Tired of regular energy drinks that are chock-full of sugar, synthetic ingredients, and artificial sweeteners? GURU Energy might be just what you’re looking for, with organic ingredients and a crisp finish.
Of course, it’s hard to determine how good an energy drink is without getting into the nitty-gritty of its ingredients and nutritional value, which this article will go into detail about.
If you’re just here for my brief thoughts on GURU Energy, it’s definitely an excellent energy drink, giving you the boost you need when you need it.
For a more detailed review, read on to find out all about the key aspects of GURU energy, from its caffeine content and plant extract, to determine just how well GURU performs as a healthy energy drink.
Let’s get started…
GURU Energy Nutrition Facts
| Value (Standard Serving) | GURU Energy (8.4 fl.oz) | Red Bull (8.4 fl.oz) | Monster (16 fl.oz) | Rockstar (16 fl.oz) |
| Energy | 80 calories | 110 calories | 240 calories | 122 calories |
| Protein | 0g | <1g | 2.28g | 2g |
| Carbohydrates (Of which Sugars) | 21g (21g) | 28g (27g) | 60g (55g) | 26g (24g) |
| Sodium | 0mg | 105mg | 370mg | 320mg |
| Caffeine | 100mg | 80mg | 160mg | 160mg |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | – | – | 3.5mg | – |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | – | 22mg | 51.5mg | 16mg |
| Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) | – | 5.05mg | – | – |
| Vitamin B6 | – | 5.05mg | 10.7mg | 1.4mg |
| Vitamin B12 | – | 5.1µg | 13µg | 2.5µg |
| Vitamin C | – | – | – | – |
GURU Energy Calories
Each 8.4 fl.oz can of GURU Energy has 80 calories, which is a decent amount considering its modest size.
For comparison, an 8.4 fl.oz can of Red Bull has 110 calories, and a 16 fl.oz can of Monster Energy has 210 calories, so Guru has less calories than either of those brands.
80 calories in 8.4 fl.oz isn’t actually a lot of calories in the grand scheme of things. Granted, GURU isn’t exactly contending for a membership spot on the best zero-calorie energy drinks list, but it’s not an excessive amount either.
Given that the average adult needs around 2000 to 2500 calories per day (depending on metabolism and lifestyle choices), 80 calories certainly isn’t enough to ruin your diet and can be easily burned off if you exercise regularly.
Be warned though, the calories will start piling up if you drink more than one can of GURU Energy per day. So be sure to watch your consumption, or you might find yourself on the unhealthier side of life.
However, GURU Energy should not be used in lieu of a good meal since it lacks the nutritional content and wholesome calories found in a proper meal.
GURU Energy Drink Ingredients
Guru has a fairly small selection of ingredients, absent of preservatives, minerals, and B-Vitamins, and uses only organic and plant-derived ingredients in its mix.
Here’s a list of the ingredients in a can of GURU:
- Sparkling Water
- Organic Cane Syrup
- Organic White Grape Juice Concentrate
- Citric Acid
- Apple Acid
- Natural Flavors
- Organic Green Tea Leaf Extract
- Organic Guarana Seed Extract
- Organic Echinacea Flower Extract
- Organic Panax Ginseng Root Extract
How Much Caffeine Is In GURU Energy Drink?
Each 8.4 fl.oz can of GURU has 100mg of caffeine, which is a fairly reasonable amount when you consider the caffeine content of other more famous energy drinks.
You can’t have an energy drink without caffeine. It’s an essential ingredient, noted for keeping you awake, helping with exercise performance, and even temporarily improving your cognitive performance.
On the sliding scale of energy drink caffeine strength, GURU is actually fairly mild, especially when you consider energy drinks, such as Reign and Bang, have up to 300mg of caffeine in a single can.
As someone who prefers energy drinks with 50 to 100mg of caffeine per serve, GURU has just the right amount of caffeine to give me a nice boost, but not so much that I might get overwhelmed by the effects of too much caffeine.
Of course, depending on your caffeine metabolism and your overall tolerance to caffeine, your mileage may vary regarding how much of a boost GURU gives you.
