Short Answer: Blue Rebel’s sugar-free version is not bad if you do not exceed the limit and consume it moderately.
Blue Rebel is a popular energy drink manufactured by Dutch Bros, an established coffee business in the United States. It gives 116 calories with 80 mg of caffeine per serving.
Blue Rebel comes in a sugar-free and original version. It is pretty similar to Red Bull in taste and ingredients.
Blue Rebel also contains other ingredients, namely sodium and vitamin B, making it an excellent source of energy and recuperation. But it also has a high sugar level that you should be aware of.
So before you grab a can of Blue Rebel, go through this article to find out more about it, whether it’s good for you or not?
Contents
Blue Rebel Nutrition Facts
Let’s take a look at its nutritional facts in the table below:
Nutrients | Per can |
Calories | 160 |
Total Fat | 0g |
Total Carbohydrate | 39g |
Total Sugars | 39g |
Added Sugars | 39g |
Protein | 1g |
Vitamin B6 | 7.1mg |
Vitamin B12 | 6.8mcg |
Vitamin B5 | 7mg |
All the daily values mentioned in the nutritional facts are based on 2000 calories diet.
What Ingredients Are in a Blue Rebel Drink?
Blue Rebel Energy uses carbonated water as its base and adds the following ingredients in its formula:
- Sugar
- Dextrose
- Inositol
- Taurine
- D-Glucuronolactone
- Citric Acid
- Artificial and natural flavors
- Potassium Sorbate
B Vitamins in Blue Rebel
Blue Rebel contains some B vitamins to replenish your body to maintain its functions. It contains vitamins B5, B6, and B12. These B vitamins, regardless of gender, assist in the functioning of your body’s cells and make them useable to you.
B vitamins are essential for overall health and well-being. As the building blocks of a healthy body, B vitamins have an immediate influence on your energy levels, cognitive function, and cell metabolism.
Vitamin B complex also aids in the prevention of infections.
What is the Caffeine Content of Blue Rebel?
Blue Rebel is moderately caffeinated with 80 mg of caffeine per serving. Drinking this amount will not harm your health.
However, caffeine intolerant people may experience jitters or nausea after consuming 80 mg at once.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant found in plants such as coffee and tea. It is utilized in food and beverages to improve mental alertness and physical endurance.
Side Effects of High Caffeine Consumption
FDA has limited regular caffeine consumption to 400 mg per day for healthy adults.
Comparative to this limit, Blue Rebel is lightly caffeinated. But drinking too much of it can be bad for your health and can cause:
- Dehydration
- Jitters
- Insomnia
- Depression and anxiety
- Irregular heartbeat
- Blood pressure
- Frequent urination
- GERD
What Is the Sugar Content of Blue Rebel?
Blue Rebel contains 37g of sugar in its composition. 37 grams is a lot of sugar for an 8.4 fl oz.
However, it is also available in a sugar-free form, which I think is a better option to avoid the consumption of high amounts of sugar.
Sugar, like caffeine, has some people who are sensitive to it and others who aren’t. Dutch Bros also uses dextrose and inositol to sweeten Blue rebel.
Side Effects of Consuming Too Much Sugar
According to Harvard University, the AHA recommends that women should consume no more than about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams of sugar (100 calories per day) and men should consume no more than about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar (150 calories per day).
Added sugar carries no nutritional value. You can suffer from the following conditions if you eat too much sugar.
If you want to avoid the above-mentioned side effects, you can go for sugar-free energy drinks!
Is Blue Rebel Clean of Sugar?
Fortunately, there is a sugar-free version of Blue Rebel that can be referred to as ‘clean of sugar’.
This will not contribute to your weight and cutting off sugar will also provide the following benefits:
- Fewer headaches
- Healthy skin
- Feeling more energized
- Improved mental health
- Fewer mood swings
Calories coming from sugars can lead to a bad impact on health. “Basically, the greater the consumption of added sugar, the greater the risk of heart disease,”. Dr. Hu explains that sugar can also lead to the following:
- Liver problems
- Inflammation
- Obesity
- Mood swings
Calories in Blue Rebel
Blue Rebel’s original version contains 116 calories per serving. This many calories in an 8.4 fl. oz. can is not a good idea in my opinion.
