Not being aware of what you put in your system is a gamble one should never take. This especially applies to food and beverages containing ingredients that claim to boost the body – yup, like energy drinks.
A 16 fl. oz. can of Advocare Spark Energy contains 120mg of caffeine, 0g of sugar, and 15 calories. Aside from this, each serving contains a heavy punch of vitamins and minerals that will do wonders if taken correctly!
While there are a lot of energy drinks in the market, some belong in the dangerous tier due to the high concentration of components that boasts of their funky taste but literally have no other benefits to speak of. Is Advocare Spark one of these non-nutritive thirst quenchers that only add empty calories to the diet?
Well, let’s put Spark to the test and see just how nutritious it is.
Contents
The Importance of Nutrition Facts
It is vital to be conscious of what is going in your body when you are consuming a certain product. For FDA-approved packaged food products and beverages, it is a requirement to have a nutrition fact label on them.
It is important to know the nutritional facts when you have allergies to specific ingredients to ensure you won’t feel any adverse aftereffects. People with diabetes, blood pressure, and other underlying diseases need to know the sugar and caffeine levels before consuming any drink. Simply put, nutritional labels exist because they serve as a buffer and disclaimer for people in certain circumstances.
Percentage daily value tells about the amount of a specific nutrient in the drink. Knowing this helps individuals in achieving and maintaining a balanced and healthy diet.
Advocare Spark Nutrition Facts
Advocare has a great blend of vitamins and minerals that will not only help get you through the day but will also give you that healthy energy boost!
Here is an easy-to-navigate table of all the nutrients found in each serving. Note that this is based on a healthy 2000-calorie diet.
| Nutrient | Amount per serving | % Daily Value |
| Saturated Fat | 0g | 0% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 0mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 4g | 1% |
| Sugar | 0g | 0% |
| Protein | 0g | 0% |
| Calcium | 0mg | 0% |
| Iron | 0mg | 0% |
| Vitamin A | 50mcg | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 180mcg | 200% |
Advocare Spark Ingredients
Each Advocare stick pack or canister is a mix of caffeine, vitamins, and a variety of amino acids all of which have energy-boosting abilities. Check out the list of ingredients down below:
- Copper (as copper glycinate)
- Chromium (as chromium citrate)
- Choline (as bitartrate and citrate)
- L-Tyrosine
- Taurine
- Caffeine
- Vitamin A (as beta-carotene)
- Vitamin B-6 (as pyridoxine HCl)
- Vitamin B-12 (as cyanocobalamin)
- Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid)
- Vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopheryl acetate)
- Thiamine (as HCl)
- Riboflavin
- Niacin (as niacinamide)
- Pantothenic acid (as calcium pantothenate)
- Zinc (as zinc monomethionine)
- Copper (as copper glycinate)
- Chromium (as chromium citrate)
- Choline (as bitartrate and citrate)
- L-Tyrosine
- Taurine
- Caffeine
- Glycine
- L-Carnitine (as tartrate)
- Inositol
- Maltodextrin
- Citric acid
- Sucralose
- Silicon dioxide
Vitamins in Advocare Spark
Advocare Spark is a blend of several vitamins including Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and several Vitamin Bs. The combination of these vitamins is a great addition to your everyday routine, especially if you’re seeking more than the caffeinated kick.
Here is an easy-to-understand table to learn how these vitamins benefit our body.
