Gather around kids; it’s time for “Coffee vs. Energy Drinks” debate! If there was ever a battle of energy boosts, then this is it, guys. We are always hustling through our morning routines – all thanks to our Coffee.
As the day progresses, we keep striving for more energy boosts. This is why we need to rethink Coffee vs. Energy Drinks – which is better. Long nights for many of us are not that unnatural, but we have got to be sure.
In today’s fast-paced world, health is our primary concern. We grab a coffee cup while waking up, or while going to work, or during the office hours. On the other hand, while we work out in the gym, we think having energy drinks will save our day.
Why is Coffee better than Energy Drinks?
One of the significant factors that lead us to Coffee is its caffeine content. The average caffeine content depends upon the brand and the strength of the drink. However, on more occasions, Coffee has more caffeine than energy drinks.
For example, a Starbucks coffee of 8 oz has approximately 112 mg of caffeine. Whereas, an 8 oz can of Red Bull has 80 mg of caffeine. However, to set the records straight, an adult can daily consume approximately 400 mg of caffeine.
Please consume an energy drink before your gym session. However, caffeine helps to keep you going through your day-to-day work efficiently. The mere presence of additives in an energy drink is enough to boost your athletic performance.
Intrigue yourself with the INGREDIENTS:
So, there you have it as the first pointer when we talk about Coffee vs. Energy Drinks. We now know the first significant differential point between these two. Let’s now talk about the ingredients of these caffeinated drinks.
Coffee beans become the single largest source of an ingredient. However, if you order a coffee from some cafe, you will get sugar and flavorings. That is why a healthy adult will prefer having black Coffee to reduce sugar intake trigger points.
On the other hand, energy drinks consist of various ingredients like sodium citrate, glucose, artificial flavoring, colors, and Taurine (beneficial).
While talking about Coffee vs. Energy Drinks – which is better, we need to understand that energy drinks have B12 vitamin and calcium. These two ingredients (especially B vitamin) are more likely to energize you than Coffee. Also, Taurine is an essential amino acid for a person’s overall health.
However, your body does not absorb added vitamins anyway and should not be a determinative factor to choose between the two. Besides, Coffee contains the health-benefiting amino acid (glycine, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid), whereas energy drinks contain the non-essential ones.
To SUGAR or not to SUGAR?
Let us now address the elephant in the room – sugar content. Energy drinks contain way more sugar content right from the package, and you won’t have much choice about that. However, you may choose to add two tablespoons of sugar with the Coffee, and your sugar intake will still be lower.
One 8 oz Red Bull contains 26 grams of sugar as labeled. Needless to mention that, this sugar content is way higher than your standard sugar-intake limit. Moreover, sugar-free energy drinks are even worse for your health as they have artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame.
To settle scores in terms of sugar content, it’s advisable to add natural sweeteners or one teaspoon of sugar to your Coffee.
Curtail your CALORIES and Refrain from Much CAFFEINE!
Calorie intake is another critical factor to consider while deciding between Coffee and energy drink. Let me tell you that just because food or a beverage is high on calories does not mean that it’s unhealthy. However, we can agree that calories coming from filling and wholesome meals are much better for our bodies.
Let’s just put you into perspective by saying that a cup of black coffee has zero calories, whereas an energy drink adds almost 110 calories to your body. Typically speaking, energy drinks are made based on sugar to boost your energy suddenly.
Some think that energy drinks carry more caffein content in general than Coffee itself. In reality, this may not even be true. According to experts, energy drinks have 80 to 500 mg of caffeine, whereas Coffee has about 110 to 159 mg of caffeine. The caffeine content depends heavily upon the coffee bean.
For instance, an 8 ounces can of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine, while Starbucks standard K-Cup pod coffee of 8 ounces have on average 130 mg of caffeine.
Mad over Marketing vs. Harbouring Healthy Habits
Just because you can afford an energy drink does not mean you will fill yourself with that all day long. Coffee is more cost-effective, anyway. Let’s say that an average man can spend the amount spent on seven cans of energy drinks for a month on Coffee.
Advertisements from energy drinks might make you wonder whether you are getting all sorts of calcium and vitamins or not. You do not even need these added vitamins and calcium in the first place.
Some of these buffed-up ingredients are put in energy drinks to add much caffeine to it. Moreover, these names sound pretty cool when you say it out loud. In essence, they do more wrong than any good for your body.
There is not enough scientific evidence to prove that this added calcium and vitamins do not benefit the body. Do you know that you receive B12 from your daily diet already? Having control over what you intake is of crucial significance.
The best thing about Coffee is that you know what’s in it. When you intake Coffee, you are having caffeine alone and nothing else. Moreover, let’s be honest for a moment and say my Coffee tastes better than cans of flavored energy drinks.
Freshly Brewed Thoughts
Well, there is nothing wrong with having an energy drink once in a while. Mostly if you train hard all day long in the sun, you may have it. But if we are talking about Coffee vs. Energy Drinks – which is better, we better choose Coffee for its natural self.
Moreover, as well already know that if you drink black coffee, you are eliminating the dangers of additives, sugar intakes, fake flavoring, calories, etc.
So when it comes to Coffee vs. Energy Drinks, Coffee wins by a large margin. Don’t let the sudden urges for cold drinks to take over your health.
Suggested Read: The 4 Different Types of Coffee Beans – You Taste