negative effects on health. It’s advisable to be mindful of your overall sodium intake and consider alternative options if you have specific dietary restrictions.