In a rush every day with managing work or studies, keeping up with a social life, and catching barely enough sleep, we are all guilty of relying on caffeine to get us through the day. When in need of an energy boost, the debate of coffee or energy drink comes to the forefront. Which is a healthier option?
Although energy drinks in moderate amounts are not all bad for your health, coffee is the better choice. Coffee has more potential health benefits and much fewer additives and sugar to it. While energy drinks have a considerable amount of sugar and other potentially harmful ingredients.
Read on as we compare the two popular energy boosters to see which one gives the most energy and is better for your health.
The Amount Of Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant that raises our brain activity. This is what gives you the energy boost after drinking a cup of coffee or your favorite energy drink.
While caffeine might provide you with the energy and focus you need for study, too much of it can alter your sleep habits and induce confusion. It is advised that a healthy adult take no more than 400 mg of caffeine each day.
How Much Caffeine Is In A Coffee Cup?
This is highly dependent on the size of the coffee. A grande cup of Starbucks coffee has about 225 mg of caffeine. The grande cup, on the other hand, is significantly larger than a conventional cup of coffee.
In fact, you’d need to consume four regular-sized cups of coffee to reach the daily limit which is 400 mg of caffeine each day.
How Much Caffeine Is In A Can Of Energy Drink?
The total amount of caffeine would vary depending on the brand of energy drink you consume. Both Red Bull and Monster energy drinks contain roughly 80 mg of caffeine per regular-sized can. This has shown that coffee contains more caffeine and provides a stronger caffeine spike.
For keeping you awake till late, coffee is a better choice. The caffeine concentration of coffee is higher than that of energy drinks. Furthermore, the extra sugar in energy drinks increases the likelihood of sugar crashes, potentially reversing the initial stimulation.
But before deciding which beverage is better for you, there are a few more considerations to consider.
The Amount Of Sugar Matters
Sugar is a carbohydrate found naturally in a variety of meals. Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy in the body. Sugar is also added to many foods, which can cause a person’s blood sugar levels to become excessively high.
How Much Sugar Is In A Cup Of Coffee?
On its own, coffee is sugar-free. If you drink a simple black coffee there would be no sugar in it, granted, if you want to add a few tablespoons of sugar and milk or creamer to smooth out the flavor, having more control over the proportions of each is preferable.
With coffee you have more control over sugar consumption as coffee on its own is sugar-free. You may or may not add sugar the according to your preference.
How Much Sugar Is In A Can Of Energy Drink?
Energy drinks are infamous for having a lot of sugar in them. A single 16oz can of top brands contains up to 80 g of sugar. A can of Red Bull has 26 g of sugar, whereas a large can of Monster has 54 g. This equates to 14 teaspoons of sugar, which is more than the recommended daily allowance.
While sugar has some advantages, too much of it can cause a sugar crash, in which you become weary when the sugar’s influence wears off.
Keep in mind that sugar-free energy drinks could potentially be harmful. Though artificial sweeteners such as aspartame help to control sugar intake, they can also become addictive and aggravate sugar cravings.
The Number Of Calories
A regular size cup of coffee contains very few calories (around 5 calories on average) but that is if you add no milk or sugar to it.
A can of energy drink, on the other hand, contains approximately 110 calories. While this may appear to be a victory for energy drinks, it is not.
This is due to the fact that it is more necessary to receive your calories from healthy foods rather than harmful foods. It is also critical to avoid consuming too many calories per day, as this might lead to health problems.
As a result, it is preferable to consume coffee and acquire your calories from other forms of healthy food.
Nutrition Values for Energy drink and Coffee
Both are energy-boosting beverages so there are certain things that are the same in them. For example, both are a source of caffeine and raise energy levels when you are tired. Energy drinks do provide added vitamins that coffee does not like it can have Vitamin B12 and Vitavim B6.
However, energy drink is also heavy on sugar which is not the case with coffee. With coffee, you can have it without sugar or add a controlled amount to your cup. While energy drinks can boost focus and energy, coffee is shown to have multiple health benefits as it has antioxidants.
Side Effects Of Coffee
While it is beneficial in more than one way, there are certain side effects of having a coffee habit.