According to NHS, healthy men should consume 2500 calories a day and healthy women should consume 2000 calories a day.
Calories are the most essential sources of energy that your body consumes. The amount of energy you gather is determined by the number of calories you consume, so more calories = more energy.
However, exceeding the limit will lead to various health issues.
You can prefer no-calorie energy drinks if you are trying to lose weight!
How Many Calories are in Blue Rebel’s Sugar-free Version?
Blue Rebel offers just 10 calories in the sugar-free variant. Meanwhile, a single serving of Blue Rebel Original contains around 160 calories.
So if you are aiming to cut down your daily calories and still want to enjoy Dutch Bros drinks, then the sugar-free version should be on your list.
Is Blue Rebel Gluten-free?
Yes, Blue Rebel is gluten-free. All the ingredients are free of gluten and are safe for consumption for gluten-sensitive individuals.
Gluten is a protein present in cereals such as wheat, barley, and rye. It may be found in bread, spaghetti, pizza, and cereal. Gluten does not include any essential nutrients.
Celiac disease causes an immunological response that is induced by gluten consumption. It can cause loading and stomach problems in some individuals.
Therefore, Blue Rebel can be a good choice if you’re looking for a gluten-free drink.
Is Blue Rebel Vegan?
Blue Rebel is not vegan since it contains Taurine and caramel.
Caramel has dairy products that are definitely not vegan. Taurine is an amino acid that may be derived from animal sources.
A vegan-friendly diet excludes meat, eggs, dairy derivatives, and any other animal-derived components. Many vegans also avoid foods containing animal by-products, such as refined white sugar and some wines.
So if you are following a vegan-friendly diet, you should not be drinking Rebel or any of the Dutch Bros products since most of them contain dairy.
Is Blue Rebel Bad for You?
If you’re taking the original version, my answer to this is YES. The 116 calories and 37g of sugar are likely to affect your health adversely. However, the sugar-free version with just 10 calories can’t be considered as bad for your health.
Limit your intake to one can per day. It’s better not to consume energy drinks on daily basis. Drinking more than 2 cans of Blue Rebel (both the sugar and non-sugar version) can lead to various health effects including:
Here is a review of Blue Rebel to know more:
Alternatives to Blue Rebel Energy Drink
Below are some energy drinks that can provide you energy with much more caffeine and fewer calories:
Reign
Monster Beverage Corporation offers a variety of energy beverages, including Reign’s total body fuel. There are no calories, fat, or sugar in Reign. However, it contains more caffeine than the majority of energy beverages on the market, a whopping 300 mg of it.
So, while there are several reasons to find this brand interesting, you should proceed with caution.
Each can of Reign has 10 calories. Reign contains fewer calories than other energy drinks on the market, so there’s no need to be concerned about gaining weight. It also meets your whole daily requirement for vitamins B3, B6, and B12.
Aspire
ASPIRE offers 80 mg of caffeine, B and C vitamin, healthy ingredients, and no additives. Except for sucralose, all the components in ASPIRE are obtained from natural, plant-based sources.
Aspire is considered a healthy drink because it has no sugar or calories.
A typical energy drink has 41 g of sugar and 200 calories. It is now one of the healthiest brands on the market. It carries several health advantages, including:
- Kosher-certification
- Gluten-free and soy-free
- Low sodium content
- Natural, plant-based ingredients
Guru
Guru energy drink is a sparkling water-based energy drink with 100 mg of caffeine in an 8.4 oz can. It has 21g of sugar and 80 calories.
It claims that the majority, not all, of its components are organic or naturally occurring.
Their goal is to provide positive energy and a drink that will complement your health rather than lead you to be concerned about it.
My Final Thoughts
All in all, Blue Rebel’s original version is not a good choice, in my opinion. It can be bad for you if you drink it excessively.
It is just a typical energy drink with high sugar, calories, and few benefits. I’d give it a 6/10 for being gluten-free and vegan friendly.
However, the sugar-free version is not so bad. But remember only to take it when you need it, which should be no more than two servings each day if you choose the sugar-free option.
Overall, I believe Blue Rebel is all good in terms of its B vitamins and sodium content. Furthermore, it includes just 80 mg of caffeine, which is comparable to a cup of coffee.