V8 Energy Drink Review
If you're looking for an energy source that can give you energy, convenience, a sweet flavor, and health benefits, you may have come to the right place. The V8+ Energy Drink is 8 ounces of blueberry pomegranate delight. In each can, you will find a whole serving of fruits and vegetables, naturally occurring caffeine, no added sugars, no artificial coloring, and no genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The sweetener used in this making of this energy drink is sucralose. The drink is a great source of B Vitamins and is gluten-free. There are 50 calories in each can. The effect this amount of calories will have on your meal plan depends entirely on your caloric intake goal for the day. For most people, there is room for a 50 calorie energy drink in their day.
The 80mg of caffeine in this drink comes from black and green tea extract. People who try this drink either love the taste or think it tastes awful. That's all about personal preference. The label is a little confusing because it claims no added sugars but contains sucralose. The sucralose comes from the fruit juices and there is only 10mg of it in each can.
Fruits & Veggies
Gluten-Free
Natural Energy
B Vitamins
Low Sugar Content
Some Say Tastes Like Medicine
Misleading Sugar Label
Fruits & Veggies
Some of these vitamins and minerals include Vitamin A (AKA beta-carotene), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, zinc, magnesium, folic acid, and phosphorous. Folic acid reduces the level of homocysteine found in your blood. This is a substance that poses a risk for coronary heart disease.
You won’t consume a ton of sugar, salt, or fat when you’re eating fruits and veggies (unless you add those contents). Fruits and veggies are a great source of fiber, which is important to your digestive system. Eating enough fruits and veggies can help you avoid or counteract obesity as well as helping you to maintain a healthy weight once you’ve achieved it. They can help to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, too.
Plant chemicals, also known as phytochemicals, are found in fruits and vegetables. These substances help to protect you from certain diseases. You can lower your risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. There are other sources of energy, vitamins, and minerals you can look into.
B Vitamins
However, if you consume too much Vitamin B3, you could experience some side effects from “niacin flush”. This flush can appear on your chest, neck, and/or face. The flushing occurs because niacin dilates your blood vessels. Along with the red appearance, you could experience tingling, burning, and/or pain.
Next is Vitamin B6, which is also known as pyridoxine. This vitamin is essential for many bodily functions. It helps to optimize your body’s ability to metabolize fat, carbs, and protein. It also helps your body to create red blood cells and neurotransmitters. Unfortunately, Vitamin B6 doesn’t occur naturally. Fortunately, we can consume it in our diet from other sources.
Vitamin B12 is the final vitamin contained in this energy drink. It is beneficial for your health for many reasons. It keeps your nerve cells and blood cells healthy and aids in producing DNA. It can help prevent anemia (a lack of red blood cells). Vitamin B12 can improve mental clarity, reduce fatigue, boost energy, balance out moods, and reduce stress. It can be found in many energy sources.
Sucralose
Sucralose poses no risk of carcinogenic, neurological, or reproductive issues. However, you should only consume 5mg of sucralose per each kg of body weight per day. Simply take your weight and divide it by 2.2. Take that result and multiply it by 5. That is how many mg of sucralose you should be consuming.
Sucralose is not a naturally occurring sweetener. Some people confuse it with sucrose, which is regular table sugar. If you’re avoiding table sugar, pay attention to the food labels. The downfall that comes from sucralose is that it contains small amounts of chlorine. It’s a carcinogen that’s found in some pesticides, plastics, poisonous gases, and disinfectants.
If you’re taking any medications, it’s best to consult a healthcare professional before changing what kind of sugar you’re consuming. Sucralose has shown to affect the ability of certain medications to do what they’re created to do. This could pose a risk to your health.
Calories
Lowering your calorie consumption is typically a good thing, especially if you love snacking. However, if you restrict your intake too much, you could be hurting your body and your overall health. If you’re not consuming enough, you will make yourself more fatigued and have less energy to make it through your day. So, while it’s a good thing that these drinks have few calories, you need to be sure you’re consuming calories throughout the rest of your day.
Caution
If you consume too many of these drinks in one day, you may exceed the amount of caffeine you’re supposed to consume in order to be safe. When you get too much caffeine, you can cause yourself some serious health risks and sleep issues. Caffeine may be able to help reduce fatigue and improve mental clarity, but it can also do exactly the opposite if you overload yourself and end up losing sleep.
Gluten-Free
In the most advanced cases, gluten intolerance can turn into Celiac Disease. This is an autoimmune disease which has affected 1% of the population. It causes damage to the digestive system. People who suffer from this disease often have foul-smelling and pale-colored feces.
One of the most tell-tale signs of gluten intolerance is a swollen/bloated stomach after eating. Bloating can happen for many reasons, but if you’re wondering whether or not you have an intolerance to gluten, it would be a good idea to pay attention to when you’re bloating and what you’re eating before it occurs.
Gluten intolerance can cause migraines, extreme fatigue, joint and muscle pain, tingling/numbness in arms and legs, brain fog, dermatitis, anxiety, depression, and even weight loss. Those with Celiac Disease are at risk of developing anemia because the body can’t absorb iron the way it’s supposed to. There are other gluten-free energy sources to choose from.
Ingredients
Natural Energy
On the other hand, black tea extract can cause varicose veins, slow down digestion, tinnitus, constipation, heart palpitations, insomnia, and fatigue. If you mix it with water that contains fluoride, it could be dangerous to your health.
The green tea extract has antioxidants that help your body lower blood pressure levels and blood fat levels. These actions will help keep your heart healthy. Green tea can also be great for brain health. It can help you to retain information as well as protecting your brain from certain diseases. Green tea can help your body to burn more calories too.
On the other hand, green tea extract has been linked to liver damage and failure. It has also caused abdominal pain, nausea, and constipation. In a day’s time, you should only consume between 300 and 400mg of caffeine. Consult your doctor before suddenly changing your consumption. There is another option for clean energy.
Carbs
When you lower your insulin levels, your body starts to get its energy by burning up stored fat. When you begin to burn this fat, it can lead you to lose weight. However, you don’t want to burn too much of your stored fat. Without it, you could end up developing gallstones.
If you are diabetic, you’ll want to steer clear of diets that influence your insulin levels. When you can’t control your insulin, you can end up with many side effects that aren’t necessary. According to the dietary guidelines, you’re supposed to allow carbs to take up between 45 and 65% of your daily caloric intake. For those on a typical 2000 calorie diet, it is recommended that you consume between 225 and 325 grams of carbs a day. However, if you’re looking to lose weight, you’ll have better luck when you keep your consumption between 50 and 150 grams.
Nutrition Facts
Verdict
The label makes it seem that there are not any added sugars in this drink. However, there is sucralose, which is not a naturally occurring sweetener. While it is an unnatural sweetener, there isn’t a lot of it included in the drink. Some people like to mix this energy drink with alcoholic beverages.
Bottom Line
The V8 +Energy Drink has Vitamins B6 and B12, Vitamin C, and potassium. There is 60mg of sodium as well. This energy drink is gluten-free, which is great news for many people. This energy drink comes at a very competitive, affordable price. It has a lot more good reviews than bad reviews, so we think it's worth a try.