The Unhealthiest Energy Drinks You Can Find At The Grocery Store

Energy drinks can be a godsend. Whether you're coming off of a night shift and still have to take the kids to school or are fighting through the second half of a cross-country road trip, that boost of caffeine can make all the difference. Americans drink about 29 liters of energy drinks per capita each year (per Statista), which equates to about 129 cups. These drinks help people focus, restore energy, and even give athletes a competitive edge, but they also come with a host of health risks. For one thing, energy drinks often contain a lot of added sugar as a stimulant in addition to caffeine. Consuming too much sugar can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many other health conditions. Because added sugar causes a quick spike in energy followed by a crash, it isn't an ideal ingredient when you're trying to maintain energy, either. Caffeine also carries risks. Too much of it can lead to anxiety, insomnia, headaches, nausea, and a low mood, all of which are heightened when you have energy drinks every day. According to the FDA, healthy adults should consume no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day, equivalent to about four or five cups of coffee. 

When it comes to nutrition, not all energy drinks are created equal, so we've rounded up some of the most unhealthy ones so you know what you're buying the next time you're looking for a source of caffeine. We'll explain more about how we made our picks at the end, but for now, here are the energy drinks you might want to avoid. 

Monster Energy may have fared well in our roundup of popular energy drink brands ranked worst to best, but it does significantly less well from a nutritional standpoint. Each 16-ounce can of Monster Original contains only 160 milligrams of caffeine, which is a little less than you'd get from two cups of coffee. When it comes to the sugar content, however, Monster Original isn't toying with moderation. One can provides a whopping 54 grams, which is more than 13 teaspoons. Imagine pouring 13 teaspoons' full of sugar into a cup of coffee and it will give you an idea of how sweet this drink is.

Health experts make a distinction between added sugars and naturally occurring sugars. Many foods, like fresh fruit, have lots of sugar in them, but because it also comes with a big dose of fiber, your body is able to absorb it slowly. When you're drinking an energy drink, however, the sugar is dumped straight into your system and converted into calories. The American Heart Association advises adult men to only consume 36 grams of added sugar per day and women to consume only 25 grams. A single can of Monster Original is more than two days' worth of added sugar for women and significantly higher than one days' worth for men.

To its credit, NOS Original is not trying to out-caffeinate the competition. At 160 milligrams per 16-ounce can, it's on par with Monster Energy, which is America's second most popular energy drink brand. Where it outdoes even Monster, however, is in its sugar content. Not only does a can of NOS Original contain 51 grams of sugar, but that sugar comes in the form of high-fructose corn syrup.

Made by breaking down cornstarch into a syrup made of glucose and fructose, high-fructose corn syrup was all the rage in the latter half of the 20th century. By the early 2000s, Americans were consuming about 64 pounds of it per capita each year, just a couple pounds less than sugar (via Mother Jones). Manufacturers love it because of its affordability compared to sugar and the fact that it is slightly sweeter. It would be a winning ingredient for everyone, if it wasn't for all the health risks it poses. Fructose is processed by the liver, where it kickstarts the production of unhealthy cholesterol. Not only can it cause liver disease, but it can also erode your intestinal lining, leading to inflammation and type 2 diabetes. Regular table sugar is no saint when it comes to health, but high-fructose corn syrup has become such a marketing liability that many brands have rushed to advertise their use of "real sugar" over the high-fructose alternative.

Celsius is the third highest-selling energy drink brand in the U.S. behind Red Bull and Monster, and it markets itself as an athletic performance booster. It leans into the familiar wellness checklist of being sugar-free, high-fructose corn syrup-free, aspartame-free, gluten-free, and free from artificial colors and flavors. It also emphasizes its use of vitamins and natural ingredients such as ginger, guarana, and green tea. All of this sounds pretty promising, but it doesn't address the sugar substitute in Celsius drinks that some may find unappealing.

The sweetener in Celsius is sucralose, otherwise known by its brand name Splenda. Approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1998, it is about 600 times sweeter than sugar and doesn't have a metallic or bitter aftertaste the way some artificial sweeteners do. The FDA still considers it safe and points to the fact that it has conducted more than 110 studies to rule out possible side effects. However, other studies have led some scientists to reach different conclusions. For example, a 2013 study found that sucralose can alter blood sugar levels and weaken insulin sensitivity. Another study conducted on rats found that long-term consumption of sucralose can harm the gut microbiome and lead to inflammation, which in turn can lead to health issues such as diabetes. Neither of these findings are alarming enough to make the FDA ban sucralose, but they demonstrate that replacing table sugar with an artificial sweetener isn't as perfect a solution as it might appear.

