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Celsius is everywhere right now, and if you’re wondering whether it’s actually good for you or just really good marketing, you’re not alone. As a Registered Dietitian, I get this question constantly.
The short answer: Celsius isn’t bad for most healthy adults when consumed in moderation. But there’s a lot more to it than that, and the claims on the can deserve a closer look.
In this post I’ll break down exactly what’s in Celsius, whether the health claims hold up, who should avoid it, and how it compares to just drinking a cup of coffee.
What is a Celsius energy drink?
Celsius is a popular energy drink with a long list of ingredients and some bold health claims. Celsius claims to give you energy, accelerate your metabolism and burn body fat right on the can.
Among the ingredients are green tea extract, guarana seed extract, caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, ginger extract, and green tea leaf extract.
Before we get into the details, here’s a quick look at how Celsius compares to some of the most popular energy drinks and coffee:
| Celsius (12 oz) | Coffee (8 oz) | Alani Nu (12 oz) | Prime Energy (12 oz) | Sugar Free Red Bull (8.4 oz) | |
| Calories | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Sugar | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| Caffeine | 200mg | 95mg | 200mg | 200mg | 80mg |
| Artificial sweetener | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary blend | Yes | No | No | No | No |
The biggest takeaway here is that Celsius, Alani Nu, and Prime all contain the same amount of caffeine, more than double what you’d get from a standard cup of coffee or a Sugar Free Red Bull. Where Celsius stands apart from the others is the proprietary blend, meaning we don’t know exactly how much of each ingredient is in the can. We’ll get into why that matters below.
What’s in it?
Celsius drinks have 10 calories, most have zero grams of carbohydrates and a can has between 200-270mg of caffeine. There’s also vitamin C and several B vitamins.
- Green tea extract. Green tea leaf extract offers caffeine for an energy boost. Green tea extract does come with some potential health benefits mostly because it’s high in antioxidants.
- Guarana seed extract. Guarana is a plant from the Amazon rainforest that contains caffeine and other active compounds. It’s rich in caffeine (seeds have 2x the caffeine concentration of coffee beans) which adds to the boost of energy and alertness that you get from Celsius. It’s a very common ingredient in energy drinks.
- Ginger root. Ginger or ginger extract has potential anti-inflammatory properties and can also support digestion.
- B vitamins. B vitamins don’t give you energy directly, but they’re part of the process of getting the energy that comes from carbs, fats, and protein. If you’re deficient in these vitamins, taking a supplement might give you a quick energy boost. If your body has enough, additional supplements aren’t going to do much.
- Taurine. An amino acid commonly added to energy drinks. It plays roles in hydration, immune function, and digestion. But since your body makes enough on its own, supplementation isn’t usually necessary.
- BCAAs (L-Isoleucine and L-Leucine). Celsius also includes some branched-chain amino acids for fitness appeal, as they play a role in muscle recovery and exercise support.
- Glucuronolactone. A naturally occurring compound found in the body that is commonly added to energy drinks. Some small studies suggest it may support alertness and mental performance when combined with caffeine, but the research is limited and the dose in Celsius is unknown due to the proprietary blend.
Caffeine In Celsius
Celsius Energy Drinks vary in their caffeine content, and range between 200-270 milligrams of caffeine per can. That’s significantly more caffeine than a typical cup of coffee (about 95 milligrams) and even some other energy drinks like Red Bull (80 milligrams).
Keep in mind though that when we are talking about a cup of coffee, we’re talking about a true, 8 oz cup of coffee. Most of the mugs in our kitchens are WAY bigger than that, and what you’re grabbing from Dunkin’ or Starbucks are often much bigger too (a grande cup of coffee at Starbucks is 314-390mg according to their site).
Even so, the high caffeine content in Celsius drinks might be too much for those with caffeine sensitivity. If you’re drinking other caffeine sources (coffee, tea, soda) in addition to these energy drinks, you’re looking at potential side effects like shakiness, headaches, fast heart rate, and anxiety from excessive caffeine consumption.
Sweetener In Celsius
These energy drinks have no added sugar, but they do use artificial sweeteners, specifically sucralose in most of them. They have a line that uses stevia too, if sucralose isn’t your thing.
Is drinking Celsius good for you?
Right on the front of the can Celsius claims to provide “essential energy, accelerates metabolism, and burns body fat”. Let’s look at whether those claims actually hold up.
Does Celsius Boost Your Metabolism?
