Organic Energy Drinks TOP 5 - Comparison Organic Energy Drink 2023

Introduction

In this article, we compare 5 natural organic energy drinks in terms of their taste, ingredients and effects. We're going to focus on plant-based caffeinated drinks and leave out all the unhealthy shit from cans with red bulls on them!

If you want to learn more about caffeinated plants, you can download a free e-book from our shop .

Of course, as Guayusa producers, we are biased to a certain extent, but we try to look at the products as neutrally as possible with this article and give an honest impression. On the other hand, it is not without reason that we are the Guayusa specialists and have built an entire business on it, which has been operating successfully on the market since 2016.

Contents

1. What makes a good organic energy drink?
2. Which ingredients are particularly important in energy drinks?
3. TOP 5 natural energy drinks in comparison
1. PLACE 5 green tea
2. PLACE 4 mate tea
3. 3rd place coffee
4. PLACE 2 Guarana
5. PLACE 1 Guayusa
4. Conclusion: The best natural energy drink of 2023

1. What makes a good organic energy drink?

In our opinion, the following 3 aspects make a really good organic energy drink.

1.1. Effect (awake, focused, relaxed)

The effect should be strong enough to keep you awake and focused throughout the day so you can focus on your to-dos. At the same time, it won't do you any good if the energy kick is so strong that it knocks you out of your shoes and you're stressed out due to erratic thoughts and tremors.

1.2. Taste of natural energy drinks

The taste should be pleasant. With many caffeinated drinks, however, the first sip is usually a failure and only after the second or third cup does one feel that it is "tasty".

1.3. Effects on the body (tolerance)

The naturalness plays a decisive role, since we have been at home in our body for several decades. The better the tolerability, both short-term and long-term, the better the ranking.

2. Which ingredients are particularly important in energy drinks?

If we look at natural organic energy drinks, it quickly becomes clear that the main ingredient is clearly caffeine. In addition to caffeine, the main active ingredients are:

1. throbromine
2. theophylline
3. antioxidants

Another active ingredient that has so far only been found in two plants and one fungus is L-theanine . This non-protein amino acid is found in green tea and guayusa in our comparison. All other drinks do not have this active ingredient. Even in artificial canned/bottled energy drinks etc. L-theanine is usually not added because it is too expensive. However, the effect is more than interesting , which is why it will be discussed in more detail later.

3. TOP 5 natural energy drinks in comparison

In the ranking, we work our way from 5th place (worst) to 1st place (best) . In the end you will understand why we chose first place. Read through all the information about the various organic energy drinks, so you will have a good overview at the end and you can evaluate differently for yourself if necessary!

5. Green Tea (worst)

Green tea, black tea, matcha, white tea, red tea... Everything comes from one plant, the camellia sinensis. This fact surprises most people at first. However, the different tastes are only due to a different processing.

In our comparison of the best organic energy drinks, green tea scores the worst for the following reasons.

Tea therefore also has very different caffeine contents. Traditionally, tea is not a pick-me-up for extremely packed to-do list days. However, it is a great stimulant in terms of calmness. The waking state is almost meditative and is ideal for household chores.

Tea has a rather unpleasant taste for many because it is extremely bitter. You can find more information about the preparation and steeping time of green tea in our blog article: " Green tea steeping time - how long does green tea have to steep ?"

Nevertheless, tea is very healthy and, if of high quality, a great product. The antioxidant content is particularly high. An ORAC value of 60,000 is not uncommon.

L-Theanine is another interesting compound that we explain below in Guayusa.

4. Mate tea

The mate bush or tree comes from South America and has up to 1.4% caffeine. Additionally theobromine and theophylline. Anyone who drinks Mate traditionally knows how strong the infusion can be. Anyone who drinks too much also knows that mate can cause extreme heart palpitations and tremors.

The taste of mate takes a lot of getting used to, as it is smoky, tart and bitter. In small quantities, mate is well suited for to-dos at the desk and for everyday use.

