Are you a vegan looking for a perfect energy drink? Or are you looking to adopt a vegan lifestyle and want to know if you can drink G Fuel Powder?
A ‘healthy’ brand is sure to pique the interest of diet-conscious people. More so if they want to follow a specific diet plan for whatever reason. And if they’re fond of exercising or have a demanding job, that diet will probably include energy drinks.
Either way, you’re in the right place to find out.
Yes, G Fuel is vegan because its ingredients are not derived from animal by-products. However, it has artificial sweeteners and food coloring that some may not be comfortable with because of reports that they’re being tested on animals.
Depending on what you already know about the brand, you might be asking: “But isn’t G Fuel made with natural ingredients?”
It’s a long story, but I hope you’ll bear with me while I explain below.
Contents
Who is G Fuel owned by?
G Fuel was founded by Clifford Morgan, who also serves as the company’s CEO. When it first opened its doors in 2004, Gamma Labs was a Sports Nutrition firm with a primary emphasis on supplying natural performance enhancers to elite athletes.
They have maintained the biggest, most enthusiastic, and most diversified fanbase, clientele, creative foundation, and partnership in the esports business over the last decade, earning them the title of “The Official Energy Drink of Esports.”
What Makes An Energy Drink Vegan?
Veganism is known for being both a popular choice for people who want to consume ethically, and those who have a difficult time planning out a diet. How does this work?
Veganism is a type of diet wherein the consumer avoids eating anything that contains animal by-products. This not only includes meat and dairy products, but seafood as well.
That means if an energy drink doesn’t contain animal by-products, then it’s considered vegan.
For some people, this goes beyond eating vegan products. It has to be applied to their overall lifestyle as well. An example would be choosing clothes that don’t have traces of animal-by products like articles of clothing that are made from reptiles (e.g. leather).
People who go that far are usually in the group who turn to veganism for ethical reasons. They don’t want to support products where animals need to be skinned or killed for that matter.
To keep things simple, I’ll be focusing on G Fuel’s status as a vegan-friendly product based on the diet-oriented view of veganism.
But I’ll still be mentioning animal testing from here and there since that can also be an important detail for you.
G Fuel Powder Ingredients
G Fuel’s ingredients are divided into three groups.
The Energy Complex is composed of ingredients that aid your metabolism and boost your body’s energy levels such as:
- Taurine
- L-Citrulline-Malate
- N-Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl
- Glucuronolactone
- Caffeine
- Velvet seed extract
The Antioxidant Complex refers to the ingredients that reduce or slow down damage to muscle cells. These are often derived from fruits since they’re considered rich in antioxidants.
Here’s a list of the antioxidants you can find in G Fuel Powder:
- Cabbage Palm Berry Extract
- Pomegranate Fruit Extract
- Pineapple Fruit Powder
- Apple Fruit Powder
- Orange Fruit Powder
- Blueberry Fruit Powder
- Lemon Fruit Powder
- Lime Fruit Powder
- Melon Fruit Powder
- Sour Cherry Fruit Powder
- Papaya Fruit Powder
- Peach Fruit Powder
- Pyrus Communis Fruit Powder
- Grape Seed Powder
- Grapefruit Fruit Powder
- Plum Fruit Powder
- Raspberry Fruit Powder
- Strawberry Fruit Powder
- Watermelon Fruit Powder
The Focus Complex are the ingredients that Gamma Labs use to make G Fuel capable of boosting your focus and mental abilities.
- L-Tyrosine
- N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine
- Toothed Clubmoss Aerial Parts Extract
- Bacopa Leaf Extract
- Adenosine-5′-Triphosphate Disodium Salt (ATP)
- Choline Bitartrate
Finally, the Miscellaneous ingredients are those properties that are outside these three main groups. These include preservatives and flavoring.
The miscellaneous ingredients in G Fuel are:
- Maltodextrin (preservative)
- Pineapple Fruit Powder
- Citric Acid (preservative)
- Natural Flavors
- Artificial Flavors
- Beta Carotene (color)
- Sucralose
- Acesulfame Potassium
- Silicon Dioxide
Is the Caffeine in G Fuel Powder Vegan?
On its own, caffeine has no animal by-products since it comes from plants like guarana and coffee beans. And for energy drinks such as G Fuel, caffeine is synthesized.
So yes, there’s no need to worry about having to skip coffee if you go vegan either. If you want coffee black and don’t add anything else to it, then your usual cup of coffee should fit into your vegan diet just fine.
As long as milk and honey aren’t in the mix, which are derived from cow and honey respectively, caffeine is totally vegan-friendly.
Is the Taurine in G Fuel Powder Vegan?
Despite Taurine originating its name from “bull,” it doesn’t really come from an actual bull. It’s an amino acid that supports your central nervous system and retaining hydration in cells.
Taurine is responsible for these processes in your body:
- Making bile salts that help you digest food
- Regulating calcium in your cells
- Regulating the immune system
- Regulating antioxidants
In addition, Taurine increases athletic and mental performance, helping you with your workouts and any tedious work.
Outside of energy drinks, you can also find it in your body and in supplements that are used to treat physical illnesses.
Why is it called taurine then?
The name “taurine” comes from the Latin for bull, Taurus. At first, it was made of bull bile. Nowadays, it’s synthesized in labs like many other ingredients are. The process is actually so cheap, so there’s no need to go after bulls for their bile anymore.
Is the Artificial Food Coloring in G Fuel Powder Vegan?
