Best Energy Drinks for the Flu (Truth Be Told)
Energy drinks are becoming more and more popular for providing quick energy to either get you started or end your last task for the day.
When caught up with flu there is almost no energy in your body to carry out the whole day. And here, energy drinks come to your instant rescue.
Although caffeine isn’t recommended for people with the flu, sometimes you just need a quick energy boost to get you through the day. In my opinion, nothing beats water when you’re sick. But if you’re craving an energy drink, the best energy drinks for the flu are Aspire, G-fuel, Monster Zero Ultra, and Bang.
Truth be told, energy drinks are quite popular among people having the flu. And not just one, there are quite a lot of them that help you relieve the fatigue that comes along with the flu.
To know all about it, keep reading.
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Do energy drinks help with the flu?
It helps relieve fatigue and provides energy, but that’s about all it can do for you during the flu.
Ideally, when you have the flu, it is highly recommended to get a good rest and medicines on time. Unfortunately, not all of us can do this. Some people don’t want their work to build up or have projects to finish, and for that, they need the energy.
But before we go through how energy drinks can help you when you have the flu. Let’s first discuss the common ingredients found in most energy drinks. These ingredients either help the body in healing or make the flu even worse.
Sugar
Sugar content is in almost every energy drink and it is NOT GOOD for your health.
The debate of sugar being bad is going on forever and the answer to it is still the same. The consequences of too much sugar are diabetes, weight gain, and obesity. Sugar also refrains your body from clearing out the bacteria from the system.
Fortunately, there are a few energy drinks with very low or even no sugar in them. If you’re planning to have an energy drink during the flu, always have a sugar-free energy drink.
I will be discussing a few of such energy drinks at the end of the article. So, keep on reading.
Caffeine
Caffeine is the most common and important ingredient of an energy drink. It helps to keep you alert and sharp.
Especially in sickness, you don’t feel like being at your best. At that time, caffeine can fight the drowsiness that is holding you back from your day-to-day tasks.
Here it is very important to keep in mind that caffeine must be consumed in moderation. According to the FDA, an adult can have 400mg of caffeine in a day. Anything more than that can potentially cause side effects.
There are some individuals whose tolerance for caffeine is lesser than others.
The amount of caffeine present in energy drinks differs from brands-to-brands. Always go through the nutritional facts listed at the back of the label of your drink. Drinking too many energy drinks can make your flu worse. It is very important to keep a caffeine check on yourself.
To see what happens to us when we have too much caffeine, have a look at this video:
Vitamin B
What is it that Vitamin B does not help the human body with? May it be your brain, heart, skin, or any other system of the body, Vitamin B is there for the rescue.
It is another ingredient popular in energy drinks. Below is the list of Vitamin B essentials that are present in each energy drink and their benefits.
Check it yourself;
| Niacin (Vitamin B3) | Aside from its ability to remove toxic chemicals from the body, it also plays the main role to convert fats, carbohydrates, proteins, and starches into usable energy. |
| Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) | It is a big help in the production of the building blocks of protein called amino acids. Vitamin B6 can do a lot to your body and below, you can see the list of the other things Vitamin B6 does. |
| Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) | It helps mainly with the development of red blood cells. |
| Folic Acid (Vitamin B9) | It helps in developing and preserving new cells in our body. |
What other things does Vitamin B6 do?
- Aids in maintaining a healthy immune system
- Increases the production of oxygen carried in our blood
- Helps in converting carbohydrates for energy
- Beneficial for the production of hemoglobin
- A big help to our nervous system to function and work properly
Taurine
Taurine is an excellent source of different health benefits. This ingredient in energy drinks gives you energy and elevates the activity of your immune cells.
Even after all of its goodness, moderation should always be kept in consideration.
Guarana
Guarana is another ingredient that helps with energy, sportsman-like performance, and mental health development. In flu, having this ingredient in your drink can help you with better focus on your to-do list.
What is the best drink for the flu?
Flu can make you drowsy, exhausted, and DEHYDRATED. Here are a few of the drinks that can be a helping hand in handling your flu.
Water
Have water when you feel thirsty!
I always suggest having water the instant you feel thirsty. Water is the foremost and most important source of keeping yourself hydrated, and when you’re properly hydrated, you’ll have energy.