Just be sure not to overdo and have too many cans of GURU in a short period of time. The FDA approves a caffeine intake limit of no more than 400mg per day, as any more than that might lead to side effects such as:
- Restlessness and shakiness
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Abnormal heart rhythm
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
- Dependency
So while GURU’s caffeine content may be lower than average, be sure not to have too many cans of it in a day, and try not to have any other energy drinks, sodas, coffee, or tea alongside it, in case it tips you over the limit.
How Much Sugar Is In GURU Energy Drink?
Each 8.4 fl.oz can of GURU Energy contains 22g of of sugar.
Although GURU attempts to be healthier by using organic cane syrup instead of processed sugar, it doesn’t really matter, considering that sucrose (sugar) still winds up as the end product in your body.
Now, sugar isn’t necessarily the worst thing for you. It’s only when it’s consumed in excess that sugar poses an actual health problem.
In small doses, sugar is noted to help improve your mood by activating your dopamine receptors while also giving your cells an easy source of energy to work with.
As for how much sugar you should be having, the AHA sets a recommended daily sugar limit of no more than 25g and 36g of sugar for women and men, respectively.
So with 22g of sugar, a single 8.4 fl.oz can of GURU is still within your daily sugar intake limit, although not by much. However, be sure not to have more than one can in a day. Otherwise, you’re going to having more sugar than you should be.
While the short-term effects of too much sugar usually result in a sugar crash, long-term excessive consumption of sugar may lead to even worse things, such as:
- Greater risk of depression
- Poor dental health
- Joint pain
- Aging skin
- Diabetes
- Greater risk of heart diseases
So if you’re not too fond of the sugar in GURU Original and want to be as healthy as possible, GURU Lite might be more your style, featuring a lower calorie content while having only 2g of cane sugar present.
If you’re trying to avoid sugar altogether, check out my article on the best energy drinks without sugar for some great options.
Plant Extracts in GURU Energy
A substantial portion of GURU Energy consists of plant extracts, which, while possibly beneficial, have to be taken with a pinch of skepticism, considering we don’t know how much of each extract is actually present in the ingredients list.
Green Tea Leaf
Green tea is derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, with some of its most notable aspects being its unique taste, light green coloration, and various health benefits.
Its benefits are mostly from the polyphenols derived from green tea, which include, but are not limited to:
- Reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Reducing the risk of certain forms of cancer
- Reducing the risk of developing high blood pressure
- Promoting oral health
- Reducing cholesterol levels
Apart from these benefits, 2 to 4% of green tea’s composition is caffeine, which is known for improving cognition and alertness as stated earlier in this review.
As such, we can assume that some portion of the caffeine content in GURU comes from green tea, which is a fairly nice change of pace compared to other energy drinks.
Mind you, caffeine is caffeine and it affects you in the same way, regardless of its source.
Guarana Seed
Guarana contains a pretty wide range of stimulants, which include caffeine, theophylline, theobromine, and various antioxidants.
Research suggests that Guarana helps with reducing fatigue, on top of providing you with a quick energy boost, which is definitely a welcomed plus to an energy drink.
That said, the majority of Guarana’s purported benefits in energy drinks are attributable to its caffeine content, so it’s definitely susceptible to caffeine’s shortcomings as well.
Echinacea Flower
Echinacea is a herb commonly found in areas east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States that’s known to reduce inflammation as well as increase the body’s immune system response.
That being said, there isn’t a lot of scientific backing for the use of echinacea for its supposed benefits. So, take this particular ingredient’s benefits with a healthy serving of salt too.
Panax Ginseng
Ginseng is a natural herb that’s often used in food and remedies and is included as an ingredient in some energy drinks, notably used by Rockstar and REIZE.
Ginseng has a bunch of potential benefits such as:
- Increasing energy
- Sharpening cognitive function
- Anti-inflammatory effects
- Reducing blood sugar
For a more detailed look at ginseng and its effects, have a look at the article I’ve written all about this particular herb.
