The Truth about Celsius Energy Drink

Celsius has stormed onto the energy drink scene. Claiming to be a healthy and cleaner energy drink for their consumers. Celsius is technically sugar free but, contains an artificial sweetener called sucralose. Celsius also contains caffeine which is known for its energy boosting properties. Caffeine can be dangerous which consume in large amounts in the diet. The overconsumption of caffeine has been linked to many negative symptoms to the human body, one of which is an increase in heart rate to dangerous levels.

One of the main ingredients Celsius markets is caffeine. Caffeine is consumed by millions of people every day. It is a very common substance that is found in many energy drinks, diet aids and even alcoholic beverages. Caffeine that is found in beverages gets absorbed quickly in the gut as it dissolves into the body’s water and lipid molecules. Caffeine can be absorbed in your body within forty five minutes after consuming. There can be peaks in the blood ranging from fifteen minutes to two hours after your first consumed caffeine (Caffeine, 2022). What you consume before caffeine can affect how quickly you feel the effects of caffeine. With this in mind, if you drink a cup of coffee on an empty stomach rather than after a meal, you might feel an energy kick quicker after consumption.

The Dark Side of Caffeine

Many athletes use caffeine as it has an ergogenic effect. “According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, adults who choose to include caffeinated beverages in the form of coffee should not consume more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day” (Caffeine and Exercise, 2022). High doses of caffeine can be very dangerous and can cause many different symptoms. Some symptoms of over-consuming caffeine can include, insomnia, jitters, anxiousness, headache, and fast heart rate (Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?, 2022). Celsius has 200 milligrams of caffeine in each can, meaning that is under the recommended daily limit but, still an extremely high amount of caffeine. Caffeine paired with exercise can increase the heart rate to dangerous rates. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has even banned a certain amount of caffeine in a player’s system prior to their competition.

Artificial Sweetener: Sucralose

Celsius is a sugar free energy drink that contains an artificial sweetener in order to make the drink taste better. That artificial sweetener is called sucralose. Sucralose is a zero-calorie artificial sweetener that is around 600 times sweeter than sucrose. It is found in many products today as companies can keep the product sweet while lower the calories and the sugar. Sucralose has been linked to weight gain by its qualities that alter the intestinal microbiota, satiety hormone production or aspects related to glucose homeostasis (Effects of long-term consumption of sucralose associated with high-fat diet in male mice, 2021).

Overall, is it advised to avoid the use of Celsius energy drink as the negative effects seem to outweigh the an positive. Celsius contains a high dose of caffeine in just one can of their drink. Higher doses of caffeine has been shown some negative effects including insomnia, jitters, anxiousness, headache, and fast heart rate. The use of high dose caffeinated beverages paired with exercise can lead to a dangerously high heart rate. Celsius energy drink also contains the non-nutritive sweetener called sucralose. Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that is used to keep the product sweet while keeping the calories low. The consumption of sucralose can ultimately lead to overall weight gain in the body.

Sources:

The Nutrition Source. 2022. Caffeine. [online] Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/caffeine/.

Eatright.org. 2022. Caffeine and Exercise. [online] Available at: <https://www.eatright.org/fitness/sports-and-performance/fueling-your-workout/caffeine-and-exercise.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2022. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?. [online] Available at: <https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much.

Santos, P. S., Ruy, C. C., Rabelo Paiva Caria, C., & Gambero, A. 2021. Effects of long-term consumption of sucralose associated with high-fat diet in male mice. [online] Available at: <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34486007/#:~:text=Sucralose%20is%20a%20widely%20consumed,aspects%20related%20to%20glucose%20homeostasis.