| Beta-Carotene | Promotes good vision and eye health and contributes to healthier skin. |
| Ascorbic Acid | Antioxidant that wards off free radicals and controls infections. |
| D-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate | Prevents UV rays from damaging the skin and cognitive decline. |
| Thiamine | Prevents diseases such as beriberi, nervous system, brain, and heart complications. |
| Riboflavin | Helps in red blood cell production and the body’s growth phases. |
| Niacin | Functions as a coenzyme and converts fat into energy. It also helps the body create and maintain DNA. |
| Pyridoxine HCl | Aids in anemia, heart disease, or PMS prevention. |
| Cyanocobalamin | Keeps the nervous system healthy, maintains blood sugar, and boosts energy levels. |
| Pantothenic Acid | Breaks down fat and reduces bad cholesterol levels in the body. Also converts protein and fat into energy. |
| Zinc | Boosts immune system, wound healing, and decreases inflammation. |
| Copper | Maintains healthy bones and blood vessels. It also helps prevent osteoporosis and heart failure. |
| Chromium | Vital in protein, lipid, and carbohydrate digestion. It also improves insulin sensitivity. |
| Inositol | Aids anxiety and blood sugar control, improve PCOS, and blood lipid regulation. |
This potent combination of vitamins and minerals can be helpful for your well-being. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why Advocare Spark remains one of the few energy drink packets I bring on stressful days!
If you’re on the hunt for other energy drinks that offer more than just a caffeinated boost, check out my article about the healthiest energy drinks on the market.
Caffeine in Spark Energy
Advocare Spark contains 120mg of caffeine in each stick pack or 1 scoop of powder from the canister. Honestly speaking, I feel like this caffeine level is just enough to get you through your day without giving you that painful caffeine crash after wearing off.
Advocare belongs in the low-middle tier when it comes to caffeine content. This makes it perfect for energy drink enthusiasts who like their thirst-quenchers hot and heavy.
Personally, I don’t prefer drinking a highly-caffeinated drink because I find that 50 to 100mg is enough for me to get through the day.
Still, I make an exception for Advocare Spark. Why?
Because its caffeine content is not even half the recommended daily limit for healthy adults which falls at no greater than 400mg. The rich vitamins and nutrients are definitely a plus factor!
I usually prefer drinking Advocare when I need that extra boost of energy to work for extra hours. In fact, I love the effects it brings when I’m spending my hours on graveyard shifts.
Caffeine has a lot of health benefits as long as you limit your caffeine intake to a safe range. Here are some proven benefits of caffeine:
- Stimulates the Central Nervous system
- Keeps you more alert and provides a much-needed boost of energy
- Promotes diuresis so that body can remove excess toxins and salts by urinating more
- Enhances weight loss
- Improves cognitive function
Too Much Caffeine Side Effects
Caffeine interferes quite aggressively with the body’s metabolism. Consistent overconsumption of caffeine causes several health complications.
The acidic nature of caffeine interferes with hydrochloric acid in the stomach and disturbs the pH environment of the stomach causing upset stomach and heartburn. Overconsumption leads to shrunken blood vessels and higher blood pressure.
Wanna know an infamous secret? Caffeine infuses in the bloodstream and spreads in the body within 45 minutes. That’s why it’s best to drink energy drinks prior to working out. Trust me, I know.
Too much of a good thing is severely dangerous, this is also the truth when it comes to caffeine consumption. Going overboard on the recommended dosage can yield caffeine toxicity. Here are the side effects of caffeine overdose:
- Osteoporosis
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Highblood pressure
- Bleeding Disorders
- Diarrhea
- Digestive issues
Check this video below to know more about the good and bad effects of caffeine:
Amino Acids in Spark Energy
The Spark energy drink is often promoted as an amino acid supplement because it is loaded with amino acids. Check out the amino acids in Spark Energy in the table I’ve created below:
| Taurine | Reduces risk of heart diseases, maintains blood sugar levels, supports the functions of CNS, regulates the immune system |
| Glycine | Improves the quality of sleep, protects the heart, improves cellular growth, aids in type 2 diabetes |
| Choline | Aids in memory regulation, reduces anxiety, improves gene expression, lowers high blood pressure |
| L-Tyrosine | Boosts neuron communication, builds proteins, improves memory and thinking skills, helps to maintain Focus |
| L-Carnitine | Transforms fat into energy, helps in muscle movement, improves heart and brain function, reduces the lactic acid build-up |
Artificial Sweeteners in Advocare Spark
Wanna know how famous beverages in the market manage to nab that sweetness without borrowing the power of high-calorie sugar? Advocare knows the exact formula to catch that subtle flavor without the price of carbohydrates!
