Beyond Caffeine: Exploring Non-Caffeinated Energy Drinks for Sustainable Energy

Energy drinks might taste delicious but they aren't always packed with natural flavors and nutrients to boost your energy levels - some rely purely on caffeine and sugar. But did you know that there are other ingredients that can boost your energy and your health at the same time?

This article explores beverages you can drink for a non-caffeinated energy boost that gets you through the day. From electrolytes like sodium to natural herbs and berry ingredients, we know a thing or two about drinking clean energy. Let's dive in.

Energy Drinks Without Caffeine

What's your beef with caffeine?

On the list of natural ingredients, you'll find caffeine up there along with salt, taurine and sugar. These ingredients are naturally occurring and can be a healthy part of your diet. The real problem with an energy drink is when it contains too much of a good thing, or cannot balance the ingredients for a smooth and controlled energy boost.

Let's break that down.

Caffeine is found in tea leaves, coffee beans and other plants. It's used by the plants to repel insects. As humans, we can consume these plants for the caffeine content to get an energy boost. The amount of caffeine is enough to produce an effect on your body, but not stress it to the point you feel the jitters and shakes.

Energy drinks are often based on these plant ingredients... but mixed up for a stronger effect. If you choose a product with a super high amount of caffeine and no L-Theanine (discover what this is here) you'll find that it gives you a strong energy boost with some potential side effects. You might feel jittery, unable to focus, and crash later in the afternoon.

So, we can categorize energy drinks into:

• Energy drinks with unnatural levels of caffeine and other nutrients that don't naturally occur together.
• Energy drinks with high levels of caffeine from a natural source (e.g. green tea extract) and other nutrients that come from that same source (e.g. L-Theanine).
• Caffeinated drinks, like coffee and tea, that naturally have a small to moderate amount of caffeine.
• Caffeine-free drinks that use another source to provide you with energy.

At the top, you'll have the energy drinks that your physician might have told you to avoid. Next, you have energy drinks with a lot of caffeine but a natural way to moderate it (this is Zest, by the way!) and normal beverages like tea and coffee. Finally, you have drinks that are typically sugar-free, caffeine-free and are based on other ingredients to give you an energy boost.

What does this mean?

Well, you might not have to quit caffeinated energy entirely, it may just be a case of switching to a drink that has a smoother, more focused energy boost.

Sources of Caffeine-Free Energy

If you are absolutely certain that caffeine-free energy drinks are the way forward, here are a few essential minerals and herbs to look out for. A drink with these energy-boosting ingredients may help you feel focused and enjoy wherever the day takes you without a single milligram of caffeine.

Peppermint

One of our favorite non-caffeinated natural flavors is peppermint. After all, Mentha × Piperita stars in our refreshing Pomegranate Mojito energy tea with a mix of berry flavors!

We aren't quite sure how peppermint tea works to boost energy, but some studies have found that peppermint essential oils can reduce fatigue. The minty taste is very refreshing too. Peppermint also has benefits for your skin, but only when applied topically (and we'd rather drink peppermint tea than bathe in it).

If you don't love the flavor of peppermint, there are other herbal ingredients that are said to boost energy:

• Ginseng - a review found that both American and Asian ginseng are a promising treatment for fatigue. You can find ginseng in many herbal tea blends.
• Ashwagandha - a medicinal herb that one clinical trial found could sustain energy and provide mental clarity for students. More research is needed, but it's looking promising for adaptogens like this one!
• Rosemary - one study found that rosemary could improve the mental energy and sleep quality of work-age men with poor mental health.

B Vitamins

A common ingredient in many energy drink formulas is vitamin B. To be specific, there are often a range of B vitamins that you can find on the ingredients list. At Zest, we like to include vitamins B3, B5, B6 and B12. The B vitamin group is essential for lots of different bodily processes, including your immune system, metabolism and brain health.

Adding B vitamins to your caffeine-free drink or taking them in a tablet form can impact your energy levels, especially if you are deficient in B vitamins. Fatigue is a symptom of deficiency in B2, B3, B5, B9, and B12!

Another vitamin that you need is vitamin C. You'll often see this included in energy drinks (usually as citric acid or ascorbic acid) if you read the label. While it's good for your immune system and bones, it doesn't have any strong links to energy.

Sugar

If you enjoy natural flavors and clean energy, you might be trying to avoid sugar. But sugar-free beverages aren't always the best source of energy. If you are ditching coffee or your favorite energy drink to reduce your caffeine intake for the first time, switching to a drink with a little sugar can help you make the switch with fewer side effects (like headaches and grouchiness).

Sugar will provide an energy boost that lasts from 30 minutes to 60 minutes plus it improves the taste of your drink. Once any caffeine withdrawals have passed, you can then switch from your sugary beverage to a sugar-free drink that you can enjoy.

Electrolytes

Our final non-caffeinated ingredients that can boost your energy via drinks are electrolytes. Sodium, calcium and potassium are three well-known electrolytes that are key for hydration. Electrolytes are basically electrically charged minerals that help your body retain hydration at a cellular level.

But why does that matter for energy?

While electrolytes don't provide any calories, they do help with a process called cellular respiration. This process turns the calories and energy from your food into cellular energy (or ATP, to be precise). So, with electrolytes, your body can better and more efficiently harness the food you consume for energy. Theoretically, this means you won't feel fatigued as quickly after exercise and you'll be able to stay focused for a longer time.

Unlike B vitamins, electrolytes aren't as common as an energy drink ingredient. Instead, you can find them in electrolyte powder. At Zest, our electrolyte powders contain a small amount of sugar and B vitamins for an extra boost too.

A Clean Energy Drink from Zest

At Zest, we love an energy drink. There's no denying that we are mad about the caffeine-rich formulas we create! But caffeine isn't the only thing you can find in our beverages. We like to find a balance of flavor and function.

Whether it's hydration, energy, sleep, focus or immunity, we choose ingredients that are good for your brain and body. Our energy tea has more caffeine than coffee but with L-Theanine for added focus and control. In our cans of ready-to-drink energy tea, you'll find both sugar-free and sugar-included options. And for a caffeine-free drink that will sing to your taste buds, we have sleep and immunity blends just waiting.

All our flavors are non-GMO, vegan and natural. We never use artificial flavorings, sweeteners or colors either. But enough bragging. To really discover the zingy blend of flavor and function, you will need to try Zest Tea for yourself.