Red Bull is one of the most popular energy drinks on the market—in fact, Red Bull has the biggest market share of any energy drink company, with 7.5 billion cans being sold each year. As the Keto diet becomes more common, many people are wondering whether any of Red Bull’s products fit into their dietary requirements. For sugar-free drinks lovers, we have good news!
Red Bull Sugar Free is keto-friendly, as an 8.4 ounce can of Red Bull Sugar Free contains only 1.8grams of net carbs. Red Bull Total Zero is also keto-friendly, with 0.7g of net carbs per 8.4-ounce can. The best keto-friendly alternatives to Red Bull Sugar Free are Rockstar Zero Carbs, Rockstar Pure Zero, and Celsius sparkling energy drink.
Let’s dive in to find out whether sugar-free Red Bull products are good for you, what ingredients are involved, and the best alternatives for your keto-friendly energy drink choices.
Contents
Which Red Bull Products are Keto-Friendly?
Red Bull products that are labeled as sugar-free are keto-friendly. These include:
Red Bull Sugar Free
Ingredients:
- Carbonated Water
- Citric Acid
- Taurine
- Sodium Bicarbonate
- Magnesium Carbonate
- Caffeine
- Acesulfame K
- Aspartame
- Niacinamide
- Calcium Pantothenate
- Pyridoxine HCl
- Vitamin B12
- Xanthan Gum
- Natural and Artificial Flavors
- Colors
- Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalanine.
Nutritional Facts (Per 8.4 fluid ounces):
- Calories: 10
- Total fat: 0g (0% DV)
- Sodium: 105mg (5% DV)
- Total/Net carbohydrates: 2g (2% DV)
- Protein: 0g
- Calcium: 30mg (2% DV)
- Niacin: (100% DV)
- Vitamin B6: (250% DV)
- Vitamin B12: (80% DV)
- Pantothenic Acid: (50% DV)
Red Bull Total Zero
Ingredients:
- Carbonated Water
- Citric Acid
- Taurine
- Natural and Artificial Flavors
- Colors
- Caffeine
- Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
- Magnesium Carbonate
- Acesulfame K
- Sucralose
- Xanthan Gum
- Niacinamide
- Pyridoxine HCl (Vitamin B6)
- Calcium Pantothenate
- Vitamin B12.
Nutritional Facts (Per 8.4 fluid ounces):
- Calories: 10
- Total fat: 0g (0% DV)
- Sodium: 30mg (1% DV)
- Total/Net carbohydrates: 1g (1% DV)
- Protein: 0g
- Calcium: 30mg (2% DV)
- Niacin: (100% DV)
- Vitamin B6: (250% DV)
- Vitamin B12: (80% DV)
- Pantothenic Acid: (50% DV)
What is the Keto Diet?
The Keto Diet, also known as the ketogenic diet, is a diet that involves high fat intake, moderate protein intake, and very low carbohydrate intake.
When you cut your carbohydrate intake, the body goes into a metabolic state known as ketosis. While in this phase, your body burns fat as its primary fuel source rather than carbohydrates.
This switch in fuel source has been known to help people lose weight rapidly. It is also recommended for certain medical conditions, such as reducing the frequency of seizures for people with epilepsy.
To switch into a state of ketosis, many people need to eat below 30-50g of net carbohydrates per day, depending on their metabolism and individual dietary requirements. Net carbs are the grams of carbohydrates consumed minus the grams of fiber consumed. For example, if you ate something with 20g of carbohydrates and 5g of fiber, your net carbohydrate consumption would be 15g.
After eating this way, it takes the body around 3-4 days to switch to ketosis.
While many people love the keto diet, an equal number of people advise against it. It is recommended to speak with your doctor about any dramatic dietary changes to ensure you are making healthy, sustainable choices with your nutrition.
Can you Drink Energy Drinks On a Keto Diet?
Yes, you can. Technically, ketosis is kept by the net number of carbohydrates consumed. Because of this, as long as you are keeping track of your total carbohydrate intake, very few foods are completely off-limits.
Carbohydrates and sugar are the main players that will bring you out of ketosis. To avoid this, sugar-free, low-carb energy drinks are recommended.
Preliminary research has also shown caffeine to be helpful for maintaining a state of ketosis, which would be in favor of including sugar-free energy drinks (in moderate) into a keto-friendly diet.
Is Sugar-Free Red Bull Good for You?
Sugar-free Red Bull has an advantage over many other energy drinks in that it has a high concentration of certain vitamins and minerals.
An 8.4 ounce can of Red Bull Sugar Free or Red Bull Total Zero contains 2.5x your daily recommended intake of vitamin B6 (promotes healthy skin) and four-fifths of your needed intake of vitamin B12 (promotes healthy brain function). Sugar-free Red Bull also includes half of your daily Pantothenic Acid—also known as Vitamin B5—intake. Pantothenic acid helps your body process food and turn it into energy.
Those who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet are often low on Vitamin B intake, specifically Vitamin B12, so in these cases choosing Red Bull has added benefit.
In addition to B vitamins, sugar-free Red Bull drinks contain Calcium, Niacin, and Taurine. These minerals help promote healthy bones, treat high cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, and reduce the risk of hypertension, respectively.
One of the side effects of caffeine consumption from energy drinks is jitters or elevated blood pressure, so choosing a drink like Red Bull Sugar Free that includes Taurine is recommended to alleviate these symptoms.