In flu, we lose more fluids than we think. Adding up some glasses of water as compared to your daily consumption can help you feel better.
Citrus juice
Citrus acid is nothing but amazing. It gives you Vitamin C that fights chronic diseases and sickness. Having natural fruit juice that has citrus in it can help you fight the flu to an extent.
Just keep in mind that having too much citrus can cost you dental health and too much fruit consumption can mess with your sugar level.
Herbal tea
Herbal teas work like magic. They not only help with the sneezing and coughs. Herbal teas also tend to clear up your blocked nose and airways for better breathing.
Broth
A broth is another good way of keeping yourself warm. Boiling your choice of meat, either chicken, mutton, or beef, with some salt and black pepper can do the trick.
Can energy drinks mess with flu medications?
Energy drinks can mess with flu medication. While they tend to be a great help for you to stand when you don’t have the luxury to lay down and rest. Energy drinks can also interfere with your medications.
Always consult a health professional before consuming energy drinks when you’re sick because some ingredients can affect you in the long term and you would not want that.
Can energy drinks dehydrate you?
Yes, energy drinks can dehydrate you if consumed excessively. Health care professionals believe that having too many energy drinks can cause dehydration which of course isn’t good for health.
If you badly need an energy drink, make sure to also have a glass of water to keep yourself hydrated.
Energy drinks manufacturers are adding electrolytes in them now which helps with hydration but it’s still important to keep yourself hydrated with water.
Best energy drinks for the flu
The sound of the best energy drinks for the flu may sound weird to you but there are a number of energy drinks that help you get through the day when you’re sick.
But you have to have a look at nutrition facts before your consumption.
As I told you above, I have made a list of the best energy drinks that can be a helping hand in flu, and here it is.
Aspire
Aspire energy is a good option for an energy drink to have when you are down with the flu.
With its adequate amount of caffeine and nutrient-filled ingredients, Aspire is an energy boost you need when sick. Aspire contains 80 mg of caffeine, which is definitely a lot but not enough to go past the FDA’s recommended limit. Still, when you’re sick, this much caffeine can be enough to dehydrate you, so when you take Aspire, couple it with a glass of water.
According to the company, Aspire uses plant-based caffeine and doesn’t cause any jitters.
G-Fuel Powder
G-Fuel is mostly consumed by athletes and gamers. It is advertised as a gaming fuel energy drink, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have it when you’re sick.
With plenty of vitamins, amino acids, and a moderate amount of caffeine, G-fuel is known as a healthy energy drink. That said, G-fuel has 150 mg of caffeine in it. So if you’re caffeine sensitive, you should probably avoid this or at least talk to your doctor first before consuming it.
Monster Zero Ultra
During the flu, it’s best to eliminate sugar from your diet. This is why Monster Energy Ultra would a great choice as it is labeled as sugar-free. However, Monster Energy Ultra has a caffeine content of 150 mg, which is certainly a lot for someone who is sick.
If you can handle that much caffeine, I don’t see a reason why you can’t have Monster Energy Ultra, but you should probably also have a glass of water or two to make sure the drink doesn’t dehydrate you.
Bang
Bang has zero calories, zero sugar, but contains 300mg of caffeine.
Note that I only recommend this energy drink for those who have high caffeine tolerance, but even then, I advise you to be careful. The only reason I add Bang to this list is because of the electrolytes present in the drink.
The most prominent electrolytes in Bang are potassium, sodium, and magnesium. Electrolytes can help in rehydrating the body, which is important when you’re sick.
Bang has a potassium content of 85 mg, magnesium content of 5 g, and sodium content of 40 mg.
Final thoughts
Can you have an energy drink when you have the flu? Of course. Is it recommended? Definitely not.
The best thing to do when you’re sick is to get proper rest and have the right medications. However, some of us don’t have the luxury to rest, especially when we have work to do or projects to finish. For that, we need a little bit of energy and that’s where energy drinks come in.
For instant energy, an energy drink is a good option to get that grogginess out of you but keep in mind that energy drinks can possibly dehydrate or mess with your medications. So talk to a doctor first before downing any brand of energy drinks.
Take a look at the nutrition facts as well to see if any of the ingredients don’t sit well with you.
