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Emerge Energy Drink: Vegan or Not? Facts & Health Advice

Emerge Energy Drink: Vegan or Not? Facts & Health Advice

Emerge Stimulation drink is the sixth most popular energy drink in the UK after Red Bull, Monster, Lucozade, Relentless, and Rockstar.

This made-in-UK energy drink seeks to “fuel your focus” no matter what challenging task you’ve got ahead of you, and the good news is this drink is totally vegan-friendly!

While that’s certainly a much-welcomed dietary supplement to help us through the tougher moments in our day, it may be of concern to you whether Emerge energy drink is, in fact, suitable for vegans.

Let’s dive in and take a closer look to find out if Emerge is, in fact, vegan-friendly.

What is Emerge Stimulation Drink?

Essentially, Emerge is a carbonated, mixed-fruit-flavored energy drink that contains caffeine, taurine, and a whole load of B vitamins.

The brand belongs to Cott Corporation, the same company that makes Bone Chillin’, a lesser-known brand than Emerge.

What Ingredients Are In Emerge Energy Drink?

A 250ml can of Emerge Original energy drink contains:

  • 53 calories
  • 75mg caffeine (A pretty ideal amount, in my opinion)
  • 0g protein
  • 0g total fat
  • 0g saturated fatty acids
  • 11.2g total sugar
  • 0g protein
  • 0.09g salt

Each can also contain trace amounts of:

  • Carbonated water
  • Sugar
  • Citric acid
  • Taurine (750mg)
  • Sodium citrate
  • Flavoring
  • Ammonia caramel (coloring)
  • Riboflavin (coloring)
  • Sodium benzoate (preservative)
  • Sucralose (sweetener)
  • Acesulfame K (sweetener)
  • Niacin
  • Pantothenic acid
  • Vitamin B6
  • Vitamin B12
  • Inositol

Is Emerge Energy Drink Vegan?

You’ll be happy to know that Emerge is indeed vegan-friendly.

According to the official Emerge website, all of Emerge’s products are vegan.

When you scan through the ingredients label on a can of Emerge, you’ll quickly see that there are no animal products or by-products listed.

So, if you’re vegan, there’s your green light. Go ahead and grab that can of Emerge. 

Nevertheless, always be sensible and exercise moderation with regard to how much Emerge you drink.

Emerge Product Range

Emerge Original

This is the oldest range of drinks under the Emerge brand. It’s been in existence since 2004. 

This carbonated, mixed fruit-flavored energy drink got a massively positive response. And so the brand has grown over the years.

You can get an Emerge Original in two sizes: A 250ml can (containing 52.5 calories) or a 1L bottle (210 calories).

There’s something a little crazy going on with Emerge Original though. Not only is the drink loaded with sugar but it’s got artificial sweeteners like acesulfame potassium (also known as Ace-K) and aspartame as part of the blend too.

This is quite rare. It’s not often you see normal sugar AND artificial sugar in an energy drink. Usually, it’s just one or the other.

Aside from that, you’ll see the usual suspects in the list of ingredients: taurine, caffeine, and some B vitamins.

Emerge Sugar-Free

This low-calorie version of Emerge has only 10 calories and is sold in a 250ml can.

While there’s technically no sugar in the product, it still maintains a sweet taste with the aid of substitute sugars, aspartame, and Ace-K.

Emerge Zero Sugar

Take away all the added sugar from Emerge Original, and you’ll get Emerge Zero Sugar.

In this collection, you have a choice between the 250ml can (7.5 calories) or the 1L bottle (30 calories). That’s 3 calories per 100 ml of fluid.

In place of sugar, this drink relies on aspartame and Ace-K for its sweet taste.

Emerge Flavored

Emerge Flavored mixes things up a bit more for Emerge energy drink lovers. But, you’ve got to be careful not to drink too much of these flavored drinks as they are mini sugar bombs.

Each can have 11.3g of sugar. Add to that the sweetness of artificial sweeteners, aspartame, and Ace-K, and you’ve got a 250ml drink that gives you 52.5 calories.

