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 BOMB330 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.
5/10Taste: Powerful cherry sweets flavour.
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
