One of the more prominent energy drinks in the market, it’s hard to ignore just how ingrained Monster Energy and energy drinks go together, going as far as replacing a daily cup of joe for many people.
But for those of you who drink it every day, have you ever asked yourself if all that sugar and caffeine might be somewhat bad for you? Sure it might be a pretty good boost, but is it worth the long-term health consequences?
For the brief answer, while having a Monster Energy on occasion may be perfectly fine, having it every day will add a fairly high amount of sugar to your overall diet, so be sure to moderate your overall intake and don’t go relying upon Monster for your daily caffeine fix.
For more information on Monster Energy and whether or not you should be having it every day, read on to find out.
Contents
Monster Energy Nutritional Facts
First up, a quick look at the nutritional value of the standard 16 fl.oz Monster Energy you can get off the shelf, and what exactly you’re getting out of one nutritionally.
| Daily Values (Per 16 fl.oz) | Monster Energy |
| Calories | 101 |
| Sodium | 370mg |
| Potassium | 7.2mg |
| Carbohydrates | 54g |
| Sugars | 54g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Caffeine | 160mg |
| Cobalamin | 100% |
| Vitamin B6 | 100% |
As you can see, Monster Energy has a fairly high amount of calories for a canned drink, 210 calories are roughly 1/10th of your daily caloric intake; It’ll definitely give you energy, but it’s certainly not something you want to down back-to-back.
Furthermore, while a can of Monster is great as a quick boost, it’s certainly not a viable alternative for actual meals. So while it’ll definitely give you the calories to power through a rough time, its certainly no replacement for a good meal.
Monster Energy Drink Ingredients
Here is a quick list of ingredients in Monster Energy.
- Carbonated Water
- Sugar
- Caffeine
- Glucose
- Citric Acid
- Natural Flavors
- Taurine
- Sodium Citrate
- Added Color
- Panax Ginseng Extract
- L-Carnitine
- L-Tartrate
- Sorbic Acid
- Benzoic Acid
- Niacinamide
- Sucralose
- Salt
- D-Glucuronolactone
- Inositol
- Guarana Extract
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B2
- Maltodextrin
- Cyanocobalamin
While the 2 major energy-driving components in Monster Energy are caffeine and sugar, there are plenty of other ingredients in Monster Energy that might affect your daily intake as well, which we’ll dive deeper down below.
Monster Energy Caffeine Content
Your regular 16 fl.oz can of Monster Energy has 160mg of caffeine, which is pretty average for an energy drink, and is also essential to all the potential benefits that you can get out of it.
Caffeine is the most commonly used stimulant all over the world. Since it is a stimulant, caffeinated beverages alter the brain’s cognitive function, which makes caffeine an effective psychoactive drug.
Caffeine works by blocking the adenosine receptors in your brain, which mainly prevents you from feeling sleepy, but also has other active benefits such as improving reaction times as well as overall cognitive function.
You’re probably wondering why people aren’t on this stuff more often, but that’s because having too much caffeine in a short period is pretty detrimental for your overall health.
The FDA generally approves a daily max caffeine limit of 400mg, having any more than that will lead to side effects such as:
- Insomnia
- Jitters
- Anxiousness
- Rapid Heart Rate
- Upset Stomach
- Nausea
- Headache
- Dysphoria
So while a little bit of caffeine is benneficial, be sure not to have too much of it. Given that a standard Monster Energy has 160mg per serving, you have about a 2 can leeway before the caffeine starts to catch up to you, provide your tolerance is actualyl around 400mg and not lower.
That being said, while 2 cans might be good on the caffeine scale, the sugar content might make you reconsider if you should be having one of these in the first place.
Monster Energy Sugar Content
Each 16 fl.oz can of Monster Energy has 54g of sugar, which is a fairly high amount for an energy drink, and certainly isn’t great from a health perspective.
Sugar, in moderation, is actually not too harmful to your health, giving you a quick energy boost and can improve your mood by slightly increasing the dopamine levels in your brain.
However, excessive amounts of sugar in your diet, especially over a long period of time, can have pretty nasty effects on your health, ranging from tooth decay to all the symptoms of metabolic syndrome (a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity).
In general, the AHA recommends that you have a max daily added sugar limit of no more than 9 teaspoons (36g or 150 calories) for men and no more than 6 teaspoons (25g or 100 calories) for women.
Given that a 16 fl.oz can of Monster is well over that limit (at 54g), having a can a day is already pushing it in terms of your overall sugar intake, let alone having more than one can of the stuff within the day.
In any case, I would highly recommend only cracking open a can of Monster when you really need, as it’s really not the sort of casual drink you should be having daily, especially if you’re mindful of your health.
Sucralose
An artificial sweetener, sucralose is a zero-calorie sweetener that acts a sugar substitute and is widely used in zero to low-calorie energy drinks, but given Monster Energy is already chock full of sugar, it’s addition is probably more for taste.
While sucralose not adding to your calorie-count is a definite boon in most cases, Monster Energy’s high sugar content mostly renders this point moot, and is probably just present to add an additional layer of sweetness to the drink.
While there are some concerns over the long-term use of artificial sweeteners, the FDA has approved them for general use, so it’s best to still moderate your overall intake of it you can.