Take one look at a fridge full of energy drinks and you'll notice a theme with the branding. Words evoking explosivity and intensity are practically a requirement, but they don't necessarily correlate to the amount of energy they provide. Bang delivers on its name. Despite having zero sugar, one 16-ounce can contains 300 milligrams of caffeine, almost double the amount found in Monster Original and Rockstar Original. While it's true that this is less than the 400 milligrams that the FDA deems a safe daily amount, it is still a lot of caffeine. Unless you're accustomed to drinking three or four cups of coffee in a row, your body might not be prepared for drinking an entire can of Bang as quickly as you'd down a can of Coca-Cola.

Even for those who are not particularly sensitive to caffeine, too much can cause a range of side effects, including jitters, a racing heartbeat, headache, nausea, and anxiety. 300 milligrams might be below the recommended limit, but it's worth noting that if you're also drinking coffee at some point in the day, you may well tip over the 400 milligram mark without realizing it — at least until you try to fall asleep. It also contains sucralose, which some consumers avoid due to health concerns.

Full Throttle isn't messing around with its branding. Featuring a bald eagle, a few bolts of lightning, and an American flag, it projects a kind of high-octane manliness that many energy drink fans are looking for. With a modest 160 milligrams of caffeine, it relies on another ingredient to boost the energy — high-fructose corn syrup. This once-ubiquitous sweetener has fallen out of favor in recent years due to health concerns including fatty liver disease, leaky gut, and type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, both Full Throttle flavors, Original Citrus and True Blue, have artificial colorings. The former contains Yellow 5 and the latter contains Blue 1 and Red 40. For decades, consumers have been wary of what food dye is really made of, whether it's vegans worried about the use of cochineal beetles in Starbucks Frappuccinos or the potential toxicity of synthetic options. Because of this, some manufacturers have removed synthetic dyes from their products altogether. For example, Aldi brands don't use a controversial red dye that scientists have raised concerns about.

A study in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health found that Red 40 and Yellow 5 were contaminated with carcinogens, while a study in Advances in Nutrition posed concerns about Blue 1 and the potential alterations it causes in chromosomes. Further reports have concluded that synthetic dyes cause behavioral issues in children, which eventually lead California lawmakers to attempt a ban on multiple dyes, including Red 40, in school cafeterias.

Rockstar Energy has gone out of its way to diversify its product offerings while other energy drink brands rely on one or two signature beverages. From its Juiced line that contains 8% fruit juice to a stripped-back organic option containing only six ingredients, the brand has shown an interest in capturing the attention of the health-conscious consumer. When it comes to its Original product, however, the nutrition label will raise alarm bells for anyone accustomed to its natural, low-sugar options.

One 16-ounce can of Rockstar Original contains a staggering 63 grams of sugar. That's almost 16 teaspoons and nearly twice as much added sugar as the American Heart Association recommends adult men consume in a day. It might give you a much-needed spike of energy, but the crash could be just as steep. If you love Rockstar Energy, you might want to consider its other products. Aside from the Juiced and organic options, the brand has several sugar-free beverages, including the Focus line which contains 200 milligrams of caffeine, more than the Original's 160 milligrams. Artificial sweeteners come with their own health risks, but if you're deciding between 63 grams of sugar and sucralose, the latter is probably better.

"Wired" isn't the most desirable mental state. It implies a kind of feverish energy that probably isn't conducive to being focused or productive, but at least Wired X344 is honest about its effect on consumers. Made with 344 milligrams of caffeine, it will definitely leave you feeling, well, wired. It's true that 344 milligrams is less than the 350 milligrams found in Spike Hardcore Energy, but caffeine isn't the only source of energy in this beverage. While Spike is sugar-free, Wired is packed with 51 grams of sugar, largely through high-fructose corn syrup. That's almost 13 teaspoons, and well over the recommended daily limit.

Wired also contains Red 40, a food coloring found in a wide range of processed foods and beverages. In 2021, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) in California published a report asserting that synthetic dyes including Red 40 cause behavioral problems in children, pointing out that the European Union requires warning labels to that effect on all foods and beverages containing the dyes.

If there's one thing you can say about Spike Hardcore Energy, it's that it lives up to its name. It will, indeed, spike your energy in a way that will almost certainly feel hardcore. And given the brand's claim that you won't experience the usual crash afterward, you might feel hardcore for a while. There is no secret formula for how this drink delivers on its branding — it's the caffeine. To be specific, each 16-ounce can of Spike Hardcore contains a whopping 350 milligrams of caffeine, just 50 milligrams shy of the 400 milligrams the FDA considers the healthy daily limit. If you've already had a cup of morning coffee, a can of Spike will take you over that threshold and increase your likelihood of jitters, fast heart rate, anxiety, and insomnia.

One of the most common marketing moves that energy drink brands employ is to pack their products with vitamins to make them stand out from the competition. Spike Hardcore out-hardcores its competitors here, too, providing 41,670% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin B12. If a person was dangerously deficient in B12, this might help, though a medical professional would likely prescribe a different source of the vitamin. However, if you aren't deficient, that off-the-charts dose won't help you. B12 is water-soluble, meaning that the body absorbs what it needs and excretes the rest through urine.

