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Taurine: What You Should Know About Monster Energy Drink

Taurine: What You Should Know About Monster Energy Drink

Monster Energy Drink was introduced by Hansen Natural Corporation and is known as one of the foremost popular energy drinks in the world. Monster offers a wide variety of flavors to satisfy the needs of its wide range of customers worldwide.

Monster Energy drink gives you an instant boost of energy and focus with its signature taste.

Monster Energy Drink does contain 1000 mg of taurine in each 16 fl. oz can. Taurine has a list of supposed dietary and health benefits that might be useful to you, but won’t actually provide you with any immediate benefits, unlike sugar and caffeine content.

If you’re wondering if your favorite Monster Energy Drink contains taurine or not-or whether it’s good for your health, you’ve come to the right place.

Continue reading to find out more about taurine in Monster Energy Drink and what it does to your health and body. Spoiler alert- taurine does more good to your body than you’d think.

Monster Energy Drink Nutritional Value

The nutritional facts found in a can of Monster Energy Drink are given below:

Monster Energy Drink nutritional facts.
Monster Energy Drink is filled with nutritious ingredients, as referred to in the label.

And here’s everything you can get out of a standard 16 fl. oz can of Monster Energy.

Standard ValuesMonster Energy (16 fl. oz)
Energy210 calories
Protein0 g
Fat0 g
Carbohydrate27 g
Sugar27 g
Sodium180 mg
Caffeine160 mg
Vitamin B Complexes200% Of Daily Value
Nutritional facts of Monster Energy Drink.

Monster Energy Drink Ingredients

Monster Energy Drink contains a wide number of ingredients that give it its special taste and flavor.

A 16 fl. oz can of Monster Energy Drink contains the following ingredients :

Ingredients label of Monster Energy Drink.
Ingredients found in a can of Monster Energy Drink.
  • Carbonated water
  • Sugar
  • Glucose
  • Citric acid
  • Natural Flavors
  • Taurine
  • Sodium Citrate
  • Color Added
  • Panax Ginseng Extract
  • L- Carnitine
  • Caffeine
  • Sorbic Acid
  • Benzoic Acid
  • Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
  • Sucralose
  • Salt
  • Inositol
  • Guarana Extract
  • Pyridoxine HYdrocloride (Vitamin B6)
  • Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
  • Maltodextrin
  • Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12)

Caffeine

Monster Energy Drink contains 160 mg caffeine in each 16 fl. oz can.

Caffeine is one of the key ingredients in energy drinks providing a quick boost in energy and can keep you awake and alert for a few hours.

A can of Monster Energy drink contains 160 mg of caffeine which is roughly equivalent to two or three cups of coffee. It’s one of the stronger energy drinks on the market based on its caffeine content, and it’s definitely not advised to drink more than one can of Monster in a day.

The FDA recommended daily caffeine intake should not exceed 400 mg to avoid side effects such as:

  • anxiety
  • caffeine addiction
  • increased heart rate
  • increased blood pressure
  • restlessness or jitteriness

Drinking a can of Monster daily provides you with a healthy boost of energy and concentration without any of the bad side effects.

Keep in mind that there are two servings in a can, so that should be plenty to last you the whole day.

Sugar

Monster contains 54 g of sugar. The sugar added with the 210 calories makes it quite unhealthy for daily consumption, in my opinion.

Even if we could ignore the high caffeine content of Monster, the really high amounts of sugar and calories are a concern, especially if you’re one of the more health-conscious energy drink enthusiasts out there.

Sugar.
Monster Energy Drink contains a worrying amount of sugar.

The sugar content in Monster is really high, and undoubtedly wouldn’t be the first choice for the health-conscious considering there are plenty of sugar-free energy drinks on the market to choose from.

To put it into perspective, the AHA proposes a daily intake of sugar to be 36 g for males and 25 g for females. That said, the 54 g of sugar in Monster goes way beyond the approved limit.

So if you don’t want to consume your recommended entire day’s worth of sugar on a can of energy drink, I advise you to opt for sugar-free versions of Monster Energy or to ration out your energy drink consumption.

Consuming excess sugar on a daily basis can result in a host of health issues including diabetes, heart disease, weight gain, and high blood pressure, so do try to keep your daily added sugar content to a minimum.

Taurine in Monster Energy

Taurine is a kind of amino acid that is produced in both animal bodies and in nature. It is often added to energy drinks as a dietary supplement and works as a beneficial ingredient.