B-Vitamins
B-Vitamins are pretty essential to our body. They play an important role for our bodies to function the right way.
While certainly a welcome sight in Monster Energy, the B-Vitamin content is by no means the main reason you should be having this energy drink, although it does make it slightly healthier for you.
I’ve listed the B-Vitamins in Monster and what they do down below, and if you would like a more in-depth look at B-Vitamins, the Harvard Health hub should prove to be insightful.
| Purpose | Amount (Per 16 fl.oz of Monster) | Tolerable Upper Intake Level | |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | Helps the body release energy, maintains healthy skin | 43mg | 35mg |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | Cell growth, fat breakdown and energy production | 5mg | N/A |
| Vitamin B6 | Store energy from protein and carbohydrates, forms red blood cells | 5mg | 100mg |
| Vitamin B12 | Release energy from food, forms red blood cells, maintains a healthy nervous system | 5.1µg | N/A |
What Happens If You Drink Monster Energy?
If you haven’t had Monster Energy yet and want to know what it roughly feels like to have one (placebo or not), here’s a quick run-through of the various things that you may experience.
As your liver processes and delivers caffeine through your system, your body will feel the effects of all that caffeine within 15 minutes, namely the keeping you awake and increased alertness part and, frankly, not too dissimilar to what you’ll get if you’re more used to coffee.
After that, you’ll get a solid caffeine boost for roughly 5 hours, although how quickly the human body can process all that caffeine can range between 1.5 to 9.5 hours, so your mileage may vary regarding this.
As for the sugar, you’ll definitely get a quick sugar rush from Monster’s high sugar content, but you’re also pretty liable to a sugar crash (a feeling of sluggishness and lethargy) due to the rise and fall in your blood insulin levels.
In any case, the energy you’re getting from a can of Monster is potent but brief; sugar and caffeine is great for giving you an immediate, short-form boost, but for long, sustained work you might have to opt for something a lot less sugary.
How Many Cans Of Monster Energy Can I Have A Day?
| Monster Energy Drink (Per 16 fl.oz) | Daily Max Limit (Female/Male) | |
| Calories | 210 calories | 2400 calories/3000 calories |
| Sugar | 54g | 25g/36g |
| Caffeine | 160mg | 400mg |
Personally, I would highly recommend not having a can of Monster Energy every day due to its high amounts of sugar, and at most only having a can every other day to minimise the overall impact it might have on your health.
Although they might look like them energy drinks aren’t exactly sodas, and you really shouldn’t be treating them as such. You can definitely enjoy one as a casual experience, but the best way to get the most out of an energy drink is to only have it when you need it.
Even so, there are plenty of other energy drinks out there which are a lot more suitable for daily consumption than sugar, such as those with a lower sugar content (Mountain Dew Game Fuel) or sugar-free options (CELSIUS).
While they’re definitely not going to win any healthy energy drink awards, it’s certainly a lot better for you than consuming 54g of sugar (or, heaven-forbid, more) on a daily basis.
That being said, there are certainly situations where Monster’s caffeine and sugar content can get you through a tough spot, such as a late-night cram session, or finalising a hard presentation for the next day.
In any other case though, I would recommend sticking to something a lot less sugary for your daily caffeine fix, as although Monster can give you a boost, you really don’t need it all the time.
Is it OK to drink 2 Monsters a day?
Monster Energy drinks contain a lot of sugar and caffeine, which can be bad for your health. Especially if you plan on drinking two Monsters cans per day. Even if you are in good health, excessive consumption of Monster energy drinks can cause serious health problems.
Avoid drinking energy drinks, especially if you have a compromised immune system. Some people might be okay drinking a can of energy drink daily. However, in the long run it could cause liver failure.
Can I Get Addicted to Monster Energy?
The lifestyle of drinking energy drinks can be hard to break, like any habit-forming product out there.
Just like any caffeinated beverage, it can be pretty habit-forming to crack open a can of Monster Energy whenever you feel like you need the boost, very much in the vein of how some people can’t function without their morning cup of coffee.
As such, you should probably get a handle on things if you find yourself reaching for a can of Monster more often than you should, especially if you happen to live a fairly sedentary lifestyle.
Where Can I Buy Monster Energy?
You can buy Monster Energy almost anywhere and everywhere. It is one of the most convenient thirsts clenchers money can buy.
You can buy energy drinks in most supermarkets, convenience stores, sports bars, vending machines, and online. Some stores even accept food stamps to pay for energy drinks.
Pretty practical if you ask me.
Final Thoughts
All-in-all, while Monster Energy is great for a one-off sugar and caffeine-rush, your probably shouldn’t be having it every day due to its incredibly high sugar content.
If all you need is a quick dosing of sugar and caffeine, Monster Energy can definitely deliver that to you in spades, making it a great ‘panic button’ if you need to get something done in a short amount of time.
However, all that sugar and caffeine can become pretty detrimental, especially if you don’t moderate your overall intake of energy drinks and/or diet.
Hence, be sure to only have a can of Monster Energy when you really need it, and try not consume any other overly sugary or caffeinated products if you do find yourself with a can of it.