Celsius may actually boost your metabolism a bit. There’s a small study from 2010 that explored how Celsius impacted sedentary men in their experience with exercise. Basically, the group of men was either given Celsius to drink or a placebo drink and instructed to exercise or not for ten weeks.
The study found that the men who exercised and drank Celsius had more improvement in their physical fitness than the men who did not have Celsius.
That’s definitely interesting, but it’s important to note that your metabolic rate is impacted by a lot of different things, and an energy drink is likely not the cure.
Does Celsius Improve Performance?
Yes, a bit, but this is not unique to Celsius.
Any time you have some caffeine prior to exercising, your performance may increase a little and your pain tolerance may be higher as well.
So if you’d rather have a cup of coffee as your “pre-workout” , that’s a reasonable choice that might cost less than Celsius and have less added ingredients, too.
It’s worth noting that the studies are small and company-funded. More independent research is needed to back up the claims on the can.
The big picture is that your health and physical fitness is impacted by all of the choices you make every single day, not just a single drink or supplement.
Are Celsius drinks bad for you?
For most healthy individuals (healthy adults, not kids), Celsius is likely okay in moderation.
But it’s important to note that there’s a pretty high amount of caffeine in all Celsius drinks. The can even comes with the warning “Do not exceed (2) servings per day. Not recommended for people who are caffeine-sensitive. Children under 18, or women pregnant or nursing.”
If you have any health conditions, especially heart conditions, I’d pass. Either way, it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor before adding in any type of caffeinated drinks or supplements that have proprietary blends (especially if you have health issues).
The biggest piece of missing information is not just what is in the can, but how much.
Does Celsius cause liver damage?
This is a question I’ve been seeing more often and it deserves a straight answer.
For most healthy adults drinking Celsius in moderation, liver damage is not a significant concern. According to the NIH’s LiverTox database, the liver-related cases linked to green tea extract in the medical literature are almost exclusively tied to concentrated supplements taken in very high doses over long periods of time, not the amount found in an occasional energy drink.
Celsius does contain green tea extract, though the exact amount is unknown due to the proprietary blend. If you’re having one can here and there, the risk is probably very low. If you’re drinking multiple cans every day or stacking Celsius with other supplements that also contain green tea extract, that’s worth being more mindful of, and a conversation with your doctor makes sense.
The honest answer is that more research is needed. As with most things in nutrition, context and moderation matter more than any single ingredient.
What Does Proprietary Blend Mean?
We’ve covered what some of the main ingredients are in Celsius energy drinks but we haven’t yet covered one important factor in determining how well an energy drink can boost your metabolism or athletic performance: how much of these ingredients are in each can?
What should be a simple answer, isn’t.
In short: we don’t know how much of these ingredients are in the can because they’re a “proprietary blend” which means that the manufacturer keeps their secret recipe, well, a secret.
This helps to prevent other companies from mimicking their product, but it also prevents us from knowing if these drinks are actually safe or effective for what they claim to do.
That means we know that yes, there is ginger in the can, but is it actually enough to have any meaningful impact on your body’s inflammatory response? We can’t say, because we don’t know if the dose of ginger is enough.
How Much Is Too Much?
Follow the can’s warning: Celsius advises no more than two 12-oz cans per day, or one Essentials. Not recommended for kids, pregnant or nursing individuals, or those sensitive to caffeine. Be mindful of additional caffeine sources throughout the day.
What About That Lawsuit?
Celsius settled a class action lawsuit related to labeling. They have marketed their drinks as “preservative free” but they do include citric acid, which is a preservative.
Celsius’ position is that the ingredient is not included in the drink as a preservative, but rather as a flavoring. But regardless, it is a preservative, even if they aren’t adding it for that purpose. Citric acid is incredibly common in our foods and drinks.
Celsius has now updated its labeling with a note after its ingredient list stating that the citric acid is there for flavoring, not as a preservative.
In the end I don’t see this as a big deal, but it does highlight how many brands choose to market their products to be the most appealing, even if it’s a little bit confusing to consumers.
The Bottom Line On Celsius
I completely understand the desire for a quick fix when it comes to health and weight management. Marketers know that too, which is why they’re so creative and careful in how they promote products.
The truth is, there are no magic solutions when it comes to health. Your health is the sum of all of your habits, not any single drink or supplement.
This is actually good news. There’s wiggle room in a healthy lifestyle to enjoy things like Celsius. Health and wellness isn’t all about deprivation or forcing yourself to eat foods you don’t like. We get to enjoy what we eat and drink too.
