Nutrition Diet: Which is worse, soda or energy drinks?

October 11, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the CDC, sugary drinks like soda and energy drinks are the leading source of added sugars in the American diet, contributing to a host of health problems. When considering your nutrition diet, the question isn't whether to choose one, but rather understanding which is worse, soda or energy drinks, and why both are best avoided.

Quick Summary

Both soda and energy drinks are damaging to your health due to high sugar and acid content. Energy drinks pose more immediate and severe risks, primarily due to their high stimulant load, while regular soda is a major source of empty calories.

Key Points

Acute vs. Chronic Risks: Energy drinks pose more immediate and acute cardiovascular risks due to high stimulants, while soda's harm is more chronic and tied to long-term sugar consumption.
High Caffeine is Dangerous: Energy drinks contain significantly higher and more concentrated doses of caffeine than soda, which can cause anxiety, heart palpitations, and high blood pressure.
Sugar Overload: Both beverages are overloaded with added sugar, contributing to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and tooth decay, with some energy drinks containing even more sugar per ounce than typical sodas.
Stimulants vs. Additives: The unique combination of stimulants and other supplements in energy drinks creates a different, more volatile effect on the body compared to the more predictable damage from soda's sugar and acid.
Choose Healthier Alternatives: For hydration and energy, the healthiest options are water, unsweetened coffee or tea, or naturally flavored sparkling water, rather than either of these beverages.

A Head-to-Head Nutritional Comparison

For decades, soda has been a primary target of nutritional criticism due to its high sugar content and empty calories. However, the rise of energy drinks has introduced a new contender for the title of 'most unhealthy beverage'. While they share many negative attributes, the unique blend of ingredients in each product creates different, and in some cases more severe, health risks.

The Case Against Soda

Traditional sodas are essentially sugar water with carbonation, flavoring, and phosphoric acid. The health issues linked to frequent soda consumption are well-documented and primarily stem from excessive sugar intake:

High Added Sugar: A single 12-ounce can of regular soda can contain 39-46 grams of sugar, far exceeding the daily recommended limit set by health organizations like the American Heart Association. This translates to significant empty calories that contribute to weight gain and obesity.
Increased Risk of Chronic Disease: Excessive sugar consumption from soda is strongly linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Dental Decay: The combination of sugar and acid in soda erodes tooth enamel, making teeth more vulnerable to cavities and decay.
Bone Health Concerns: Some studies suggest that the phosphoric acid in cola can contribute to lower bone mineral density in women, potentially increasing the risk of osteoporosis.

The Dangers of Energy Drinks

Energy drinks are a more complex and potentially more hazardous cocktail of ingredients. In addition to high sugar, they contain high levels of stimulants, which accelerate the impact on the body.

Excessive Caffeine: Energy drinks typically contain significantly more caffeine than soda, often ranging from 80mg to over 300mg per serving, compared to the 22-69mg in many sodas. This can cause immediate side effects such as increased heart rate, high blood pressure, palpitations, and anxiety.
Added Stimulants: Beyond caffeine, energy drinks frequently include other stimulants and additives like taurine, guarana, and ginseng. The effects of these compounds, especially in high concentrations and combined with large doses of caffeine, are not fully understood and have been linked to more severe cardiovascular problems.
Acute Cardiovascular Risks: Studies have shown that energy drink consumption can lead to irregular heart rhythms and a prolonged increase in blood pressure beyond the effects of caffeine alone. These acute effects can be particularly dangerous for individuals with underlying heart conditions.
High Sugar Content: Despite being marketed for performance, many energy drinks contain just as much, if not more, sugar than their soda counterparts, contributing to the same metabolic and weight issues. Some larger cans contain over 100 grams of sugar.

Why Energy Drinks are Often Worse

While both beverages are unhealthy, the combination of high sugar and high stimulants makes energy drinks more acutely dangerous. For most people, the immediate risk of cardiac distress, anxiety, and sleep disruption from energy drinks outweighs the long-term, systemic harm caused by regular soda consumption. The deceptive marketing of energy drinks as a performance-enhancing supplement can also lead to more frequent and excessive consumption, especially among young people, exacerbating these risks.

Comparison of Key Health Impacts


Feature	Soda Drinks	Energy Drinks
Primary Harmful Ingredient	Sugar, phosphoric acid	High caffeine, sugar, added stimulants
Cardiovascular Risk	Long-term risk of heart disease via obesity, diabetes	Immediate risk of increased heart rate, blood pressure, irregular rhythms
Dental Health	High acidity and sugar lead to enamel erosion and decay	Very high acidity and sugar cause rapid and severe enamel erosion
Mental Effects	Sugar crash leading to fatigue and irritability	Anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, nervousness, headaches
Target Audience	Broad audience, including children	Young adults, athletes, high-stress individuals

Healthier Hydration Alternatives

Making healthier choices is crucial for long-term well-being. Here are some excellent alternatives to consider:

Water: The best and most straightforward option for hydration, with zero calories and no additives.
Black Coffee or Unsweetened Tea: Provides a more controlled and moderate dose of caffeine without the sugar load.
Sparkling Water with Fruit: Offers the fizzy sensation of soda with natural flavor and no added sugar.
Water Infused with Herbs: Adding mint, lemon, or cucumber provides a refreshing, flavorful drink.

Conclusion

Ultimately, neither soda nor energy drinks are a healthy choice. However, the verdict for which is worse leans towards energy drinks due to the potent and potentially hazardous combination of high caffeine and other stimulants, in addition to significant sugar content. The risks are more acute and severe, especially for the cardiovascular system. For a healthy nutrition diet, the best course of action is to eliminate both from your regular consumption and opt for genuinely healthier alternatives like water, coffee, or tea.

For more information on the dangers of energy drinks, consider reviewing findings from the American Heart Association.

Frequently Asked Questions

Energy drinks are generally more damaging to teeth than soda. While both are acidic and high in sugar, the acidity level in many energy drinks is significantly higher, leading to faster and more severe erosion of tooth enamel.

While diet sodas contain fewer calories than energy drinks, they are not necessarily healthier. They contain artificial sweeteners that may have their own negative health effects, and they are still highly acidic, which is bad for dental health.

The high caffeine and stimulant content in energy drinks can increase heart rate and blood pressure, and cause irregular heart rhythms. This can be particularly dangerous for individuals with pre-existing heart conditions and has been linked to severe cardiovascular events in some cases.

An energy drink can contain two to eight times more caffeine than a can of cola. For example, a 16 oz energy drink can have over 150mg of caffeine, while a 12 oz soda typically contains 30-40mg.

Mixing alcohol with energy drinks is extremely dangerous. The stimulant effects of the energy drink can mask the depressant effects of alcohol, leading a person to consume more alcohol and increasing the risk of alcohol poisoning and dehydration.

For a healthy and sustainable energy boost, opt for black coffee, green tea, or natural foods that provide energy. Staying well-hydrated with water is also a fundamental way to maintain energy levels.

Yes, both can negatively affect the liver. The high sugar content can contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Additionally, the potent mixture of stimulants in energy drinks can force the liver to work overtime to metabolize them, with excessive use being linked to acute liver injury.