Tangy Tropical

You’ll find ascorbic acid added to this blend as an antioxidant and I suspect this is what gives it a sourish slant for its flavor. Meanwhile, you have riboflavin and carotene being used here for coloring.

I’m quite curious whether the stabilizers like acacia gum, glycerol esters of wood, and rosins give some kind of effect to the tropical flavor you taste in this drink. 

Juicy Berry

Juicy Berry has a mixed berry flavor, and that comes from the fruit and vegetable concentrates that are included in this drink like safflower and black carrot. And just like in the case of the other drink, we have riboflavin here to lend the drink its color.

Emerge Dual

Emerge Dual is the latest addition to the Emerge family. It was launched in three varieties: Emerge Dual, Emerge Mixed Berry Dual, and Emerge Dual Sugar-Free.

Emerge Dual

The drink contains a much lower calorie count than what you’ll find in an Emerge Original by as much as 6 calories per 100 ml. However, Emerge Dual still has 3g of sugar and contains the same old sweeteners, aspartame, and ace-K.

I’m not really down for this absurdly high sweetness level that I’m tasting in the drinks under the Emerge brand, to be honest.

If you’re the kind who prefers to stock up so you don’t have to constantly worry about replenishing your energy drink stash, then you might like to go with a 1L bottle (150 calories) instead of just buying cans. 

A reminder though: Don’t get so carried away drinking lots of Emerge that you exceed your recommended maximum daily intake of caffeine or sugar.

Emerge Mixed Berry Dual

The Mixed Berry flavor contains 37.5 calories in a 250ml can. This too, like the rest, is filled to the brim with sugar and sweeteners.

Emerge Dual Sugar-Free

I’ve got some splendid news for you if you’re on a low-calorie diet. Here’s your chance to enjoy Emerge Dual minus all that nasty sugar.

Artificial sweeteners, aspartame, and Ace-K take the place of sugar for this one, maintaining the same sweet taste you’d expect of an Emerge energy drink. This 250ml drink has only 10 calories.

Is Emerge Energy Drink Good For Your Health?

This really depends on what your definition of “good” is. In my opinion, I think that Emerge energy drinks can be good for you when consumed in moderation.

From a caffeine standpoint, there isn’t much of a big risk since Emerge contains only 75mg per can.

According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), you should only have a maximum of 400mg of caffeine per day. In fact, we’re encouraged to only have 200mg of caffeine in any one serving.

Personally, I’ve always felt that an energy drink that has between 50mg to 100mg of caffeine per serving is ideal. That’s the sweet spot for me.

But, of course, the scenario changes when you decide to have more than one can at a time or several over the course of a day. There’s also your personal caffeine tolerance level to take into account too.

You might also need to take extra precautions for certain Emerge energy drink variants. I’m thinking of the sugar-filled ones especially because those may present you with certain health issues if you consume too much sugar as a result of having these drinks.

According to the National Health Service (NHS), you should stick to no more than 30g of free sugars per day.

“Free sugars” refers to sugar that we add to the food we eat as well as hidden sugar such as what you find in chocolates, cakes, and other foods.

If you consume too much sugar, you might end up experiencing potential health complications such as weight gain, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

As an alternative, you can choose the sugar-free versions of Emerge instead where artificial sweeteners, aspartame, and Ace-K take the place of normal sugar.

Both of these low-calorie sweeteners help you prevent weight gain, avoid dental cavities, and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

AgeRecommended Daily Amount
Kids60-80 mg
Teenagers 100 mg
18 and above400 mg
FDA’s Recommended Caffeine Intake Daily

Is Emerge Energy Drink Vegetarian?

Emerge energy drinks are vegetarian.

This is clearly stated on the official Emerge website. There are no animal products or substances derived from animals that are used in the production of Emerge energy drinks.

This means that Emerge contains zero traces of meat, poultry, fish, seafood, insects, gelatine, animal rennet, and stock or fat from animals.

So, now you know that Emerge is suitable for both vegan and vegetarian diets.

Can Emerge Help With Weight Loss?

Emerge energy drinks don’t directly help with weight loss.