If Celsius is something you enjoy, the caffeine boost fits your lifestyle, and it fits your budget, go for it in moderation. If you’d rather get your caffeine from coffee and skip the extra ingredients and the price tag, that’s a completely reasonable choice too. You don’t need it to improve your metabolism or your workouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Celsius isn’t bad for most healthy adults when consumed in moderation. It’s a high caffeine energy drink with 200mg of caffeine per can, which is more than double a standard cup of coffee. For healthy adults without caffeine sensitivity or heart conditions, one can occasionally is generally considered safe. It’s not a health drink, but it’s not something to panic about either.
Most Celsius cans contain 200mg of caffeine per 12 oz serving. The Celsius Essentials line contains 270mg per can. For context, the FDA recommends healthy adults consume no more than 400mg of caffeine per day, so one standard can of Celsius accounts for half of that daily limit before you factor in any other caffeine sources like coffee or tea.
For most healthy adults, one Celsius per day is within safe caffeine limits as long as you’re not consuming significant amounts of caffeine from other sources. That said, daily high caffeine intake can disrupt sleep, increase anxiety and create dependence over time. It’s worth asking yourself whether you’re using it to compensate for poor sleep or low energy rather than as an occasional boost.
Not necessarily. Coffee is a simpler, less expensive source of caffeine with no artificial sweeteners, no proprietary blend, and decades of research behind it. Celsius has more caffeine than a standard cup of coffee and a longer ingredient list with unknowns due to the proprietary blend. If caffeine is what you’re after, coffee is a perfectly reasonable and often cheaper alternative.
Celsius is not recommended for children under 18, pregnant or nursing women, people with caffeine sensitivity, or those with heart conditions. If you have any health conditions or take medications, check with your doctor before adding any high caffeine drink or supplement to your routine.
The evidence is limited. There is a small 2010 study showing that men who exercised and drank Celsius had slightly better fitness improvements than those who did not, but the study was small and funded by the company. Any metabolism boosting effect is modest at best and not a substitute for consistent nutrition and exercise habits.
That’s a Wrap
Celsius isn’t a weight loss miracle or a metabolism-boosting magic drink. But it’s also not something most healthy adults need to stress about.
If you enjoy it, the caffeine works for your lifestyle, and it fits your budget, go for it. Just keep tabs on your total caffeine intake for the day, especially if you’re also having coffee or other caffeinated drinks.
And if you’d rather stick with a good old cup of coffee? That’s a completely valid choice that might cost you less and come with fewer ingredients.
If you’re looking for more of my honest takes on trending products, here are a few you might like:
A great informative article.
It needs to be read by everyone.
I am hearing about excessive use of Celsius and the increase in the need for Emergency Room
assistance. There are questions around expressing concern about Celsius potential for
liver damage.
What are the harmful effects for people under 18 years old?
How can they be protected?
Given the popularity of Celsius, there is no surprise that PEPSI has bought over $500 Million
of Celsius stock in recent days.
There is an extremely limited and inconclusive amount of research with regards to Celsius and liver damage, however it is not any more or less than the connection to any energy drink, and only is questionable when drinking significant amounts, not the moderate amount a reasonable person would drink.
That is also true for emergency room visits. Mostly under the age of 18 for over-consumption, similar to other energy drinks. Nothing close to the days when I worked the ER back in 2008-2010 when alcoholic energy drinks were the rage before being banned by the FDA.
The protection for youth is primarily on parents, – the ones who take their 10 year old kids to Starbucks for triple shot Frappuccino’s. Caffeine is a readily available drug to children from tea to energy drinks. Education and better parenting are the key.
THANKS FOR THE INSIGHT TO CELSIUS
This is so relatable and well-written. This made me rethink my own approach. Your writing style kept me engaged.
Ma’am, thank you so very much for your super-informative and well-written discourse about Celsius. I failed to detect the caffeine content from their website. I was amazed by your caffeine-content information.
-an old guy concerned about modern, overhyped beverages.
Hi. I’m a daily Celsius drinker. It makes me feel good. Energized. And my metabolism works a lot harder. Thanks to Celsius. This article didn’t tell me anything new. But one can a day makes me feel great.
Don’t forget most Celsius drinks have biotin in them.
Cool Post.
I found this article to be extremely informative, as well as interesting. I drink a Celsius every day and have not seen any negative effects. I don’t know that’s it’s doing anything for me as far as metabolism is concerned, but I enjoy the taste and will continue to enjoy one a day.