Is CELSIUS® Healthy (Nutrition Pros and Cons)?
In this blog post, I’ll review whether CELSIUS® is healthy or not? Find out this product’s nutrition pros and cons, plus some better options to consider. Celsius drinks are highly processed products containing potentially harmful ingredients like non-nutritive sweeteners and high levels of caffeine.
CELSIUS® Facts
CELSIUS® drinks are a product of Celsius Holdings, Inc., a global drinks company launched in 2004.
The company aims to provide clinically proven, functional energy drinks with significant health benefits, claiming that they can boost metabolism and burn body fat when combined with exercise.
CELSIUS® is its flagship product targeted at active people who want an extra boost throughout the day. Marketed as a healthy energy drink, CELSIUS® is available in several sparkling and non-sparkling flavors and powder packets that can be dissolved in water.
CELSIUS® drinks are free from soy, gluten, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, aspartame, and artificial colors. They are vegan and kosher.
The ingredients according to the Celsius website include caffeine, taurine, green tea extract, guarana seed extract, glucuronolactone, chromium, and ginger root extract. Each CELSIUS® drink has around ten calories and 0g of carbohydrates.
Red Bull would be considered a competitor to Celsius.
Celsius Ingredients
Let’s explore the ingredients in these drinks and what they may mean for your health. Note that ingredients may vary based on the flavor.
Green tea extract
Green tea is known for its incredible health benefits. It’s an excellent source of antioxidants, alleviates anxiety, protects against cognitive decline, supports bone health, and more. Research has also shown that green tea has anticarcinogenic effects.
According to the company, the green tea extract used in CELSIUS® drinks contains a specific ratio of EGCG – the compound believed to boost metabolism, burn calories, and provide an antioxidant boost.
Despite these potential health benefits, it’s important to note that consuming too much green tea extract can be toxic, and it is a source of caffeine, which is a stimulant.
Caffeine
The caffeine contained in CELSIUS® drinks is derived from green tea and guarana seed extract.
Unlike the guarana contained in most manufactured products, the guarana in these drinks is extracted from the seeds instead of the roots. The seeds contain more than double the amount of caffeine than coffee.
According to research, guarana and other caffeine sources have various health properties, including cognitive benefits. The potential side effects are from the caffeine content in it.
Even though caffeine is natural, whether from green tea, coffee, or guarana, it is still a stimulant, and you should use it in moderation. For adults, it’s probably best to consume less than 400 mg of caffeine daily. Caffeine is not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Since CELSIUS® drinks contain up to 300mg of caffeine per drink, it’s best to read the label to see how much caffeine that particular flavor has.
If you choose to use this product, keep this information in mind, as well as the amount of caffeine in other products you’re having on that particular day, to determine how much of this product is safe for you to have.
Remember that too much caffeine intake can have adverse reactions to the nervous system even in healthy adults. Be especially cautious if you have health conditions such as irregular heart rate or caffeine sensitivity.
B vitamins
B vitamins are essential for energy, cell health, and metabolism. They also help with fatigue and help your body to process nutrients to release energy.
However, if you are not deficient in these vitamins, there’s no reason to supplement your diet with foods that contain added B vitamins.
Another point to consider is that some people are sensitive to B vitamins, and too much of them can cause side effects like gastric problems.
Non-nutritive sweeteners
Although CELSIUS® drinks don’t contain the controversial sweetener aspartame, they are sweetened with sucralose, erythritol, or stevia. The FDA considers these natural and artificial sweeteners as being relatively safe for consumption, but there are adverse side effects and health considerations you should consider.
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol and a by-product of corn or wheat starch fermentation. Many people are sensitive to sugar alcohols and experience digestive problems like cramps, bloating, diarrhea, and nausea when they consume erythritol and other sugar alcohols, even in small quantities.
Sucralose is highly processed and chlorinated; the human body can’t metabolize it. Over time, this synthetic sweetener can be harmful to your health. It can change your gut’s microbiome, increase inflammation, contribute to obesity, and even become toxic.
Stevia is a controversial “health food” that may not be healthy. It can cause digestive problems in people sensitive to sugar alcohols and may adversely affect your gut microbiome, even in moderation.
Taurine
Taurine naturally occurs in meat, fish, and eggs. It is a type of amino acid. If you eat animal products, you are naturally ingesting taurine.
Adding it to energy drinks, especially with caffeine, can cause health problems for some people. It can alter neural functioning and lower adrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin levels. Taurine in high amounts may even be damaging to the brain function of adolescents.
Chromium
Chromium is an essential trace mineral. It helps normalize blood sugar levels and helps your body to metabolize protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
This mineral is also known to suppress appetite and enhance insulin function. However, research has shown that chromium likely has no added benefit over healthy eating and exercise in terms of weight loss and energy levels.
Chromium also has the potential to interact with other medications, so it’s important to apply caution if you are on certain medications and want to consider including this product in your daily diet.
Celsius Nutrition Pros
CELSIUS® drinks are gluten-free and free from artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors.
Unlike many other energy drinks, CELSIUS® is sugar-free and does not contain aspartame or high fructose corn syrup.
It contains some healthy ingredients like guarana extract, ginger, and green tea.
Celsius Nutrition Cons
Although it may not be as harmful as other energy drinks, CELSIUS® is still a highly processed product containing potentially harmful ingredients like non-nutritive sweeteners that can cause digestive problems.
It also has a high caffeine content, which can cause side effects like feeling jittery, headaches, dizziness, insomnia, and high blood pressure.
This product is unsuitable for children, pregnant or nursing women, and it may not suit people sensitive to sugar alcohols, or caffeine.
Celsius Nutrition FAQs
Although the company claims that CELSIUS® drinks are preservative and additive-free, they contain synthetic sweeteners and other manufactured ingredients that may harm your health over time.
No, it’s not. CELSIUS® is not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, or pregnant or nursing women.
CELSIUS® drinks contain between 100 and 300mg of caffeine per can, depending on the flavor. The caffeine in these products comes from guarana seed extract and green tea extract.
The company claims six scientific studies support their products’ efficiency in burning calories and boosting metabolism. The caffeine in the product can increase alertness, energy, and focus, making strenuous exercise and its effects more attainable.
The chromium in these products may help suppress appetite and help with metabolism. Other ingredients create a thermogenic effect that burns calories.
It is important to note that the results may be short-lived, depending on your unique physiology and what else you’ve consumed on the day. The only proper way to maintain a healthy weight and overall health is with a healthy lifestyle, including eating unprocessed real food and exercising regularly.
CELSIUS® claims it differs from other energy drinks because it is healthier, boosts metabolism, and burns body fat. This drink has some healthier ingredients than other energy drinks on the market but is highly processed and contains ingredients that health-conscious people may not consider suitable. Drinking any popular energy drink may have adverse effects.
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Conclusions
CELSIUS® drinks have a high caffeine content, so it’s unsuitable for children, pregnant or nursing women, or people with health problems, especially heart problems. If you are not sensitive to caffeine and are in good health, drinking CELSIUS® in moderation will most likely not harm your health.
However, it is an expensive way to hydrate. There are other, healthier options instead of spending money on a highly processed product. If you need an energy boost, avoiding processed foods or adapting your lifestyle to get more rest is likely a better option without potential risks or negative effects.
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
Note: this post is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for recommendations related to your individual situation.
