Kill Cliff: The Healthy Energy Drink?

With energy drinks becoming more ubiquitous, there are many questions surrounding the health benefits of the products. Some energy drinks contain ingredients that you want to avoid. Bucked Up has Deer Antler Velvet, which is banned by many organized sports leagues as a performance enhancer, Rockstar has 61g of sugar in each can, and Bang does not specify how much of their “Super Creatine” they include in their energy blend. Hell, Reign even uses synthetic caffeine. With so many questions surrounding the health benefits of energy drinks, I set out to find if there are any healthy options in the market today.

The make up of a healthy energy drink is simple:

1. No blatantly unhealthy ingredients (duh).

2. Caffeine occurring from natural sources.

3. A healthy sugar substitute.

Caffeine is not mentioned because there are studies indicating that chronic caffeine consumption actually improves long-term brain function. FDA recommendations include limiting daily caffeine intake to under 400mg, and none of the common energy drinks exceed that in a single can.

There is one energy drink that very clearly follows all three requirements, and that is Kill Cliff. Kill Cliff has no questionable ingredients, three types of electrolytes, is loaded with B-Vitamins, and gets its caffeine from green tea extract. It even has Panax Ginseng Root Powder, which is an adaptogen that helps your body overcome physiological stressors and maintain homeostasis.

Many energy drinks have similar makeups so far with Panax Ginseng, electrolytes, vitamins, and caffeine from green tea, so why is Kill Cliff a step above the rest? Well, on top of having no other ingredients that are harmful, it has the healthiest combination of sugar substitutes of any common energy drink. There is no sucralose, which may increase inflammation and lower the number of good bacteria in your gut, and, most importantly, contains zero grams of sugar.

There are three different types of sweeteners found in Kill Cliff, each with their own benefits:

Erythritol –

Erythritol is the primary sweetener in Kill Cliff. There are 14g total of sugar alcohol from Erythritol (and Inositol) in each can. It generally takes at least 40g+ for any stomach sensitivity, which is the only significant side effect. It is naturally occurring in some fruits, and contains 6% of calories found in the same quantity of sugar.

It is sweet, delicious, does not spike blood sugar or insulin, and is considered a healthy alternative to other artificial sweeteners. There are some studies indicating that it may even be more beneficial than originally thought, acting as an antioxidant and improving blood vessel function in people with Type 2 diabetes.

So, if you have three or four Kill Cliff energy drinks, then you may feel nauseous and have digestive issues. If you are a normal human being and only drink one, maybe two in a day, then you will be able to excrete the Erythritol with zero side effects.

Inositol –

Inositol is actively beneficial, balancing hormones that help with mental conditions and potentially increasing insulin effectiveness. It is a sugar alcohol that is naturally occurring in brain tissue, and is commonly found in over-the-counter health supplements. There are many other potential benefits that are currently being researched, with the only side effects being comparable to Erythritol.

Stevia –

Because of the higher amounts of Erythritol and Inositol, there is a very small amount of Stevia in Kill Cliff. Stevia acts similar to Erythritol with antioxidant compounds, and is a zero-calorie sweetener. Stevia is considered safe when used as a sweetener, but large amounts of stevia consumption have not been tested (as there does not seem to be any inherent need to know that information with such small quantities used as a sweetener).

Upshot

Kill Cliff has the optimal ingredients in every category when it comes to health. There is nothing blatantly unhealthy, the sweetener choices are excellent, and the caffeine is derived from green tea extract. On top of the health benefits, Kill Cliff is delicious and refreshing. It has many different flavors, and is marketed as a “Clean Killer Taste.” You never have to feel bad when grabbing yourself a Kill Cliff Energy Drink.