Advocare Spark energy drinks contain 0-gram sugar. Still, it’s one of the energy drink lines with the best flavors if you ask me. The secret lies in their sugar substitute – Sucralose.
Sucralose is a synthetic sugar substitute. It cannot be metabolized and broken down by the body so it is non-caloric. It is 600 times sweeter than sugar but it is still healthier because our body does not break it down. In short, it just gives you a taste of sugar without even consuming sugar.
Sucralose or Splenda is considered safe and is used widely in diet beverages and energy drinks. I’d like to think that Spark Energy is a very healthy beverage because of this!
I try to take minimal sugar these days, not only because I’m watching my weight but because I feel like there are a lot of beverages in the market that just pack a lot of sweetness in one can.
The dangers of sugar overconsumption include:
- Weight gain
- Heart disease
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Mood disorder
- Skin aging
- Tooth decay
- Sugar crash
Looking for other sugar-free energy drinks? I got you, partner!
Flavor Variants of Advocare Spark
The drink comes in different fruit flavors that you can choose from:
- Strawberry
- Fruit Punch
- Mango Strawberry
- Mandarin Orange
- Grape
- Cherry
- Blue Raspberry
- Watermelon
- Pink Lemonade
- Limeade
- Green Apple
If you ask me, I won’t hesitate to tell you that my favorite among these variants is the mango strawberry flavor. I just like the combination of these sweet and subtly sour tastes – I’m someone who’s really obsessed with tropical fruits!
Here is an in-depth review I’ve made about the first time I encountered this particularly caffeinated thirst quencher.
Side effects of Advocare Spark
Advocare Spark does not have any serious side effects if you limit the consumption to one or two packs every now and then. It won’t cause you any harm as long as you consume it in moderation and don’t have any allergies to its ingredients.
Some energy drinks do have side effects so if you’re on medications or have any underlying health disorder, you need to first consult with your healthcare provider. Some of these side effects include:
- Poor mental health
- Heart palpitations
- Dehydration
- Blood vessel problems
- Restlessness
- Disrupted sleep patterns
Some of the components to look out for are caffeine and choline. As Advocare Spark has 0g sugar, you can rest assured that you won’t suffer from glucose allergies!
One serving of Advocare Spark contains 120mg of caffeine. If you are not used to having this amount of caffeine then this might be too much for you. I suggest avoiding Spark if your body is not used to drinking such caffeinated beverages.
Choline is an essential nutrient that helps in the synthesis and transport of lipids in the body. Advocare Spark contains 500 mg of choline in a single drink which is quite a lot looking at the recommended intake of 550 mg.
In case you have any pre-existing disease, consider consulting your doctor before intaking such high amounts of choline. What’s more?
Keep in mind that Advocare itself does not recommend Spark energy drinks for pregnant or nursing mothers and kids! As such, I would advise not acting on your cravings or peer pressure until you’re qualified to take this bombshell of a thirst quencher.
In my opinion, consuming Spark in moderation causes no risk to your health and is a worthy energy drink. This is particularly true if you’re drinking Spark Energy to reinforce your depleted power source, as well as the plethora of vitamins it offers.
Alternatives to Spark Energy Drink
If Advocare Spark isn’t up your alley, then here are a few suggestions:
Other noteworthy mentions
Final Verdict
If you are finding yourself a drink that gives you a jolt of energy without inculcating tons of calories in you, then Advocare Spark energy drink might be the one.
120 mg caffeine makes sure that you get that much-needed boost of energy while consuming only 15 calories and no sugar.
I highly recommend sticking to one Spark energy drink per day to prevent yourself from hazardous overdosing of caffeine and getting the benefits of vitamins and amino acids to their fullest. Still, if you really feel like drinking another glass, then do so by all means!
You can definitely drink two packets a day, just ensure you won’t be consuming any more caffeinated products and that you won’t do it daily. In my opinion, one is literally enough, but I get that we all have our tolerance and preferences.