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Marketed as "Your partner in an active lifestyle," Celsius seems like a healthier option for energy drinks. It has seven essential vitamins, a special green tea extract, ginger, and guarana formula that boosts energy and helps you burn calories. And there's no high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, or artificial colors.
Celsius ticks many of the boxes we look for in a better-for-you energy drink. But is it healthy? Curious about this popular beverage, we wanted to examine Celsius closer and see how healthy it is compared to other energy drinks on the market.
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What Are Celsius Energy Drinks?
Celsius energy drinks are designed to support an active lifestyle, according to the official Celsius website. They're functional fitness drinks with a clinically proven formula that boosts energy, accelerates metabolism, and burns fat when consumed before a workout. The website says Celsius is the best drink for anyone who wants to get the most out of their day.
Some of the key ingredients in Celsius include:
- Taurine
- Guarana seed extract (source of caffeine)
- Green tea extract (source of caffeine)
- Caffeine (added caffeine)
- Sucralose
- Ginger root extract
The drink's proprietary formula, MetaPlus (green tea, ginger, and guarana), provides the metabolic boost, according to the Celsius website.
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Nutritional Profile of Celsius Energy Drinks
Celsius is low in calories and a good source of many essential nutrients. One 12-ounce can provides:
- Calories: 10
- Fat, carbs, and protein: 0
- Sodium: 5 mg (0% DV)
- Calcium: 50 mg (4% DV)
- Vitamin C: 60 mg (70% DV)
- Riboflavin: 1.7 mg (130% DV)
- Niacin: 20 mg (130% DV)
- Vitamin B6: 2 mg (120% DV)
- Vitamin B12: 6 mcg (250% DV)
- Biotin: 300 mcg (1,000% DV)
- Pantothenic acid: 10 mg (200% DV)
- Chromium: 50 mcg (140% DV)
The amount of caffeine isn't listed on the can or the USDA FoodData Central website. You can find information about caffeine content on the Celsius Essential Facts webpage. One can (12 ounces) of Celsius and Celsius Vibe beverages has 200 milligrams of caffeine, and one can of Celsius Essential beverages has 270 milligrams of caffeine.
The amount of caffeine in other energy drinks varies, ranging from 100-150 milligrams in a 12-ounce serving. Monster Energy Drink has 123 milligrams of caffeine, and Red Bull has 108 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-ounce serving. Celsius has almost twice as much caffeine as the other popular energy drinks.
Health guidelines recommend limiting caffeine intake to no more than 400 milligrams a day. One can of Celsius falls within the range, but you may exceed your limit if you drink two or more cans daily. Or, you drink other caffeinated beverages like coffee, black or green tea, or cola.
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Health Benefits of Celsius Energy Drinks
What are the health benefits of Celsius energy drinks? Well, they're an excellent source of B vitamins, including B12 and B6, as well as vitamin C. They're also low in calories and sodium and have no added sugar.
And there's some scientific proof to the claims that Celsius boosts metabolism and burns fat.
A 2007 placebo-controlled, double-blind cross-over study published in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition (JISSN) compared the effects of Celsius and Diet co*ke on metabolic rate in a group of healthy college students (20 participants). The college students drank one 12-ounce can of Celsius and one 12-ounce can of Diet co*ke on two separate days. The researchers measured metabolic rate every hour for three hours and found that Celsius increased metabolic rate by about 14%, while Diet co*ke increased metabolic rate by 4–6%.
A 2008 study also published in JISSN evaluated the effects of Celsius versus placebo on metabolism and fat breakdown in a group of healthy college students (60 participants). After fasting for 12 hours, the participants were given a 12-ounce serving of Celsius or a placebo. The researchers measured their resting energy expenditure (REE) and blood free-fatty acid (FFA) levels once an hour for three hours. The results showed that Celsius increased REE and FFA levels better than the placebo. Researchers concluded that the thermogenic properties in Celsius may support weight loss but noted more studies are needed to evaluate the effects or long-term use.
Yes, there's clinical evidence that Celsius boosts metabolism and fat-burning. But these studies were small, of short duration (three hours), and sponsored by the makers of Celsius—Elite Fx, Inc. The studies state that Elite Fx had no control over collecting, analyzing, or interpreting the study results.
The researchers attributed the increase in metabolism and fat burning to the epigallocatechin gallate (ECCG) from Celsius's green tea extract and caffeine. ECCG and caffeine may support weight loss efforts, but they won't lead to dramatic weight changes without lifestyle changes like eating a balanced diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep.
In its 2023 position on energy drinks and energy shots, The International Society of Sports Nutrition says there's not enough evidence to say that drinking low-calorie energy drinks can improve workouts or weight loss. However, drinking high-calorie energy drinks may cause weight gain if the extra calories from the drink exceed daily needs.
Celsius energy drinks also contain chromium, a popular weight loss supplement. Chromium is a trace mineral that assists in metabolizing carbs, protein, and fat. The trace mineral may help lower body weight and body fat, but the amount lost is minimal and insignificant.
Taurine is a nonessential amino acid that's become a popular ergogenic supplement for improving athletic performance. However, research on the benefits of taurine is mixed, and more studies are needed to determine whether it helps.
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Potential Drawbacks of Celsius Energy Drinks
The major drawback of Celsius energy drinks is the caffeine. Caffeine is OK when consumed in moderation but can cause health problems like difficulty sleeping, anxiety, or a rapid heart rate when consumed in excess.
One can of Celsius has 200-270 milligrams of caffeine and will not exceed the daily limit. However, if you drink two or more cans of other caffeinated beverages, you may experience unwanted side effects.
Celsius also uses sucralose to add sweetness without added sugar. Sucralose is an artificial nonnutritive sweetener generally recognized as safe (GRAS). The World Health Organization recently came out with a statement discouraging consumers from using nonnutritive sweeteners like sucralose as a tool to support weight loss. Their recommendation is based on a systematic review and meta-analysis study that found that long-term use of nonnutritive sweeteners is unhelpful for managing weight.
There's also some evidence that sucralose affects DNA structure and immune response. However, the research is limited to lab and animal studies. You can use artificial sweeteners in moderation to reduce health risks, according to the FDA.
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Conclusion: Are Celsius Energy Drinks Healthy?
Celsius energy drinks are low in calories and sodium, free of artificial colors and added sugars, and a good source of essential nutrients. While I wouldn't call the drink healthy, Celsius is safe for most people when consumed in moderation.
The primary health concern with Celsius is its caffeine content. Overconsumption of caffeine from energy drinks affects the heart, nervous system, and kidneys. Based on the latest research, you should limit energy drink intake to no more than 16 ounces a day and not exceed caffeine safety limits.
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Final Recommendations
Celsius energy drinks may give the boost you need to get through a workout or an afternoon filled with meetings, but we don't think it's the healthiest energy drink on the market.
When looking for an energy drink, choose one with moderate caffeine—150 milligrams or less per serving—low or no added sugar and no artificial sweeteners or colors.
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