Energy drinks may seem like a healthier option than sodas.However, this is not necessarily true. Energy drinks and sodas contain very different ingredients, and they will give different effects and health risks. In the following article, we will see the detailed comparisons between an energy drink vs soda to help you understand which one that is better.
Continue reading below to learn more about:
– The caffeine content in energy drink vs soda,
– The other ingredients used in energy drinks and sodas,
– The positive effects of both drinks,
– The potential health issues caused by both drinks, and
– Which drink that is relatively better for health.
Caffeine
Most drinks that can help you stay awake usually contain caffeine. This is an ingredient that is already proven to be effective and generally safe. However, too much caffeine intake is bad for the body and may cause some side effects. Both energy drinks like Red Bull vs Monster and sodas often contain caffeine, but energy drinks typically contain much higher caffeine than sodas.
An average energy drink contains about 80 mg caffeine per 8-oz can. This is a high amount of caffeine, so the energy drink can easily help you stay awake and focused throughout the day. On the other hand, the average amount of caffeine in sodas is between 20 – 72 mg per serving. Of course, there are also non-caffeine sodas that you can purchase in the market.
Although caffeine can give beneficial effects, keep in mind that excessive caffeine consumption may cause adverse side effects, such as insomnia, headaches, high blood pressure, anxiety, trembling, and rapid heart rate. The recommended maximum caffeine intake is 400 mg per day, but different people have different toleration limits; some people are particularly susceptible to the side effects of caffeine.
Sugar
Both energy drinks and sodas contain high amounts of sugar. When you need a quick energy boost, consuming some sugar is good. However, the energy boost from sugar will only last for a few hours. Afterwards, you will experience a ‘crash’ as your sugar level drops.
Occasional consumption of energy drinks and sodas is not really dangerous. However, frequent or excessive consumption is very bad for your health. The high sugar content may cause various health problems such as weight gain, obesity, and diabetes.
Other Ingredients
Energy drinks don’t only contain caffeine. They are often formulated with many other ingredients, such as taurine, sugar, guarana, ginseng, vitamins, and minerals. Vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, B6, and B12 are very common, as these vitamins can improve your metabolism and energy. Taurine, guarana, and ginseng have stimulating effects that further boost your energy and endurance.
However, energy drinks also hold significantly more health risks. To begin with, the various ingredients will make your digestive system work harder in filtering the waste elements and excessive substances. The stimulating ingredients like ginseng and guaranamay cause high blood pressure, headaches, anxiety, nervous problems, and kidney problems. According to Time, a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association has shown that energy drinks have significantly longer effects on the heart and blood pressure than caffeine alone.
On the other hand, sodas are not really healthy either. Most sodas only contain sugar, water, and gas. However, since they don’t contain risky stimulating ingredients, they also have relatively lower health risks.
Energy Drink vs Soda
| Energy Drink | Soda |
|---|---|
| - Higher caffeine content | - Lower caffeine content, there are non-caffeine soda drinks as well |
| - Contains other stimulating ingredients like taurine, guarana, ginseng | - Don’t contain other stimulating ingredients |
| - Enriched with vitamins and minerals | - Usually don’t come with additional vitamins and minerals |
| - Higher health risks | - Relatively lower health risks |
Conclusion
In general, soda is more recommended because it does not contain risky ingredients. Soda drinks may contain caffeine, but there are non-caffeine variants available. These drinks don’t use taurine, guarana, or ginseng, which have potential side effects. However, you should only consume soda drinks in moderation, as excessive drinking may cause weight gain, obesity, and diabetes.