Skip to Content

Is AdvoCare Spark Gluten-Free? (And Much More)

AdvoCare Spark is an energy drink mix that boasts a vitamin-rich composition and is the prime choice for many individuals when it comes to a healthy energy boost.

But that doesn’t mean that it’s completely risk-free. People have been wondering whether AdvoCare Spark has any gluten in it or not.

As always, I will answer your question without wasting any time:

The manufacturer of AdvoCare Spark states that since it isn’t produced in a certified gluten-free environment, AdvoCare Spark can’t be considered gluten-free.

That is a tricky statement. They haven’t said that it contains gluten, just that it is produced in a place that isn’t certified gluten-free.

This might mean that it does contain gluten. Or maybe it doesn’t.

So to solve this dilemma I have decided to inspect each of the main ingredients in AdvoCare Spark to see what exactly is the case here.

Is it the former? Or the latter? Read this article to the end to find out.

What Is Gluten?

all types of bread
Many common foods like bread, pasta, some biscuits, etc, contain gluten.

But before we start analyzing AdvoCare Spark, I should first briefly explain what gluten is, in case some people don’t know.

Gluten is a family of proteins found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye.

The term ‘gluten’ comes from the Latin word for glue. This is because gluten gives flour dough a glue-like sticky consistency and is responsible for the chewy texture of certain foods.

Some common examples of gluten-containing foods are:

  • Bread
  • Pasta and noodles
  • Biscuits and crackers
  • Cakes and pastries
  • Malts
  • Certain breakfast cereals

Other foods that may contain gluten are:

  • Gravies
  • French fries
  • Tortilla chips
  • Processed meat
  • Salad dressings
  • Soups
  • Soy sauce

The problem with gluten is that some people have bodies that are sensitive to it or that they have gluten-related diseases. They may suffer immune reactions after consuming even minuscule amounts of it

Some examples of such medical conditions are:

People with such conditions have to strictly follow a gluten-free diet which I explain in the next section.

Gluten-Free Diet Explained

gluten free diet, steak, and vegetables
Gluten-free diets have been becoming increasingly popular lately.

A gluten-free diet is, as you’ve probably guessed, a diet that does not contain any gluten.

People who follow gluten-free diets tend to keep their surroundings gluten-free as well, as even a speck of a gluten-carrying substance may fall in their food and trigger an immune response.

This is no easy task, as gluten can sometimes get attached to gluten-free food through cross-contact if said gluten-free food comes into contact with it.

Some people follow a gluten-free diet not because of a medical condition, but because of the health benefits that come from it.

Some examples of gluten-free foods are:

  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Meat and fish (with the exception of coated or battered meat/fish)
  • Eggs
  • Dairy products (flavored products may have gluten, so check their labels first)
  • Most beverages
  • Flour (except of course wheat, barley, or rye flour)
  • Nuts
  • Herbs and spices
  • All vegetable oils and spreads

So if you’re ever one of the people who shouldn’t be eating anything with gluten, then it’s best to stick with the list above.

What Are the Ingredients of AdvoCare Spark?

AdvoCare Spark has the following ingredients in it:

  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin B6 and B12
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin E
  • Pantothenic Acid
  • Riboflavin
  • Niacin
  • Thiamine
  • Choline
  • Zinc
  • Copper
  • Chromium

It also has additional ingredients such as:

  • L-tyrosine
  • Taurine
  • Caffeine
  • Glycine
  • L-carnitine
  • Inositol
  • Maltodextrin
  • Citric acid
  • Sucralose
  • Silicon dioxide

As you can see, AdvoCare Spark contains a ton of vitamins and minerals that are invaluable to a person’s health.

Whether they are gluten-free or not, we will discuss later. But first, let’s take a look at the supplement/nutritional information of this energy mix.

AdvoCare Spark Suppliment Information

Advocare spark supplemental information
The supplement information is on the back of an AdvoCare Spark canister.