Taurine is an amino sulfonic acid that is produced naturally in our bodies. It is mostly found in the brain, eyes, heart, and muscles.

We can also intake taurine from our food as it is present in meat, fish, and dairy. An average diet may contain 40-400 mg of taurine per day and you may find 600-1000 mg of taurine in most energy drinks.

Taurine is found to have a lot of beneficial effects on the body. When it’s mixed with caffeine, it gives a better boost of energy for both your body and mind.

Benefits of Taurine In Monster Energy

Energy drinks like Monster contain a large amount of taurine which may have the following potential health benefits:

  • maintaining proper hydration and balance of electrolytes in your body
  • forms bile salts which play an important role in indigestion
  • regulate minerals in the body such as calcium
  • supports functions of the central nervous system
  • regulates immune system health and antioxidant function

Taurine may also be helpful for people having heart or kidney conditions, and may also control blood sugar levels to combat diabetes.

It may also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and the thickening of arteries as well as reduce the presence of cholesterol.

As a plus, the taurine used in energy drinks such as Red Bull and Monster is often synthetically made, making it a vegan-friendly addition to your energy drink.

Side Effects of Taurine in Monster Energy

The most widely accepted studies show that the controlled use of taurine has no negative side effects.

There haven’t been any side effects linked directly to taurine. However, taurine when mixed with caffeine and sugar in energy drinks might show some side effects due to the other ingredients.

While taurine itself might be good for you, too much taurine added with caffeine from your energy drinks may lead to side effects including insomnia, increased heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety.

So be sure to control your consumption of caffeinated drinks with taurine.

Where Does The Taurine In Monster Energy Come From?

The taurine present in Monster Energy Drink is produced synthetically in labs and the component goes by the amino sulfonic acid.

Monster Energy Drink has been listed as vegan by The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and it has been confirmed that it is free from the taurine found in bull semen or any other organs of animals.

Does The Taurine In Monster Energy Work?

As for whether or not it ‘works, there’s not enough concrete evidence to suggest that consuming taurine can do what it’s apparently advertised to do, so do take any benefits with a grain of salt.

The most common dosage of taurine is 500-200 mg per day. This amount of daily taurine consumption is beneficial to your body.

Research has shown consuming up to 3000 mg of taurine per day is safe for you. While a higher dosage might be safe for a short period, the average intake of 3000 mg or lower poses no harm to the body.

As for its efficacy, there hasn’t been enough detailed research on the oral consumption of taurine, especially in energy drinks, to determine if it is actually beneficial for you, or simply an additional ingredient to make the drink sound healthier.

Is it okay to drink taurine?

Yes, it is safe to drink taurine.

In fact, studies show that taking two to four grams of taurine divided into three daily doses is safe and without side effects.

The benefits of taurine in energy drinks include:

  • supports healthy heart function
  • protects against oxidative stress
  • supports a healthy vascular system
  • optimizes cardio output
  • beneficial for strength and power training

However, if you have a taurine allergy, I have written an article about taurine-free energy drinks for our best recommendations.

Can taurine cause kidney damage?

Yes, taurine can cause kidney damage.

In fact, it is one of the culprits of these types of kidney problems: glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, chronic renal failure, and acute kidney injury (AKI).

That said, it is best to go slow on energy drinks as most of them contain taurine.

If you’re curious to know why there is taurine in energy drinks, check out my article here!

Alternatives to Monster Energy Drink

If you like having taurine in your energy drink but hesitate to go for Monster Energy Drink due to its high caffeine and sugar content, here’s a list of similar energy drinks you might like:

REIZE (10 out of 10)

REIZE Energy Drink.
REIZE has taurine as one of its key components.

If you’re looking for another energy drink that contains taurine but doesn’t have the excessive sugariness of Monster, REIZE might be the energy drink you’re looking for.

REIZE powdered energy drink also contains 1000 mg of taurine, but it’s a much better alternative as it contains a sensible 50 mg of caffeine compared to the 160 mg in Monster Energy. REIZE is also completely sugar-free and contains 10 calories.

REIZE comes in light 4 g sachets which is very convenient to carry and make. You can have your energy drink anywhere- just add water!

Apart from taurine, REIZE is also full of other beneficial ingredients like B vitamins and ginseng. All that and more for just $1.

Give REIZE a try today, and you might find it to be the preferable choice to Monster Energy.

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