Marketed as a ‘vitamin and amino acid supplement’, Advocare Spark is packed with many vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
Spark is sold in ten flavors with 120mg of caffeine per sachet. Sounds appealing, doesn’t it? After all, we always assume that more is always better.
But let’s find out what the real deal is. Could Advocare Spark be bad for you?
Advocare Spark isn’t bad for your health if you only have one sachet per day and lead a healthy diet and lifestyle as well. However, it’s marketed as a weight loss product and there have been reports of it causing negative side effects and hospitalizations.
It’s important that you don’t use Advocare as a dietary supplement and consult your doctor if you start feeling adverse health effects.
In this article, we’ll be doing some investigating as to what makes up Advocare Spark and find out if Spark is bad for your health or not.
Let’s get to it...
What is Advocare Spark?
Advocare Spark is a powdered energy drink mix that comes in sachets.
Each sachet contains 120mg of caffeine per serving, 15 calories, and is sugar-free.
There’s a ¼ ounce of dry powder in each sachet.
To make an Advocare Spark energy drink, you’ll need to mix one sachet with 8 fl. oz of water. After mixing Advocare Spark into the water, you’ll have the same amount of liquid as a regular 8-ounce can of energy drink, like Red Bull.
What ingredients are in Advocare Spark?
Every sachet of Advocare Spark contains the following ingredients:
- 15 calories
- 120mg caffeine
- 4g of carbohydrates
- Vitamin A
- 180mg of Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- 3mg of Thiamine
- 3.4mg of Riboflavin
- 60mg of Niacin
- 15mg of Vitamin B6
- 45mcg of Vitamin B12
- 50mg of Pantothenic acid
- 3mg Zinc
- 200mcg Copper
- 24mcg Chromium
- 500mg Choline
- 500mg L-Tyrosine
- 200mg Taurine
- 100mg Glycine
- 10mg L-Carnitine
- 10mg Inositol
- maltodextrin
- citric acid
- natural flavor
- artificial flavor
- sucralose (Splenda)
- silicon dioxide
Advocare Spark Artificial Sweeteners
Advocare Spark contains sucralose, a type of artificial sweetener. The most common sucralose-based product available today is Splenda.
Sucralose is a substitute for sugar, as sucralose is carb-free and calorie-free. It’s approved by the FDA and is safe for use in foods and drinks. Also, it is around 600 times sweeter than sugar.
Sucralose is commonly used in reduced sugar and calorie food and beverages like gelatins, baked goods, frozen dairy desserts, chewing gum, sodas, and energy drinks.
Is Sucralose safe to consume?
Sucralose is safe for consumption as it’s approved for use in food and drinks by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
It’s one of the popular sweeteners that is used to substitute sugar to produce food and drinks that are completely sugar-free or low in sugar.
Sucralose can pass through your digestive system without being absorbed and will be excreted quickly through your urine. Even if a small percentage of it is absorbed, none of it will be turned into energy thus sucralose won’t contribute to any calories at all.
However, this doesn’t mean that you should start consuming sucralose excessively.
A 2013 study reported that sucralose increased blood sugar levels and insulin levels in 17 participants with severe obesity who didn’t regularly consume artificial sweeteners.
So, sucralose might not be suitable if you’re a diabetic and if your diet doesn’t generally contain sweeteners.
Besides, there have also been studies that documented that sucralose can negatively impact your gut health.
To avoid overconsumption of sucralose by the general public, the FDA has established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for sucralose, which is 5mg per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg) per day.
Even though there aren’t many studies that have proven sucralose can directly negatively affect your health, for the time being, I’d still recommend controlling your sucralose intake.
Advocare Spark Amino Acids
The amino acids that you can find in Advocare Spark are L-Tyrosine, L-Carnitine, Glycine, and taurine. Each one of these amino acids can contribute to your bodily functions when consumed in proper amounts.
I’ll get into what each of these amino acids is all about.
L-Tyrosine
L-Tyrosine is an amino acid that can improve focus, alertness, and attention and has the ability to reduce cognitive decline during stressful or mentally-demanding situations.
A 2015 study reported that compared to a placebo, tyrosine improved working memory and information processing significantly during a mentally-demanding task.
However, tyrosine didn’t seem to have any effect on physical performance.
L-Carnitine
L-Carnitine is usually consumed as a dietary supplement and plays an important role in energy production in your body. It helps by transporting fatty acids to the mitochondria in your cells to produce energy for your body.
L-Carnitine seems to have benefits in brain function and exercise performance.
Studies have shown that consuming L-Carnitine daily could lessen the cognitive decline in those who have or have symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases.
As for exercise performance, there’s evidence that L-Carnitine could help reduce muscle soreness, increase oxygen supply to the muscles, and enhance muscle recovery.
Glycine
Glycine is important for the production of protein in your body and has several benefits including protecting your heart, improving sleep quality, and protecting your body against muscle loss.
A 2017 review found that glycine might have the potential in preventing muscle loss in different wasting conditions.
Taurine
Taurine is an essential amino acid and is important for several of your body’s functions. It can help improve blood sugar levels, heart health, and exercise performance.