Advocare Spark’s nutritional contents are as mentioned in the table below:

MacronutrientsAmount% of daily intake
Calories15<1%
Carbohydrates4g<2%
MineralAmount% of daily intake
Zinc 3mg25-37%
Copper200mcg14-18%
Chromium24mcgApprox. 100%
Choline500mgApprox. 100%
VitaminAmount % of daily intake
Beta-carotene (Vitamin A)300mcg33-42%
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)15mg>100%
Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12)45mcg>100%
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)180mcg>100%
D-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E)20.1mg>100%
Pantothenic acid50mg>100%
Thiamine3mg>100%
Riboflavin3.4mg>100%
Niacin60mg>100%
AntioxidantAmount% of daily intake
Taurine200mg10-40%
L-Tyrosine500mg>100%
Inositol10mg55-100%
L-Carnitine10mg1% or less
Glycine100mg<10%
Supplement facts of AdvoCare Spark show that it is rich in vitamins.

While it’s nice to have some supplements in AdvoCare, it’s also not a medical supplement. Think of this as an “add-on.”

Caffeine In AdvoCare Spark

coffee beans
The most common source of caffeine is tea. It is the most consumed beverage in the world after water.

A single serving of AdvoCare Spark contains 120mg of caffeine.

This much is a pretty good amount in my opinion. It’s neither too high nor too low and leaves room for other caffeinated beverages like tea or coffee.

The FDA recommended limit for daily consumption of coffee is 400mg, so even if you drink a serving of AdvoCare Spark a day, you will still be well below the limit.

Unlike some other brands which have ridiculously high caffeine content, AdvoCare Spark has a balanced 120mg of it.

This makes AdvoCare Spark a pretty viable option for people who are looking to get a decent boost to their energy along with some of the most important vitamins and minerals.

Now that we have gone over what ingredients, macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are included in AdvoCare Spark’s blend, we can now start answering if they are gluten-free.

We’ll start with macronutrients.

Are Macronutrients Gluten-Free?

What Are Macronutrients?

‘Macronutrients’ is the general term used for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These are the core of a person’s diet and comprise most of the nutrients in it.

A lot of diet plans focus on managing the percentages of each of these micronutrients for differents results.

The recommended amount for daily consumption of carbs is 45-65%, for fats, it is 20-35%, and for protein, it is 10-35%.

The variation is due to a person’s health and physical needs.

Can Macronutrients Be Considered Gluten-Free?

Yes and no. It depends, to be honest.

Since macronutrients are present in almost every kind of food, they aren’t inherently gluten-based or gluten-free.

What matters is where you are getting these nutrients from. So if you’re on a gluten-free diet, you’ll want to get them from gluten-free food.

Since the macronutrients in AdvoCare Spark don’t come from anything that contains gluten, it is safe to say that they are of the gluten-free variety.

Are Vitamins Gluten-Free?

Vitamins: A Brief Introduction

Vitamins are a type of nutrient that the body needs to properly function.

Vitamins are required in very small amounts as compared to macronutrients and the best way to get them is through a diverse and balanced diet.

A lot of people, however, don’t eat the right food for their vitamin needs and end up being deficient in them.

Such people need supplements in order to be as healthy as possible and energy drinks like AdvoCare Spark act as good alternatives to these supplements.

Do Vitamins Have Gluten In Them?

Vitamins themselves are considered to be gluten-free, but the same can’t be said for products containing them.

Some multivitamins or other medications, as well as some energy drinks, may contain traces of gluten, so it is better to thoroughly check the packaging for a gluten-free label before buying.

Another reason why some products may not be completely gluten-free despite having any gluten-containing ingredients is cross-contact.

Cross-contact occurs when two food items come into contact and leave very small amounts of their grains or proteins on each other. This amount is so small that it is barely noticeable.

But the thing is that even extremely small quantities of an allergen are enough to trigger a reaction in a person sensitive to it.

Are Minerals Gluten-Free?

Elements that the body requires for development and remaining functional are called minerals.

Some examples of such minerals are:

  • Calcium
  • Zinc
  • Iron
  • Phosphorus
  • Chromium
  • Iodine
  • Copper

You might be surprised that you need copper for your body to function. This might be metal by nature, but it’s an important part of our body as well.

Are Minerals Gluten-Free?

All minerals are gluten-free.

Minerals are elements that naturally exist on the Earth and have nothing to do with grains that contain gluten like wheat, barley, or rye.

Also, minerals are inorganic in nature, so it doesn’t make sense for them to have gluten in them which is an organic protein.

But, as I said with vitamins if the product containing these minerals is manufactured in a place that hasn’t been certified gluten-free, there is a slight chance of it having a tiny amount of gluten in them.

Is Caffeine Gluten-Free?

