With natural caffeine, no-GMOs, and zero sodium, Uptime Energy Drink seems to be angling for a part in the all-natural healthy energy drinks category on the market, and definitely looks the part.
However, you may be wondering if Uptime Energy Drinks are suitable for a vegan diet.
For the short answer, you’ll be pleased to know that there doesn’t seem to be an ingredient in Uptime Energy that looks overtly non-vegan, with most of their ingredients coming from natural or synthetic sources.
For the longer answer, read on below, where we take a detailed look at Uptime Energy Drink’s ingredients and other dietary information you might find useful, and, of course, how vegan it actually is.
Let’s get started…
Who Owns Uptime Energy Drink?
Benjamin Kim is the owner and CEO of Uptime energy drinks. Joining him is his partner, Carrie Kim as the COO of the brand.
The two before buying the company were fans of the energy drinks and ultimately decided to take over and wanted to revamp the energy drink to what is desired by them as former customers.
The brand focuses more on appealing to other people rather than on extreme or flashy sports. Therefore they had much more time to focus on refining the ingredients, taste, and benefits of their own energy drinks.
Uptime Energy Drink Ingredients
Let’s take a look at the ingredients of Uptime Energy to see what we’re working with.
Uptime Original Sugar-Cane
- Filtered Carbonated Water
- Cane Sugar
- Citric Acid
- Natural Flavors
- Calcium Citrate
- Natural Caffeine
- Potassium Benzoate (Preservative)
- Potassium Sorbate (Preservative)
- L-Theanine
- Panax Ginseng Root Extract
- Angelica Root Extract
- Ascorbic Acid
- Coenzyme Q10
Uptime Sugar-Free
- Filtered Carbonated Water
- Citric Acid
- Natural Flavors
- Calcium Citrate
- Natural Caffeine
- Potassium Benzoate (Preservative)
- Potassium Sorbate (Preservative)
- Sucralose
- L-Theanine
- Panax Ginseng Root Extract
- Angelica Root Extract
- Ascorbic Acid
- Coenzyme Q10
Are The Ingredients Of Uptime Energy Vegan?
Knowing all the ingredients that go into Uptime Energy, let’s take a look at each of them and see where they’re most commonly sourced from.
| Ingredients | Source | Is It Vegan? |
| Citric Acid | Organic | Yes |
| Calcium Citrate | Synthetic | Yes |
| Natural Caffeine | Plant-based | Yes |
| Potassium Benzoate | Synthetic | Yes |
| Potassium Sorbate | Synthetic | Yes |
| Sucralose | Synthetic | Yes |
| L-Theanine | Plant-based | Yes |
| Panax Ginseng Root Extract | Plant-based | Yes |
| Angelica Root Extract | Plant-based | Yes |
| Ascorbic Acid | Plant-based | Yes |
| Coenzyme Q1O | Synthetic | Yes |
I’ve cross-referenced the information above with PETA’s animal-derivative ingredients list for good measure. As you can tell from the table, there isn’t anything here that’s overtly non-vegan.
So if you happen to be vegan or follow a vegan diet, you can be fairly assured that although Uptime Energy isn’t officially vegan certified, it should still be a perfectly viable vegan energy drink for you to have.
For more specific information on the ingredients in Uptime Energy, take a look at the article I’ve written on Uptime’s caffeine and ingredients. You’ll definitely find it informative.
How Much Caffeine Is In Uptime Energy Drink?
Each 12 fl.oz bottle of Uptime Energy has 142mg of natural caffeine.
Known for boosting cognitive performance and helping to keep you awake at the toughest of times, caffeine is an essential ingredient in any energy drink, and it’s the same here in Uptime.
Of course, just because there’s more caffeine doesn’t mean that it’s a good thing. Ultimately, how well you adjust to an energy drink usually depends on your caffeine metabolism and personal tolerances.
Personally, I prefer my energy drinks to have somewhere between 50 to 100mg of caffeine per serving, which is just enough to give me a nice boost, but not too much that I might get a headache afterward.
With 142mg of caffeine, Uptime doesn’t have that much more caffeine than what I would usually go for, so you shouldn’t find it too overwhelming even if you’re caffeine-sensitive.
As a quick reminder, the FDA approves a caffeine intake limit of no more than 400mg per day. Any more than that might lead to side effects such as:
- Insomnia
- Restlessness
- Headaches
- Stomachaches
- Dizziness
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
As long as you watch your daily caffeine intake and don’t double down on energy drinks along with other caffeinated beverages, you should be fine.
How Much Sugar Is In Uptime Energy Drink?
A 12 fl.oz bottle of Uptime Energy Original has 37g of sugar derived from cane sugar, with the sugar-free version being (naturally) sugar-free.