A 2013 study conducted on eight middle-distance runners discovered that the consumption of taurine increased their performance during a 3-km trial by 1.7% compared to a placebo.
How much Advocare Spark can you drink in a day?
I suggest having only 1-2 packets of Advocare Spark per day depending on your caffeine tolerance. Advocare Spark contains 120mg of caffeine per drink so you should be careful not to overdo your caffeine consumption.
According to the FDA, the daily caffeine intake guideline is that you should have no more than 400mg of caffeine in a day for healthy adults, with 200mg per serving.
Children, pregnant and breastfeeding women are not encouraged to consume caffeine.
Though, the amount of caffeine you can have in a day will differ based on your tolerance.
Having a lower caffeine tolerance means that you’ll need less caffeine before experiencing its effects kick in while those with a high caffeine tolerance might need more to get the kick they want.
Advocare Spark has quite a strong caffeine content for one sachet. I personally prefer 50mg-100mg of caffeine per drink.
For the sake of your health, you should stay within the recommended limit of daily caffeine intake.
If you’d like to learn more about whether you can drink Advocare Spark every day, check out my other article where I cover things in a lot more detail.
Is Advocare Spark bad for your health?
Advocare Spark isn’t bad for you if you have one or two packets every now and then. You must also make sure you complement it with a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.
Like most energy drinks, you’ll be just fine drinking Advocare without experiencing any debilitating side effects if you consume them in moderation and don’t have any pre-existing medical conditions.
If you’re on medications or have any health issues, you need to first discuss them with your healthcare provider.
In my opinion, the ingredients that are probably going to have more profound effects are caffeine, choline, and vitamins.
A sachet of Advocare Spark contains 120mg of caffeine.
If your caffeine tolerance is low, this amount is considered a lot and may induce side effects.
In the case of choline, choline is an important nutrient that supports your overall health. As much as choline is essential for you, too much choline can lead to side effects like sweating, vomiting, and excessive salivation.
A packet of Advocare Spark has the warnings:
“Pregnant or nursing women should consult a healthcare professional prior to use. Not for use by children or persons who are sensitive to caffeine or choline”.
Advocare Spark contains 500mg of choline. That’s quite a lot as the recommended daily intake for choline is a maximum of 550mg.
If you’re allergic or sensitive to choline, you might need to avoid the Advocare Spark energy drink.
Advocare Spark also has several vitamins that go way over the recommended dietary intake. Overdosing on vitamins can lead to unwanted side effects like nausea, diarrhea, and headaches.
Side effects of Advocare Spark
Advocare Spark is sugar-free, but you might be affected by the other ingredients if you’re sensitive or allergic to them.
Just like all energy drinks, you may experience adverse effects if you consume too much Advocare Spark.
Keeping an eye out for caffeine and sugar content is important when you’re regularly drinking energy drinks.
If you consume Advocare Spark, or any other energy drinks for that matter without limiting your intake, you might be prone to health problems like:
- Caffeine addiction
- Dehydration
- Kidney stones
- Respiratory problems
- Allergic reactions
- High blood pressure
Is Advocare Spark actually healthy?
Although Advocare Spark is marketed as a ‘vitamin and amino acid supplement’, I’m inclined to say that Advocare Spark isn’t as healthy as it’s made out to be.
First I think that the high amounts of B vitamins that far exceed the daily recommended intake are a little concerning.
Advocare Spark also has 500mg of choline, which is cutting it really close to the maximum amount our body requires.
My advice is to consult your nutritionist or doctor on whether or not they are safe for you, especially if you consume Advocare on a regular basis.
Advocare can be beneficial to your health if consumed wisely as it’s sugar-free and has amino acids and minerals present.
However, there are also flavorings and colorings which are artificial and can cause health issues in the long run if continuously consumed in excess.
At the end of the day, you’re the one responsible for your health thus you’ve got to be the judge of whether or not Advocare Spark is actually healthy for you.
The best way around it is to do some research before putting anything into your stomach and knowing your body’s limits and triggers.
Advocare Spark Flavors
Advocare Spark offers 10 fruity flavors:
- Cherry
- Grape
- Mandarin orange
- Citrus
- Fruit punch
- Mango strawberry
- Pink lemonade
- Green apple
- Watermelon
- Blue raspberry
Check out my honest review of Advocare Spark for more information.
Alternatives to Advocare Spark
If you want to try other energy drinks besides Advocare Spark, you might like:
Other powdered energy drinks:
Ready-to-drink energy drinks:
REIZE Energy Drink (10 out of 10)
| Energy Drink | REIZE | Advocare Spark |
| Caffeine | 50mg | 120mg |
| Sugar | None | None |
| Calories | 11 | 15 |
Like Advocare Spark, REIZE is an energy drink powder that’s sugar-free but contains fewer calories compared to Spark.
REIZE is formulated with a smart blend of taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins that’s sure to give you an optimum energy boost.
REIZE also contains a sensible 50mg of caffeine so you don’t have to worry about experiencing any crashes or side effects afterward.
Plus, REIZE ships to your door for only about $1 per drink.
That’s incredible value for money.
Give REIZE a try and you might just find that it’s a smarter choice than Advocare Spark.