Explaining What Caffeine Is

Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that is found in cocoa beans, tea leaves and is sometimes synthesized in the laboratory.

Caffeine works by stimulating the central nervous system and helps you stay more alert and focused while giving you an extra reserve of energy by affecting the part of the brain that controls tiredness.

This is the reason why caffeine is the main ingredient in all energy drinks.

Caffeine Doesn’t Have Any Gluten In It, Right?

No, it doesn’t.

Caffeine does not contain any gluten.

Because caffeine is either extracted from natural sources like cocoa beans and tea leaves or is obtained from the laboratory, it has nothing to do with grains with gluten in them, so it is considered gluten-free.

Are Antioxidants in AdvoCare Spark Gluten-Free?

Antioxidants are substances that help prevent damage to cells by neutralizing free radicals in the body.

Free radicals are atoms or molecules that have incomplete valencies, and so they have a vicious appetite for electrons and steal them from wherever they can find they can find the electrons.

This losing of an electron changes the molecular structure of the attacked cell which in large enough quantities cause health problems

Free radicals are produced when the body digests the food it has consumed and also through other means.

An antioxidant works by giving away electrons to the radicals which neutralize their threat and also helps with cell repair.

Antioxidants Don’t Have Gluten, Or Do They?

Most antioxidants don’t have any gluten in them, including the ones in AdvoCare Spark.

These antioxidants are considered gluten-free and are safe to consume for people with gluten-related conditions.

There are some exceptions though. Wheat antioxidants are also used in some places, but AdvoCare isn’t one of them.

Is Advocare Spark Gluten-Free?

“Is AdvoCare Spark gluten-free?”

That question is, unfortunately, hard to answer definitively. We have made sure that its ingredients are all gluten-free, but that doesn’t take away the reason we are in this dilemma.

AdvoCare has stated that their factories aren’t certified gluten-free, which means that though the ingredients are free of gluten, there’s a possibility that they may have been exposed to gluten through cross-contact.

This means that it’s best for people with gluten intolerant constitutions to refrain from drinking AdvoCare Spark, as even the smallest of grains can trigger their immune reactions.

But people who follow a gluten-free diet simply for the sake of the health benefits can still use this energy mix and not worry about the gluten.

Because even if there are some traces of gluten in it, the amount would be so minuscule that it wouldn’t have any impact on their diet.

If you want to learn more about AdvoCare Spark from another person’s POV, here’s a video for you:

You may want to check this out.

Is Advocare Spark Sugar-Free?

You can rest assured because it is indeed sugar-free.

Instead of using sugar, AdvoCare uses Sucralose which is an artificial sweetener and is several hundred times sweeter than sugar.

Is AdvoCare Vegan-Friendly?

For the vegan folks out there who are thinking of buying this drink, you can definitely consume it since it is also vegan-friendly and does not contain any non-vegetarian elements.

Is AdvoCare Spark Safe For Daily Use?

AdvoCare Spark is pretty risk-free as far as energy drinks go.

With a safe 120mg caffeine content, you can drink a serving a day and not worry about going over the caffeine limit.

Not only that, but it is also rich in vitamins and minerals which help your body in working like a well-oiled machine.

And that isn’t all of it. AdvoCare Spark is sugar-free as well, so it’s even safe for people with diabetes or high blood pressure.

But like all things, if you’re overdoing it and are drinking several servings a day along with other caffeinated beverages, then you may be putting yourself at risk of suffering from some of the side effects of caffeine overconsumption.

Advocare Spark: Alternatives

Since gluten-intolerant people can’t safely drink AdvoCare Spark, you guys might be looking for other, gluten-free energy drink brands, and I’ve got you covered.

Here are some energy drinks that are certified to be gluten-free as well as sugar-free:

The Denouement

All in all, AdvoCare Spark is an awesome energy mix with a ton of healthy ingredients and a good amount of caffeine.

The only problem is that even though there isn’t necessarily any gluten-containing ingredient in it, the place where it is made isn’t a certified gluten-free facility.

So it is best if gluten-sensitive individuals don’t make this a part of their diet, because it is better to play it safe than to take a risk and then regret it.

But apart from people with gluten or wheat sensitivity, pretty much anyone can safely drink a single serving of AdvoCare Spark a day and get that extra spark of energy that’ll make your day that much easier to go through.

Related Articles

Skip to content