Although it sounds healthier, cane sugar isn’t actually that much different from regular sugar:
Just like regular sugar, raw cane sugar is made up of sucrose and can contribute to weight gain and other conditions if consumed in excess.
Healthline
As it has the same nutritional impact on you as regular sugar, it’s best to treat cane sugar as another addition to your daily added sugar intake limit, rather than a lower-calorie substitute.
Back on the topic of added sugar, the AHA recommends a maximum daily added sugar intake of 25g for women and 36g for men.
Considering that an Original Bottle of Uptime Energy has 37g of sugar, it definitely has a bit more than what anyone should be having in a single day, man or woman.
And when you start consistently having too much sugar, it might lead to some pretty nasty health issues further down the road, such as:
- Weight Gain
- Type II Diabetes
- Increased risk of heart disease
- Acne
- Increased risk of depression
Too much sugar in a short period of time can also lead to a dreaded sugar crash, so it’s best not to have too many bottles of Uptime Energy in a short time either.
Be sure to watch your sugar intake, and if you want some alternative energy drinks that have lower sugar content, check out the article I’ve written on the best energy drinks with less sugar.
Is The Sugar In Uptime Energy Vegan?
The answer to whether the sugar in Uptime is vegan is a bit unclear, as we don’t quite know which variation of cane sugar Uptime Energy Drinks actually use.
While you might not think of sugar as a non-vegan ingredient, the sugar that has been processed through animal bone-char is a definite no-no for ethics-oriented vegans.
While the organic, unrefined, natural, and raw version of cane sugar is perfectly vegan, refined cane sugar is definitely a bit of a problem.
Since we don’t exactly know which version of cane sugar Uptime uses, it’s hard to say whether the sugar content in Uptime original is actually vegan.
But if you still want the great taste of Uptime Energy without worrying about how vegan the sugar is, Uptime Sugar-Free may be the energy drink for you, considering it’s completely absent of sugar.
Is Uptime Energy Drink Gluten-Free?
As Uptime doesn’t contain any traces of wheat, barley, or rye products, it’s safe to assume that the energy drink is gluten-free.
Unless you happen to have celiac disease (and therefore a gluten intolerance), going gluten-free is mostly to the benefit of your health, to varying degrees of success.
In any case, Uptime Energy doesn’t seem to contain any gluten ingredients, nor has it been manufactured in factories where cross-contamination may occur.
So whether you’re gluten-intolerant or simply want to have a healthier diet, having a bottle of Uptime should be perfectly alright.
Is Uptime Energy Drink Keto-Friendly?
As the keto diet requires you to cut down on carbs, Uptime Original isn’t really a good candidate with its high sugar content. On the other hand, Uptime Sugar-Free is a perfect fit for a ketogenic diet.
Basically, the keto diet is a diet style that’s characterized by high protein and fat, and low carbs. This leads the body to undergo a state called ketosis, which is noted to be beneficial.
As you generally want to be avoiding any form of carbs, sugary energy drinks are definitely out of the question when picking out an energy drink to complement your keto diet.
So while Uptime Original isn’t great for keto diets, Uptime Sugar-Free should be fine, given its low-calorie, zero sugar nature.
Is Uptime Energy Drink Vegan?
To conclude, while Uptime Original may raise some concerns about how vegan it is due to its sugar content, Uptime Sugar-Free is wholly vegan and enjoyable for everyone.
If you’re a vegan for ethical reasons, it might be a good idea to steer clear of Uptime Original unless you’ve managed to figure out the exact source of the sugar in the drink.
That being said, Uptime Sugar-Free serves as a great, healthy energy drink for everyone, vegans included. Giving you the boost you need with a clear, crisp taste, with vegan-friendly and GMO-free ingredients.
For my further thoughts on vegan energy drinks, check out my Best Energy Drinks for Vegans article, where you’ll find everything you need to know about vegan energy drinks.
Alternatives to Uptime Energy Drink
While Uptime may be great, here are some alternatives that might tickle your fancy as well:
REIZE (10 out of 10)
While Uptime may fit all the criteria of a vegan-energy drink, how about an energy drink that does the job even better?
REIZE is a great powdered energy drink that comes in convenient 4g sachets. With a sensible 50mg of caffeine, REIZE is completely sugar-free and has only 11 calories per serving.
REIZE also contains a vegan-friendly smart blend of taurine, ginseng, and B-group vitamins, which makes it the ideal mix, giving you the perfect energy boost without the crash afterward.
As a bonus, REIZE ships straight to your door for only about $1 per drink, which is amazing value for money.
So try REIZE today and I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a smarter choice than Uptime Energy.