Food coloring is made with isolated chemicals in a commercial lab setting. While most food colorings are made from petroleum reactions, some colorings are made from other materials like coal tar and oxidation reactions.
These food colorings are then tested on animals to see if they’re safe for consumption.
The only exception to all this is cochineal.
Cochineal is an insect native to Mexico and is commonly used as food coloring in a lot of products, including energy drinks. To be specific, dye is made with the shells from which the extract is taken but no parts are included in the final product.
Although it’s less common now, it still appears from time to time under different names.
Here’s a list of cochineal’s many names:
- Cochineal
- Carmine
- Carminic acid
- Natural Red 4
- E120
Yes, the food colorings are vegan. However, they’re usually tested on animals.
Are the Preservatives in G Fuel Powder Vegan?
The preservatives in G Fuel Powder are Maltodextrin and Citric Acid.
Maltodextrin is a substance made from corn, rice, potato starch, or wheat. It’s made by cooking the starches then adding enzymes to it to break it down even more. At the end of the process, it turns into a water-soluble white powder with a neutral taste.
It’s considered similar to corn syrup solids. However, the key difference between them is that corn syrups are more than 20% sugar; maltodextrin is less than 20% sugar.
Animal products are absent in both the ingredients and processing aids.
In commercial use, maltodextrin is found in baked goods, frozen desserts, and prepared foods.
Citric Acid is a common food additive that comes from fruits like lemons and limes. It’s produced chemically in labs, usually from corn-based sugars.
It’s often used as a preservative because it’s sour-tasting and acidic. Outside of G Fuel, you can also find it as a preservative in medications, soft drinks, and candies.
It can also be used as a disinfectant, cleaning material, and ingredient in dietary supplements.
Since maltodextrin and citric acid are both plant-based, they’re both vegan.
Are Artificial Sweeteners in G Fuel Powder Vegan?
Since it doesn’t have sugar, the sweetness in G Fuel’s flavors comes from artificial sweeteners. The artificial sweeteners include sucralose (Splenda) and Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K).
Is Sucralose Vegan?
Yes, sucralose is vegan. However, it was tested on animals
Sucralose is more commonly known by its brand name, Splenda. It’s used to add flavor to food intended for diabetics and others who need to watch their sugar intake. It’s made from sugar in a multi-step process in a laboratory wherein chlorine atoms are used to replace 3 hydrogen-oxygen groups.
It’s also praised for adding 0 calories to the products it’s used in and being up to 600 times sweeter than sugar. However, it adds nothing to the product’s nutritional value.
What’s the problem then?
Despite not being made from animals or animal by-products, sucralose has been criticized for being tested on animals.
It’s been reported that up to 12,000 died in sucralose-related research. These animals included dogs, rabbits, and rodents that were kept and experimented on in inhumane conditions.
Sucralose may not have been made with any animal by-products, but its history of animal testing may be uncomfortable to some.
Is Acesulfame Potassium Vegan?
Yes, Acesulfame Potassium is vegan. However, it was tested on animals.
Like sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) is a calorie-free sugar substitute that appears in products that market themselves as sugar-free. It’s made by transforming acetoacetic acid, and combining it with potassium.
The result is a white powder with a bitter aftertaste and 200 times sweeter than regular table sugar.
Besides giving G Fuel Powder its flavor, its commercial use is mostly in soft drinks, protein shakes, and candy.
Again like sucralose, animal by-products are not involved in this process. What makes it controversial is that it could be tested on animals.
However, it should be noted that the animal testing involved in Ace-K is not commissioned or paid for by the company that produces it. Most of the animal research involving Ace-K is done by universities and experts.
That means consuming Ace-K won’t result in you supporting companies that violate animal rights.
Why does G Fuel have a lead warning?
G Fuel Powder, according to the statement, is labeled with a lead warning because of California’s stringent legislation on the subject. For this reason, you should not be concerned about the lead warning; it serves just as a legal necessity.
All natural vitamins and minerals, including those used to make GFUEL, are known to absorb trace quantities of lead through the soil where they are cultivated hence the need for the warning.
Conclusion
G Fuel Powder contains no animal by-products but has ingredients that were tested on animals.
The majority of its ingredients are either plant-derived or made synthetically in labs.
So if the food coloring, artificial sweeteners, and high caffeine content aren’t an issue for you, then G Fuel is definitely worth drinking. Or if the caffeine content does bother you, then maybe you could consider trying the Hydration formula instead.
If you still have any lingering doubts about any of the ingredients, researching more about it will them. You can also watch for reviews, if any, about the processes and the choices of ingredients to give you a clearer picture of how vegan their G Fuel products are.
For those who are very strict with their diet, it would also be appropriate to avoid drinking any highly caffeinated and sugary drinks.
G Fuel has as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, so you who should be staying clear of it even if you’re a vegan eater.
If you belong to one of these groups, then you might want to reconsider taking G Fuel:
- Pregnant women
- Children
- Adolescents
- Sensitive to caffeine
To make sure that you’re safe to drink G Fuel or any other beverage, consulting with your doctor would be ideal.
Otherwise, I think you’d benefit from other sources of energy such as:
- Staying hydrated
- Getting enough sleep
- Eating a good breakfast
- Tea
- High fiber foods
- Exercising regularly
G Fuel is a good substitute for coffee, especially if you need extra energy to make it through the day’s work. Since it contains no animals nor ingredients that are tested on animals, it would be something to try if you’re vegan or planning to turn vegan.