XS Energy Drink: Unbiased Assessment of Its Health Effects

Short Answer: XS Energy is not bad at all if consumed in moderation.

XS Energy is a carbonated energy drink that is completely sugar-free, and it comes in 18 different flavors. A single can of 8.4 fl. oz XS Energy contains 80g of caffeine, 10 calories, and zero carbohydrates.

Many people consider XS to be one of the best energy drinks on the market.

XS energy drink is made in California and distributed exclusively by Quixitar in North America, and by Amway in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

It was initially created by another company called Logic Nutrition, which sold the distribution rights to Amway in 2015.

Let’s find out if XS Energy is good or bad for you!

Table of Contents

XS Energy Drink Ingredients

Each 8.4 fl. oz can of XS Energy Drink contains the following ingredients:

10 calories
80mg of caffeine (this puts XS at the lower end of the list of strongest energy drinks)
35mg of Sodium
35mg of Potassium
100% of the recommended daily value (DV) of Vitamin B3
300% of the DV of Vitamin B6
100% of the DV of Vitamin B5
4,900% of the DV of Vitamin B12

There are also trace amounts of:

Carbonated Water
Taurine
L-Glutamine
Citric Acid
Natural Flavours
Acesulfame Potassium (sweetener)
Sodium Benzoate (preservative)
Potassium Sorbate (preservative)
Salt
Sucralose (sweetener)
Calcium d-Pantothenate
Niacinamide
Herbal Blend
Purple Carrot Extract (for color)
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
Riboflavin (for color)
Cyanocobalamin

General Side Effects of Energy Drinks

Here are some potential side effects of overconsuming energy drinks:

Caffeine overdose
Type 2 diabetes – linked to caffeine, which reduces insulin sensitivity
Adverse neurological effects in adolescents and children
Obesity

Some of the items on this list may surprise you, such as obesity, since energy drinks are typically associated with sporty and healthy activities. However, the sheer amount of sugar found in them negates any possible health benefits!

With regards to XS Energy Drink, its low sugar content makes it unlikely that Type 2 diabetes or obesity are on the horizon. The fear of caffeine overdose and possible bad effects on pregnancy are very real.

If taken over a long period of time, the efficacy of the drink will decrease, especially if you typically consume high amounts of caffeine.

As a whole, it is recommended that like with anything else, these drinks should be consumed in moderation.

Potentially Harmful Ingredients in XS Energy

Acesulfame potassium– This is an artificial sweetener that is rather controversial. It is around 200 times sweeter than sugar, and some medical experts claim that they have harmful effects.

Some other studies conducted on rats have even suggested that excess consumption of sweeteners such as this can cause cancer and harm babies’ development in the womb.

Sucralose – As with Acesulfame potassium, this is also an artificial sweetener that can accumulate in the form of body fat, and cause tooth decay.

Vitamin B12 – XS energy Drink contains 4,900% the amount of the daily recommended dose of Vitamin B12.

While this vitamin is crucial in our diets, too much of a good thing can have unwanted consequences. Some of the side effects that come with too much Vitamin B12 are insomnia, dizziness, and liver failure.

Ginseng – Although you would think ginseng is a pretty healthy ingredient, different individuals react differently to this particular ingredient. Some notable side effects include allergic reactions, and ginseng can react badly with medications like antidepressants.

XS Energy Drink Sugar Comparison

XS Energy boasts zero sugar, which is fantastic, compared to other drinks such as Red Bull or Monster, which both contain above 20g of sugar.

In terms of artificial sweeteners, XS Energy has a relatively low amount of them, with only two- acesulfame potassium and sucralose. Some other brands can have up to three or four different types of sweeteners.

It may not taste as sweet as its counterparts, but you get all the benefits without having to worry about your sugar intake. However, the experience of drinking it may be way less enjoyable- more of a chore than anything else.

One interesting fact is that XS energy drink was one of the first brands to develop a sugar-free energy drink before other brands began to jump onto the bandwagon as well.

XS Energy Drink Price

A 12-can pack of XS Energy costs around $50 on Amazon.

That means that a single can cost about $4, which is rather pricey for an energy drink.

The price is comparable to drinks such as Monster, but definitely far more expensive when you take into account the size of the drinks.

Monster is huge, at 18.6 fl. oz per can, compared to the tiny XS Energy, which is only 8.4 fl. oz per can.

There are several factors that seem to work in its favor, such as the self-proclaimed ‘natural flavoring’ and zero sugar. If you consider that shipping has to be factored in for some places, the total price per can goes up significantly.

For this cost, it’s truly hard to see why the customer would pick this over other more popular, and well-known energy drinks.

If you’re considering an even cheaper alternative, the powder energy drink REIZE is one that ships directly to your door for around $1 per sachet!

Where can I buy XS Energy Drink?

XS Energy Drink is primarily sold by ‘independent business owners’, who are supported by Amway.

Amway is a huge, multi-level marketing corporation that applies this strategy to all aspects of its business. This has even been described as a pyramid scheme in some cases.

What this means is that people looking to earn some money on the side will buy boxes of XS Energy in bulk, and will attempt to sell them to anyone.

The customer then not only has to shoulder the burden of paying for the base cost of the drink but also ends up paying extra in order to make sure Amway and the seller make a profit.

The drink is available to buy directly from Amway, although the cost is much higher and it only comes in 12 packs of individual flavors. If you want some variety, buying from a third-party seller will be your best bet!

If you’re thinking of buying an XS Energy drink, you’ll probably need to do some research of your own in order to get the best deals. Some places to start looking are:

eBay
Amazon

Both places sell them at a relatively cheaper price than Amway, and you have the added bonus of some variety in taste.