Unfortunately, the antioxidant content in mate tea is only low due to the processing over fire or strong heat. It is higher in RAW Mate, but up to 28 times lower than in Guayusa tea.

In comparison, mate tea already fulfills more of our comparison aspects and can pass as an organic energy drink if it is traditionally drunk in a bombilla.

3. Coffee

The most common pick-me-up and that, although hardly anyone liked the taste the first time. After a few cups, the tart, bitter, sometimes chocolate-nutty taste with a slight sweetness has become indispensable for many.

The caffeine content is around 1.4% for Arabica and around 3% for Robusta. Incidentally, Robusta is the more environmentally friendly bean and should always be preferred!

Coffee has a "kick" wake-up effect that goes from 0 to 100, but drops just as quickly after 1-2 hours. In addition, the caffeic acid causes an unpleasant side effect in the stomach area for many people.

Theobromine and theophylline are only slightly present. Antioxidants are almost non-existent in coffee, despite other sites claiming otherwise. The salary is given as an ORAC value and is just around 8,000.

Coffee comes in third place for us, because the kick effect is of course an advantage for an organic energy drink. However, the health properties are not the best. If you still don't want to do without coffee, you can combine it with other natural organic energy drinks, for example, as in our coffee-guayusa mix .

2. Guarana

The red berry from South America is just as bitter as it is extremely caffeine-rich. With approx. 7% a real hammer. However, guarana cannot be enjoyed without gagging, which is why only small amounts are used in an organic energy drink. Anyone who has the powder at home is well advised to always “mix it in”. Antioxidants are in the medium range, making guarana very healthy.

1. Guayusa

Like mate and guarana, guayusa comes from South America. The leaves are the most caffeinated in the world , containing up to 7.6% caffeine . The average salary is 3%. Theobromine and theophylline are also present.

Of particular interest is the ratio of caffeine to L-theanine . This is about 1 to 3. This combination makes Guayusa so effective . If you would like to learn more about the effects of guayusa, we recommend our article on the effects of guayusa tea and the overview of all ingredients .

L-Theanine is an amino acid that can cross the blood-brain barrier. As is well known, our brain vibrates at different wavelengths. Alpha waves are one of them and they are known to help focus the mind and thoughts - an essential quality for an organic energy drink!
L-theanine therefore balances the high caffeine content , ensures clear and structured thoughts with a special focus on the NOW and makes Guayusa as a natural organic energy drink particularly efficient for the office - and for everyday sports.

Theobromine and theophylline also stimulate the heart , blood circulation , oxygen uptake and thus the body 's overall performance .

The effects of an Bio Guayusa energy drink last between 4 and 8 hours . There is no racing heart , even with extremely high consumption, the Guayusa tea does not taste bitter , but rather herbal , sweet and tart . In contrast to coffee, mate, guarana and also tea, this is another advantage .

In addition, guayusa is extremely healthy , does not discolor teeth and has a calming yet stimulating effect on the gastrointestinal tract . The tea is alkaline and not acidic , and it can be drunk in large quantities like herbal tea without any side effects.

4. Conclusion: The best natural energy drink of 2023

Guayusa is our clear favorite when it comes to natural organic energy drinks.

The natural leaves can be easily brewed with water. They do not become bitter, even at 100°C and for long brewing times, since the leaves have hardly any bitter substances. You can find our best preparations of Guayusa tea HERE . The taste is herbal , slightly sweet, with a certain tart or earthy note .

The effect lasts for several hours, which has to do with the active ingredient complex , which is clearly ahead of all other natural caffeine-containing energy drinks. There is no palpitations , the well-known caffeine tremors are completely gone and you still have the advantages of caffeine such as motivation, a feeling of being awake and endurance.

Guayusa has more antioxidants than green tea , making it a real antioxidant bomb. With an ORAC value of over 120,000, guayusa has more antioxidants than most plants in the world.