The 'healthy' energy drinks that give your body and brain a boost
The ‘healthy’ energy drinks that really give your body and brain a boost: Expert assesses selection of sugar-free beverages and gives each one a wellness rating
Designed to help us focus and concentrate better, to exercise harder for longer — or simply power through a busy day, energy drinks have become a popular choice: in the UK we drink £1.2 billion worth of them every year.
Energy drinks have a reputation for being packed with sugar and harmful additives, but there are now a number of ‘healthier’ versions, typically sugar free, and often laced with ‘good’ ingredients including vitamins and even beneficial bacteria. But are they really any better — and will they provide the energy boost you’re seeking?
Mandy Francis asked Sophie Medlin, chair of the British Dietetic Association for London and founder of CityDietitians to assess a selection, which we then rated.
GRENADE CHERRY BOMB
330 ml, £1.99, grenade.com
GRENADE CHERRY BOMB
Claim: ‘Sugar free, with BCAAs [branched-chain amino acids], electrolytes and vitamins’ and as much caffeine as two espressos — ‘to provide longer-sustained energy throughout the day’.
Expert verdict: Just like most regular energy drinks, the main energy ‘boosting’ ingredient here is caffeine. There’s 155mg in a can, about the same as a double espresso, coming from coffee beans, green tea and guarana (a Brazilian plant, its seeds contain stimulants similar to caffeine).
The electrolytes (electrically charged minerals) here can be useful to replace salts lost in sweat during exercise.
There is evidence BCAAs — nutrients that support muscle metabolism — can reduce fatigue, but there is just a small amount in this product.
It is also sugar free, but the high caffeine content (155 mg, is more than a third of the recommended daily limit) means it’s best avoided if you have blood pressure problems, anxiety, or stomach or bladder issues.
You will get 100 per cent of your daily vitamin B requirement from one can but if you drink more than one or are taking supplements, bear in mind that excessive B vitamins can lead to nausea and bowel trouble.
5/10
Taste: Powerful cherry sweets flavour.
BENEFIT ENERGY WATER
BENEFIT ENERGY WATER
Four 250 ml cans, £5, thebenefitbrand.com
Claim: ‘No sugar, zero caffeine,’ and B vitamins, magnesium and iodine, to ‘aid cognitive and brain function’ and ‘give an energy boost’.
Expert verdict: As well as having no added sugar and being low in calories, this sparkling water provides 15 per cent of your recommended daily magnesium intake (for healthy blood pressure) in a can, B vitamins (for normal brain function) and iodine, a mineral needed for healthy thyroid function and fighting fatigue, which many lack.
But this doesn’t contain caffeine, sugar or sweeteners, so is unlikely to offer an immediate energy boost — any instant effects are likely to be from the hydration that it provides.
7/10
Taste: Very subtle mango and coconut flavour.
KOMBUCHA KAT ENERGY
KOMBUCHA KAT ENERGY
250 ml, £1.99, ocado.com
Claim: ‘Billions of beneficial bacteria and as much natural caffeine as a shot of good coffee.’
Expert verdict: Kombucha, which is fermented sweetened tea, is rich in gut-friendly, or ‘probiotic’, bacteria. These are good for general health and energy levels, but there’s little research to show how beneficial kombucha is. One ‘dose’ of probiotics from a can like this will not give you an immediate energy boost.
The caffeine kick from the green tea (which also contains protective antioxidants) and guarana is about the same as from a cup of coffee, but there’s two teaspoons of sugar in a can, which will also provide an energy boost but represents over a third of your daily limit.
3/10
Taste: Lightly carbonated with a vinegary tang.
WELLWOMAN VITAMIN DRINK
WELLWOMAN VITAMIN DRINK
250 ml, £1.45, hollandandbarrett.com
Claim: ‘With vitamins B6 and B12 which contribute to the reduction of tiredness. Fewer than 15 calories per can.’
Expert verdict: The guarana and green tea extracts in this still drink provide only 2.8 mg caffeine per can but, in combination with anthocyanin — a plant extract which has been shown to have a beneficial effect on mental performance — they may give an energy boost.
It is sweetened with sucralose, an artificial sweetener that has no calories, and contains some fruit juice.
The B vitamins in this, plus 18 per cent of your daily iron needs and 25 per cent of your daily zinc, are unnecessary because they won’t give an immediate energy boost.
As with other drinks here, you need to be careful to avoid overdoing supplementary vitamins with minerals if you are drinking this regularly and taking multivitamins, too.
8/10
Taste: Slightly medicinal berry flavour.
TENZING ORIGINAL
TENZING ORIGINAL
250 ml, £1.30, tesco.com
Claim: ‘Natural energy from plants, vitamin C, hydrating electrolytes from rock salt, 48 calories per can.’
Expert verdict: The added vitamin C contained in each can (about 20 per cent of your recommended daily intake) may benefit those who struggle to get their five-a-day.
Adding a little sugar and salt to a drink, as here, can help to relieve dehydration and thirst quickly.
The 80 mg caffeine is about the same amount you’d get in a cup of strong instant coffee — that, and the beet sugar that has been used, will provide an energy boost.
However, the amount of sugar is quite high. The beet sugar is chemically identical to table sugar: you’ll get over a third of the daily limit in a can which is bad for teeth and may aid weight gain.
5/10
Taste: Refreshing with green tea notes.
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