GURU Energy Flavors
GURU Energy actually has a pretty small selection of flavors, with their original blend only having 3 flavors: Original, Sugar-Free, and Matcha (Green Tea).
As for GURU Energy Water, it’s essentially a much lighter version of GURU, bearing a resemblance to flavored sparkling water.
GURU Organic Energy
- Original
- Lite (Sugar-Free)
- Matcha
GURU Energy Water
- Pomegranate
- Lime
- Grapefruit
What Does GURU Taste Like?
It’s very similar to sparkling water with a hint of sweetness and carbonation and is quite different from the more strongly flavored energy drinks you might be used to.
GURU is pretty different from a regular energy drink, being more like sparkling water, which gives it a much cleaner and crisper aftertaste, especially when compared to Monster or Rockstar.
While the original flavor is quite nice on its own, the Matcha flavor’s additional hint of green tea makes it noticeably better with a more refined aftertaste, which I’d recommend if you’re fond of green tea-flavored foods.
GURU Energy Price
A regular 24-pack of 8.4 fl. oz GURU Energy Cans will run you around $48, which is roughly around $2 per can, depending on where you get it, and if it happens to be on sale.
Considering that a standard 8.4 fl. oz can of Red Bull is usually around $1.50, GURU does find itself on the slightly pricier side of things.
In short, it’s really up to you to decide if GURU is worth its asking price, given its healthier set of ingredients.
Personally, I think that if you plan on having energy drinks long-term, going for the healthier option is probably better for you in the long run.
Are GURU Energy Drinks Healthy?
Given that GURU is composed of organic ingredients, a fairly small amount of calories, and sugar, as well as a clear and clean flavor, it’s definitely healthier than many other energy drinks on the market.
Now, if you’re looking for a truly healthy beverage, you should probably be sticking to water. But GURU definitely does what it can to be as healthy as possible, with its lack of synthetic ingredients and preservatives.
That said, consistently having too many cans of GURU might pose some health issues to you in the long run as it still has a substantial amount of sugar and caffeine in its mix.
So, while GURU may be healthier than your average energy drink, it’s still best to have it in moderation, and only crack one open when you really need it.
Guru Energy Drink Review (9 out of 10)
All-in-all, I would give Guru Energy a solid 9 out of 10, making it one of the best energy drinks on the market in my view.
There’s a lot to love about Guru Energy, from its all-natural, organic ingredients, its reasonable amount of sugar and caffeine, to its crisp, fresh taste, making it distinctly different from most other energy drinks.
That all said, Guru isn’t perfect.
It does have a fair amount of sugar and calories, meaning you really shouldn’t have too many throughout the day.
On top of that, it also has a fairly small selection of flavors, so it’s not the most exciting or eye-catching energy drink out there, as well as being slightly pricier than most other energy drinks.
But, if you need a quick, clean energy boost without any artificial sweeteners or synthetic ingredients, then GURU Energy has got you covered.
Guru Energy Alternatives
While Guru is certainly a decent option, here are some other great alternatives that you might also enjoy:
- Celsius
- Bang
- Reign
- Rockstar
- AMP Energy
- C4 Energy
- Game Fuel
- Raze Energy
- Xtend
- Xyience
- Adrenaline Shoc
- 3D Energy
- C4 Energy
- Full Throttle
There are also some awesome powdered options; if you prefer to customize your energy drinks to your exact preferences:
- Advocare Spark
- G Fuel
- Zipfizz
- REIZE (my fav)
REIZE (10 out of 10)
While GURU certainly isn’t a bad choice, I find REIZE to be even better.
A serving of REIZE contains less caffeine than GURU. REIZE is loaded with 50mg of caffeine while GURU Energy stands at 100mg of caffeine per can.
For someone just starting with energy drinks, REIZE Energy is a good start. Apart from 50mg of caffeine, REIZE is also infused with taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins. Also, I like that it’s sugar-free and only contains 11 calories per serving.
And yes, you heard it right! REIZE is pretty cheap. You can get it shipped to your home for as low as $1 per drink.
Amazing!
Try REIZE today and I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a smarter choice than GURU.