While sugar-free Red Bull drinks are richer in vitamins than many of their competitors, they are low in nutrients compared to whole foods such as vegetables, nuts, and fruits. It’s important to consume these drinks in moderation and ensure your diet is rich in nutrient-dense protein, carbohydrate, and healthy fat sources.
How Is Sugar-Free Red Bull Sweetened?
Sugar-free Red Bull drinks are primarily sweetened with aspartame, which is an artificial sweetener. Additional sweeteners used include xanthan gum, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium. All of these sweeteners are keto-friendly.
The reason aspartame is used in many keto-friendly drinks is that despite having the same carb content as sugar, it is 200 times sweeter. This means that a much smaller amount of aspartame is needed to sweeten drinks, which keeps the net carbs lower.
The carbs present in sugar-free Red Bull drinks come from these artificial sweeteners. While low in carbs, those following a keto diet should still ensure they are counting these drinks towards their daily total.
It’s also important to note that carbohydrates are also typically reported in whole numbers in the United States. So if a product is labeled as having 1 or 2 grams of carbs, they could include as high as 1.4 or 2.4 grams of carbs.
How Much Caffeine is in Sugar-Free Red Bull?
Each 8.4 ounce can of Red Bull Sugar Free contains 80 mg of caffeine.
This is lower than many comparable options. For example, an 8-ounce cup of coffee contains 95 mg, and 8 ounces of Bang Energy contains 150 mg of caffeine.
Because Red Bull products contain moderate amounts of caffeine compared to their competitors and include Taurine to help with jitters, it is a good option for those who are more sensitive to the effects of high-caffeine drinks.
What Are the Best Keto-Friendly Alternatives?
Rockstar Zero Carb and Rockstar Pure Zero
Rockstar is one of the top energy drink companies on the market, and one of Red Bull’s top competitors.
Both the Zero Carb and Pure Zero options are keto-friendly and don’t contain any sugar. However, there is 120mg of caffeine per 8 ounces, and these drinks come in 16-ounce cans. This is 240 mg per can, which is extremely high.
If you choose this option, it is recommended to only consume it in the morning or before an intense workout. Consuming this much caffeine later in the day may disrupt your sleep cycle.
Rockstar Zero Carb
Ingredients:
- Carbonated Water
- Taurine
- Malic Acid
- Citric Acid
- Caffeine
- Green Tea Extract
- Sodium Citrate
- Glucuronolactone
- Acesulfame Potassium
- Benzoic Acid (Preservative)
- Sucralose
- Sorbic Acid (Preservative)
- Pectin
- Natural Flavors
- L-carnitine
- Niacinamide
- Pantothenic Acid
- Yerba Mate Leaf Extract
- Red #40
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
- Blue #1
- Cyanocobalamin
Nutrition (per 1 can, 473 ml):
- Calories: 0
- Total fat: 0g (0% DV)
- Total carbs: 0g (0% DV)
- Sodium: 50 mg (2.17% DV)
- Protein: 0g (0% DV)
Rockstar Pure Zero
Ingredients:
- Carbonated Water
- Citric Acid
- Erythritol
- Taurine
- Sodium Citrate
- Natural Flavor
- Caffeine
- Sodium Benzoate (Preservative)
- Maltodextrin
- Acesulfame Potassium
- Sucralose
- Glucuronolactone
- Potassium Sorbate (Preservative)
- Inositol
- Gum Arabic
- Macinamide
- D-calcium Pantothenate
- Milk Thistle Extract
- Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin
- Panax Ginseng Root Extract
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
- Guarana Seed Extract
Nutrition (per 1 can, 473 ml):
- Calories: 20
- Total fat: 0g (0% DV)
- Total carbs: 3g (1.09% DV)
- Sodium: 360 mg (15.65% DV)
- Protein: 0g (0% DV)
Celsius Sparkling Energy Drink
Celsius Sparkling energy drink is another keto-friendly option and contains zero grams of sugar.
Celsius Sparking energy drink is marketed as an athletic energy drink, which is why it contains a high amount of caffeine per can—200mg. Similar to Rockstar drinks, it is advised to only consume this much caffeine earlier in the day or for a boost before your workout.
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- Citric acid
- Fruit & vegetable juices
- Sucralose
- Natural flavor
Nutrition (per 1 can, 12 oz):
- Calories: 10
- Total carbohydrates: 2g (1% DV)
- Sodium: 0g (0% DV)
- 60mg vitamin C
- 1.7mg riboflavin (vitamin B2)
- 20mg niacin (vitamin B3)
- 10mg pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
- 2mg pyridoxine (vitamin B6)
- 300mcg biotin (vitamin B7)
- 6mcg cobalamin (vitamin B12)
- 50mcg chromium
- 50mg calcium
Related Questions
Is regular Red Bull keto-friendly?
No – regular Red Bull drinks contain high amounts of carbohydrates and sugar. This is likely to pull you out of ketosis.
When on a keto-diet, try to opt for water, coffee, or sugar-free beverages such as Red Bull Sugar Free. This will also allow your daily carbohydrates to be consumed from healthy, nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Is Caffeine Good for You?
In moderate amounts, yes. Caffeine has been shown to have benefits such as improving memory and mental function.
What is the difference between Red Bull Sugar Free and Red Bull Total Zero?
Just the flavor! Both Red Bull Sugar Free and Red Bull Total Zero have similar ingredients, vitamins, caffeine contents, and net carbohydrates. However, the flavoring is different.