MTN Dew may be famous for its eponymous yellow soft drink, but the brand has diversified over the years to include a raft of other beverages. One of its offerings is MTN Dew AMP, a straightforward foray into the energy drink sector that, at 142 milligrams of caffeine per 16-ounce can, falls on the more moderate end of the spectrum. Where it loses all claim to moderation, however, is in its sugar content. Each serving contains 58 grams via high-fructose corn syrup, well over the recommended daily limit of added sugars. AMP also contains one of the artificial food dyes that the OEHHA in California condemned in its report.

If you love MTN Dew but aren't crazy about the 58 grams of sugar, you might turn to the brand's other energy drink, Kickstart. With 19 grams of sugar per 16-ounce can, it has a lot less high-fructose corn syrup (though 19 grams is still pretty high). Take a swig of Kickstart, however, and you'll find that it is just as sickly sweet. Instead of solely relying on corn syrup, Kickstart contains sucralose, which may negatively affect the gut microbiome and weaken insulin sensitivity. It also contains other artificial dyes and, at 80 milligrams of caffeine, won't give you the boost that other options will.

VPX Redline Xtreme is so extreme that its packaging is covered in warnings to only drink half the bottle. There's even a gauge showing exactly how much liquid constitutes one serving. All of this might be hyperbolic if it wasn't for the fact that Redline Xtreme is the energy drink with the highest amount of caffeine on the U.S. market. Each bottle contains a measly eight ounces, half of what a standard can of Monster or Celsius has. In that eight ounces, however, are 316 milligrams of caffeine, almost as much as the 344 milligrams found in an entire 16-ounce can of Wired X344.

The packaging makes it abundantly clear that you are only supposed to drink half a bottle, but as anyone who has opened a bag of potato chips knows, prescribed serving sizes rarely correspond to the amount you'll end up having. This is particularly relevant with beverages. Cracking open an energy drink and saving half of it for the next day just doesn't seem all that plausible. If you pick up a bottle of Redline Xtreme, you may well end up drinking all of it in one go, no matter what the packaging says. To avoid the many side effects of consuming too much caffeine, skip Redline Xtreme for a less extreme option. 

Redline Xtreme might have the most caffeine ounce-for-ounce than any other energy drink, but HYDE Xtreme outstrips it in total amount of caffeine per container. Chug a 12-ounce bottle of HYDE and you'll be pumped up with 400 milligrams (yep, 400) of caffeine, the FDA's recommended daily maximum. That's the equivalent of about four or five cups of coffee in one small bottle. HYDE makes other energy drinks look like watered down green tea. Even if you drank a bottle of HYDE over the course of an entire day, you'd still probably feel jittery, anxious, and sleepless, but drinking it within an hour or two may lead to unpleasant side effects such as a headache, nausea, and a racing heart rate.

Strangely, HYDE Xtreme doesn't have the same warning labels emblazoned on its packaging that Redline Xtreme does. Instead of insisting that people only drink half the bottle, it states that one serving is the whole 12 ounces. In fact, you have to read the front of the bottle fairly carefully to find the caffeine content at all.

In addition to the astronomical amount of caffeine, HYDE uses sucralose instead of sugar. There are many scary health risks posed by artificial sweeteners, but one that often gets overlooked is that artificial sweeteners can make us crave sweet foods more than ever, even those that are full of sugar. Cutting back on sweet foods and beverages altogether is the best way to cut back on sugar.

Reign markets itself as the ultimate workout drink. With a textured black can and "total body fuel" as a tagline, the product screams biohacking-chic. It also comes in a wide range of evocatively named flavors including Sour Gummy Worm, Melon Mania, and Reignbow Sherbet. With 300 milligrams of caffeine, it's on the higher end of the spectrum compared with other energy drinks, but if your caffeine tolerance is high and you aren't planning to drink coffee, it might not cause any issues.

On its own, the caffeine content probably wouldn't put Reign on the list of least healthy energy drinks, but when combined with its use of sucralose, it sneaks into the mix. When you consume artificial sweeteners every day, your tolerance for extremely sweet food and beverages can increase, causing you to, ironically, consume more sugar. In addition to the general risks posed by artificial sweeteners, sucralose poses its own set of concerns. It may upset the good bacteria in your gut that aid digestion and strengthen the immune system, and it might even inhibit insulin sensitivity. Although sucralose doesn't lead to the same well-documented health conditions that sugar and high-fructose corn syrup do, it's worth avoiding where possible.

To ascertain which energy drinks are the most unhealthy, we started with nutrition labels, looking specifically at sugar content, types of sweeteners, caffeine content, and additives. To determine relative nutrition, we relied upon recent scientific studies published in reputable journals, as well as government guidelines and reports. We also limited our scope to drinks that are widely available in the U.S. rather than those from different countries that may be subject to different regulations.