There’s so much marketing hype on energy drinks flooding the media nowadays that it’s no surprise that people may get the wrong idea and turn to supplements instead of practicing a balanced diet and simply exercising regularly.

But the fact is that simply consuming energy drinks without any physical exercise afterward won’t help you burn fat at all.

The caffeine that you get from an energy drink is supposed to help give you an energy boost so that you can push yourself further during an intense session at the gym or even for just a jog in the park.

When it comes to a pre-workout drink, I think the best choice would be to choose one of the sugar-free Emerge energy drinks because your goal is to lose the calories after all, and not to pile on extra pounds from the sugar you’ll get from Emerge Original.

Is Emerge Suitable For Keto Diets?

Not all Emerge energy drinks are compatible with a ketogenic diet (low-carb, high-fat diet). Only the sugar-free Emerge energy drinks (Emerge Sugar-Free, Emerge Zero Sugar, and Emerge Dual Sugar-Free) are suitable for a keto diet.

Other regular Emerge energy drinks contain a range of 8g to 12g of sugar and between 38 to 53 calories per 250ml can. That’s definitely not ideal if you’re on a keto diet.  

However, with the sugar-free versions of Emerge, you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of an Emerge drink minus the carbs. 

In addition, both the artificial sweeteners used in Emerge, aspartame and Ace-K are keto-friendly. These sweeteners don’t raise blood sugar levels, so they won’t affect ketosis. 

However, bear in mind the impact of these sweeteners on your keto diet over the long run hasn’t been researched thoroughly yet. So, it would be wise to consume these sugar-free Emerge energy drinks in moderation.

As much as possible, you should stay within the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) recommendations for these sugar substitutes. For aspartame, the EFSA has set the ADI at 40mg per kg of body weight whereas, for Ace-K, it’s 9mg per kg of body weight.

Can You Drink Emerge With Alcohol?

No, it’s not recommended for you to drink Emerge with alcohol. The same is also true for any other energy drinks, for that matter.

You may be endangering your health by mixing alcohol with energy drinks.

The reason for that is the caffeine in Emerge can mask the effects of alcohol. So you might feel less intoxicated yet experience symptoms like poor coordination, slurred speech, impaired thinking, and more.

Ultimately, this leads to increased high-risk behavior which may cause harm to yourself and others. 

You should always drink alcohol responsibly. So what that means here is that you should enjoy Emerge and alcohol separately and both only in moderation.

One thing I do find interesting though is the fact that energy drinks need to come with a maximum recommended amount that you can drink per day printed on them, whereas alcoholic drinks don’t have any such “max 2 per day” warnings printed on them.

Food for thought…

Watch this video to find out why drinking alcohol with energy drinks is a bad idea.

Alternatives To Emerge Energy Drink

Here are some other ready-to-drink energy beverages that you might be keen to try instead of Emerge:

If you want to switch things up a bit, you can try something a bit different like Vivarin Caffeine Pills or Make it Mio instead.

Powdered energy drinks are really versatile and convenient to make as well. They’re usually more affordable than the canned or bottled energy drinks listed above.

Check these products out if you’re open to trying out powdered energy drinks: 

REIZE Energy Drink (10 out of 10)

REIZE
Try REIZE now!

REIZE is sold in sachets that are compact and easy to carry around.

Also, REIZE is vegan-friendly. If you’re searching for a vegan-friendly alternative to Emerge, look no further.

You can basically add water, juice, or any drink of your choice to REIZE energy powder. It’s that versatile and you can literally have your energy drink ready in seconds.

You have the flexibility of adjusting the concentration of your drink to your liking, something you’d never get if you got a ready-to-drink beverage instead.

The REIZE blend includes a sensible 50mg of caffeine as well as other smart ingredients like taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins that work together to give you a great energy boost with no crash.

REIZE is also sugar-free, so you can put all your worries about excessive calories to rest.

For only around 80p per drink, REIZE is delivered right to your door with nothing more to pay. That’s outstanding value for money.

Give REIZE a try, and it might just become your favorite vegan energy drink too.

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