Can you have XS Energy Drink while on the keto diet?

Yes, you can, but it also depends on your own personal circumstances.

The keto diet cuts out all the carbohydrates from your diet- and with energy drinks, more often than not, it’s just a mouthful of sugar and a one-way ticket to diabetes. However, XS Energy Drink is completely sugar-free, with a total of 10 calories and 0 carbohydrates.

Its size is also conservative, at a solid 8.4 fl. oz, a lot smaller than the typical energy drink serving, and only includes two sweeteners, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose.

Compared to other drinks such as the sugar-free Red Bull or the low-carb Monster, the sugar-free XS Energy drink is probably your best bet if you’re looking for that extra boost while trying not to get kicked out of ketosis!

One thing to point out is the caffeine content. XS Energy contains around 80mg of caffeine per 8.4 fl. oz serving. This may boost ketone levels and help you burn off that extra fat even more effectively, but also comes with some flaws.

The high caffeine content may be dangerous for those on a keto diet, as when combined with the focus on lower carbs means that your body has more energy, but nothing to break down. Not enough studies have been conducted on this in order to give a conclusive answer, but it’s probably best to err on the safe side.

XS Energy Drink Review / Rating

*All opinions expressed in this review are mine.*

Visuals:

For the price of the drink, the outside of the can is remarkably disappointing. It’s about $3 which means that it’s definitely on the higher end of the spectrum.

With this, you might expect the packaging to be a little classier or more interesting, perhaps marketed toward people who can afford such an expensive drink.

My first impression of the drink was that it looked rather messy, and the fonts weren’t exactly clear on the can, making it look kind of shady. The spray-paint effect was also distinctly from the 2000s and seemed outdated.

The actual color of the drink wasn’t anything out of the ordinary- I think a color other than orange-yellow would have been way more suspicious for sure. This was a point in favor of their ‘natural flavoring’ advertising.

Taste:

I managed to try the ‘Tropical Blast’ flavor, and my first taste of it reminded me of a Caprisun- kind of sweet, fruity, but with a definite artificial undertone.

This is ironic, considering that they make the bold claim that their drinks are naturally flavored.

Despite that, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt until I had finished the can.

It didn’t really get much better over the few minutes that I had to drink it, and I actually think that the artificial taste got stronger after I noticed it.

It was also quite sour, which I think was because I was expecting something that tasted way sweeter.

Because it wasn’t as fizzy as some of the other energy drinks, it went down a lot smoother and without me having to pause for air and burp out carbon dioxide.

Effect:

I started off my day quite sleepy, a victim of jetlag. My body was pretty much ready to fall asleep at 8 am despite a full night’s sleep.

About 15 minutes after drinking XS, I did feel that I was more awake and able to function like a normal human being, and even quite energetic!

It absolutely got me past the initial wave of jet-lag-induced sleepiness and managed to tide me over until the time my body thought I was supposed to be awake.

Furthermore, I did not feel an unpleasant wave of exhaustion when the energy drink wore off and was able to carry on with my day as normal.

Overall, when considering visuals, taste, and effect, I would give XS Energy a 7/10, mostly because I think the sugar-free and gentle crash aspects are really useful when considering it for daily use.

For example, if I were taking it before an exam, then it would be really useful in helping me stay awake with the least amount of negative side effects.

It doesn’t get a higher rating, however, purely because of how expensive it is and the fact that it’s not really worth it for the price that you get it for.

Alternatives to XS Energy Drink

There are lots of great energy drink products available if you’re trying to find a suitable alternative to XS. If you’re looking for similar liquid-based products, try these:

If you’re thinking of branching out into powder-based energy drinks, try these:

Gfuel
Zipfizz
Advocare Spark
REIZE (10 out of 10)

Energy drink powders are really simple to make – just add water! This way, you have the benefit of the exact same energy boost, but at a much more affordable price.

They’re also easily portable, so you don’t have to stress about carrying around a heavy can.

There are a lot of other caffeinated products out there that you could also check out. A couple that you may be interested in are Vivarin caffeine pills and Mio energy water enhancer drops.

XS Energy Drink Roundup

As a whole, I think that compared to the other energy drinks on the market, XS Energy ranks high in terms of the fact that it gives you an energy boost with fewer strings attached.

If we’re comparing specific health benefits, XS is way better than most of the stuff out there, since it is sugar-free, and doesn’t exceed the daily recommended caffeine intake.

However, there are some glaring problems.

The price is far too high for the product that you actually get, making it really not worth the money. When compared to some of the other energy drinks, which only cost $1 – $2, it’s difficult to see why anyone would choose this option over others.

Some flavors even cost more, which is frankly quite silly.

Following that, the marketing strategy is suspicious, making it difficult to justify to yourself the choice to support their kind of distribution process, especially after having heard the rumors. And sure, it’s naturally flavored, but they conveniently forget to tell us about the other artificial ingredients inside the can.

All in all, if you want an alternative to this type of energy drink, it might be worth looking at REIZE Energy Drink, which is very similar to XS Energy, but less than one-third the price. It’s also sugar-free, and has all of the great taste without the crushing price!

Give REIZE a try today and I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a great value energy drink that provides the perfect energy boost.

REIZE (10 out of 10)

If XS Energy is not your cup of tea due to some of its components, I recommend REIZE.

REIZE has a slightly lower caffeine content with 50mg per serving, while XS Energy stands at 80mg of caffeine per standard can.

Also, REIZE is sugar-free and only contains only 11 calories. As an added bonus, it is also infused with taurine, B vitamins, ginseng, and other energy-boosting ingredients.

You can have this beverage shipped to your door for as low as $1 per drink.

Check out REIZE and you’ll realize it’s a better choice than XS Energy!