It Can Cause Agitation And Restlessness
Coffee, as it contains caffeine can cause insomnia, agitation and restlessness, increased heart and breathing rate, and other negative effects. Excessive coffee consumption may also result in headaches, anxiety, agitation, ringing in the ears, and irregular heartbeats.
It Can Cause Heart Problems
According to certain studies, coffee may be damaging to the heart by increasing the levels of specific cholesterol in the blood. Drinking unfiltered coffee can raise total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglyceride levels in the blood. This may raise the likelihood of acquiring heart disease. Using coffee filters can assist to minimize these risks.
It Has the Potential to Cause Stomach Problems
Coffee includes chemicals that cause your stomach to create excessive amounts of acid. It boosts the hormone gastrin, which boosts the formation of stomach acid. Caffeine has been proven in studies to make the colon 60% more active than water and 23% more active than decaf coffee.
It can potentially disturb digestion, causing various symptoms including stomachache, gas, heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
If you consume too much coffee, you may experience gastrointestinal issues such as heartburn, ulcers, and gastroesophageal reflux disease, which can lead to esophageal cancer.
Side Effects Of Energy Drinks
Energy drinks have a number of side effects on the body, which include;
It Can Cause Heart Problems
Like coffee, energy drinks too can affect heart health. It adversely affects blood pressure and heart rate and can lead to hypertension. Excess consumption has been related to irregular heart rhythms, heart attacks, and even death in younger people.
A healthy adult person might be less likely to get heart problems through a limited amount of energy drinks, but it is particularly dangerous for individuals that already have hypertension or any other heart conditions as it could worsen heart health and can be life-threatening to such individuals as well.
It Can Cause Dental Problems
Energy drinks are high in sugar, which may have an impact on your tooth health. Sugar in these beverages can erode teeth, exposing them to cavities, hypersensitivity, and even loss of teeth.
Acidity in these drinks leads to decay of enamel as well, which is the outer hard coating of the teeth.
It Adversely Affects Kidney Health
Many people who consume energy drinks are unaware that they can cause kidney stones and other kidney problems. A study published in Frontiers in Public Health linked energy supplements to major health issues.
According to the researchers of this study, the risks are multiplied by young adults’ propensity of mixing energy drinks with alcohol, which can lead to dehydration and alcohol poisoning.
It Can Be Bad For Your Mental Health
Energy drinks can cause stress, anxiety, risky behavior, panic attacks, and aggression. According to a Mayo Clinic study, it can increase the production of the stress hormone. Researchers discovered a 74% increase in norepinephrine levels in subjects who drank energy drinks.
A placebo resulted in an increase of only 31%. It can also result in addiction. People who consume an excessive amount of these drinks or who are habitual drinkers may experience withdrawal symptoms such as anxiousness and tremors if they do not get their daily fix.
It Can Increase The Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
Energy drinks have a lot of sugar in them. It can disrupt blood sugar levels really quickly. Energy drinks have been shown in studies to raise the likelihood of acquiring type 2 diabetes in both men and women, as well as disrupt their normal blood sugar range.
Furthermore, for people who already suffer from diabetes, these can derail your diabetes control plan and disturb blood sugar levels.
Regular Consumption Of Energy Drinks Can Lead to Addiction
Caffeine addiction is another adverse effect of energy drinks. You may feel compelled to consume a bottle of energy drinks prior to your exercise or gym session. This will lessen your ability to function without the drinks over time.
Withdrawal symptoms you may experience with an energy drink addiction include headaches, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and a depressed mood. Often, these withdrawal symptoms are related to quitting caffeine, and they may last 2–9 days.
Which Is Better?
Coffee appears to be a healthier option because it includes less sugar and natural vitamins. The sole advantage that energy drinks have over coffee is that they are easier to drink on the run. Aside from that, coffee takes first place in every other category. This indicates that coffee has won!
This is not to say you should never consume an energy drink, but you should probably avoid taking an unhealthy amount. The same is true for coffee, which can have detrimental side effects if consumed in excess.
Conclusion
Although energy drinks are not that bad if you take them in a limited amount, when it comes to the healthier option, coffee is the better choice. The potential health benefits of coffee outweigh the kick you get from a can of energy drink.
Furthermore, the fact that you can control the number of sugars and additives that you add to coffee which you cannot when you get an energy drink, totally makes coffee a healthier choice.
