Your energy level will hit the roof the moment you take a gulp from one of 10 energy drinks with the most sugar sold in America.
Even though in the recent years water is taking precedence over sodas when it comes to sales, that bland beverage won’t make you as lively as an energy drink. In the old days you would normally choose a soda to keep you going, but today there is such a huge variety of energy drinks it is hard to make a choice. The most popular non-alcoholic drinks in America are still Coca-Cola and Pepsi (it’s not Hype soda, at least not yet). Basically, their reign changes every few years. Pepsi invested more into advertising and snacks last year, so it can finally be noted as the number one brand for 2016, as reported by CNN. How long it will remain in that position, remains to be seen. But let’s go back to the energy-giving sodas.
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Water is probably the best option to quench your thirst (no artificial materials, no added substances, no calories), but if you need to get going fast, energy drinks come in handy for today’s hectic lifestyle. Sometimes we just need a little support to deal with the everyday hustle and bustle, right? The most sugary drink in the world will do wonders for your concentration, and you’ll feel invigorated in no time. As for your health, we can’t really vouch for it. Clark says that according to a 2015 research a daily intake of one can (250 ml) of an energy drink is safe for most healthy adolescents, while excessive consumption of it with alcohol can have serious side effects, including death. FDA also conducted research to investigate 13 deaths and 33 hospitalizations which occurred after consuming the beverages. Eventually, no evidence was found to specifically point out a dangerous ingredient (or a combination of them) in any of energy drinks.
Perhaps our title could have been “Which sodas are the worst for you,” but as you can see, there is no strong evidence of energy drinks being deadly or health hazards. Now might also be a good time to read our Bayer Heroin, Coca Cola’s Cocaine and Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup: Is Sugar More Addictive Than Drugs? article. To find out which energizing drink has the highest sugar level, we first turned to Business Insider and SugarStacks only to realize that all clues lead to the ultimate expert in the field – Caffeine Informer. It’s not all about energy shots with most caffeine. It also provides reliable information on sugar levels. However, we did our categorization a bit differently. The beverages are ranked based on the grams of sugar per ounce, not per one can/bottle. Sugar concentration in a drink was what matches our understanding of the energy drink with the most sugar. After all, drinking one can of a certain brand can be easily proved to be just as bad as consuming double the amount of some other brand. This clearly justifies our method and will help you monitor your sugar intake. Admittedly, there was a big crowd for the last position, so it was ruled out by checking which one is still produced, and most popular among Americans. Curiously enough, should you wonder what soda has the least amount of sugar, the answer would be – all those that say sugar-free! Jokes aside, if we’re talking real, natural sugar, that would be Sunkist 10 with barely 0.16 grams per ounce.
Before we take a look what Americans crave or should watch out for, i.e., 10 energy drinks with the most sugar sold in America, let’s check out the 17 most sugary drinks in the world first.
10. Rip It Energy Drink
Sugar/oz: 4.12
Apparently, the lowest in sugar on our list of energy drinks with the most sugar sold in America (don’t be fooled, it’s still a lot), but the most popular among military, as told by Van Winkle’s.
9. Shark Energy Drink
Sugar/oz: 4.14
Shark Energy Drink, next on our list of energy drinks with the most sugar sold in America is originally produced in Thailand. Some of its natural ingredients should prevent fat from storing in your liver, or at least that’s what is promised. What is sure is that it contains natural caffeine from coffee beans, is gluten-free, and has no preservatives.
8. Sarsaparilla
Sugar/oz: 4.17
Imagine that: this drink has no caffeine in it. One would wonder how it is even an energy drink. Well, over 4 grams of sugar in one ounce isn’t as low as its position on the list. Sarsaparilla is supposedly a very healthy plant promising detoxification and weight loss, but with so much sugar, we really doubt that can happen.
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7. 28 Black Energy Drink
Sugar/oz: 4.26
If you have a guest from Europe and he asks if you have Calidris 28, just hand him a can of 28 Black Energy Drink, next on our list of energy drinks with the most sugar sold in America. It’s actually the same beverage. Interestingly enough, it’s taurine free, and it can also be sugar-free as well.
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6. Red Eye Energy Drink
Sugar/oz: 4.37
On the other hand, Red Eye Energy Drink has a lot of sugar, and a lot of caffeine, too. Aussies and Kiwis love it as well.
Pixabay/ Public Domain
5. Diablo Energy Drink
Sugar/oz: 4.52
Diablo has a catchy name, and a great design, too. As for the flavor, you can choose regular or cranberry. Now would be a good time to mention that many children want to find the answer to which soda has the most sugar for science fair project, and it would be Bawls Root Beer with 4.50 sugar/oz. However, as you can see, it would be better for them to deal with energy drinks for some shocking data on sugar. 4.50 is good enough only for the middle position in our list.
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4. Taurus Energy Drink
Sugar/oz: 4.73
Take one sip, and you’ll be strong like a bull. Jokes aside, Taurus Energy Drink is a big name in Malaysia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Bangladesh. It looks almost the same as the Red Bull, but it has less caffeine. Not sure if Red Bull approves of the similar package.
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3. Emu Energy Drink
Sugar/oz: 4.80
“When wings aren’t enough” is the funny motto of this beverage. It’s not carbonated.
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2. Lucozade
Sugar/oz: 5.29
Sounds like lemonade, doesn’t it? It was first produced in 1927 and comes in a variety of flavors. Lots of sugar, but very moderate in caffeine (46 mg per bottle).
1. XO Energy Drink
Sugar/oz: 5.52
XO Energy Drink will give you sugar rush instantly. With almost 6 grams of sugar per ounce, its first place among 10 energy drinks with the most sugar sold in America is going to be safe for quite some time. That much sweetness may as well be the answer to what soda is the worst for you, but sometimes we just need a reliable energy source to get us going, don’t we?
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