Cappuccino vs. Energy Drinks, Which Packs a Bigger Punch?

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Nowadays relying on caffeinated drinks for that extra boost of energy throughout the day is normal. Whether you sip on chilled energy drinks or a warm cup of cappuccino, they both have moderate amounts of caffeine to get you started for the day or pick you up midday.

Coffees and energy drinks both have some really great stuff for your body like antioxidants, multivitamins, and niacin, and much more. But are these drinks truly beneficial for you? Or maybe one of them is unhealthy and one is a good fit for regular use!

Cappuccino and energy drinks both contain caffeine and can do the job of waking you up. But an energy drink is a much stronger energy booster as it contains more caffeine than the average cappuccino.

In this article, I will walk you through each of these drinks to clearly understand what these drinks entail.

So, let’s get started.

What Are The Ingredients In Energy Drinks and Cappuccino?

Cappuccino and energy drinks are both from different energy boosters. Cappuccino is all-natural made from roasted coffee beans which are later steamed while energy drinks are all artificial made from caffeine extract and artificial sweeteners.

Most energy drinks contain similar ingredients that are mostly derived from artificial or synthesized sources. Though energy drinks are rich in vitamins they are jam-packed with sugar and preservatives. The ingredients found in most energy drinks are:

  • Artificial Sweeteners
  • B vitamins
  • Caffeine
  • Caffeine anhydrous
  • Flavorings
  • Gluconolactone
  • L-Carnitine
  • Preservatives
  • Taurine

On the other hand, Cappuccino, like any other coffee, is all-natural and made with coffee beans and steamed milk. Though it can have some additional flavorings as well like caramel syrup or vanilla milk generally it has equal parts of espresso shot and full-fat steamed milk and then topped with milk foam.

It also contains important vitamins such as vitamin B2 and vitamin V5 and nutrients such as niacin, magnesium, and potassium.

Are Energy Drinks Stronger Than Cappuccino?

Cappuccino is not as strong as any energy drink. Energy drinks have additional boosting ingredients that make them stronger than a cappuccino, which doesn’t contain any artificial boosters.

Cappuccino’s stimulating effect can be slower compared to any energy drink, but this can be beneficial over the long run.

Energy drinks in moderate amounts may not harm you, but if you regularly consume the drink, you will find yourself feeling more and more tired once the drink wears off. So, if we talk about cappuccino, one can control the number of ingredients they put in their coffee.

The amount of espresso, steamed milk, and flavorings can result in a stronger or a weaker cup of coffee depending on the amount of each ingredient.

But even knowing this, typically, cappuccino isn’t that strong if compared with energy drinks. The espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam all are in the same quantities thus giving it a very balanced flavor.

a cup of cappuccino with seahorse as latte art

Energy drinks are popular among young people because of their ease of access and convenience. As soon as you drink the first gulp of the energy drink, you feel a heightened sense of energy in your body due to the caffeine, added sugars, and additional energy boosters in the energy drinks.

This video talks about various strong energy drinks.

a cool comparison of energy drinks

How Much Sugar Do Cappuccino And Energy Drinks Have?

Energy drinks have tons of artificial sweeteners added to them. A regular can of an energy drink can have somewhere from 26 gm to 34 grams of sugar, making it extensively sweet and unhealthy. And cappuccino naturally has a hint of sweetness because of the dairy that is about 6.4 grams of sugar.

Sugar is not so good for the human body. Usually, it’s is suggested by nutritionists to avoid sugar completely or consume it in very small amounts.

It’s is recommended by The Heart and Stroke Foundation to not consume more than 12 teaspoons of sugar in a whole day no matter whatever your source of sugar is like sugary drinks, coffees, tea, milk, etc. And energy drinks contain more than 14 teaspoons per serving. This is an alarming amount. 

pot of sugar with a spoon

Whereas cappuccino does not contain any added sugar. The sweetness that it entails solely comes from the full fat steamed milk which is about 6.4 g in an 8 oz cup. Of course, you can add flavor and syrups to make it sweeter but the original cappuccino does not contain too much sugar.

I’ve prepared a table of five popular energy drinks and their respective sugar content.

Energy Drinks 12 oz canSugar Content In Grams
Red Bull34
Monster54
BangSugar-Free
Rockstar69
Mother26

Do Energy Drinks Have More Caffeine Than Cappuccino?

Energy drinks have more caffeine than cappuccinos. Most energy drinks contain more than 100 mg of caffeine per serving and cappuccino only has 80 mg of caffeine per cup.

Energy drinks and cappuccinos have ample amounts of caffeine in them. Though the caffeine content varies depending upon the serving size.

An average consumer drinks about 8 oz cup of cappuccino which has about 80 mg of caffeine. And if we were to compare the caffeine content of the two, the caffeine in an 8 oz can of any energy drink like Red Bull or Monster would be the same as the amount of caffeine in a cappuccino.

But generally, a regular can has more caffeine than a cappuccino. A regular can of any energy drink can have about 80 mg to 300 mg of caffeine per can. The FDA recommends not to have more than 400 mg of total caffeine in a day. And considering that we have multiple sources of caffeine in our day like coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks, and baked goods, we should be very careful.

Caffeine overdosing is very harmful and can lead to some life-threatening issues. Some common caffeine overdose signs include:

• Anxiety and nervousness
• Sweating
• Calcium depletion
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Dehydration
• Irregular heartbeat
• Vomit

Which is Healthier Between Energy Drinks And Cappuccino?

Cappuccino is much healthier than any energy drink. The most significant part of making cappuccino healthy is that it doesn’t contain any excessive amounts of artificial ingredients nor tons of sugars.

Energy drinks and cappuccino both have some great things for us. Like cappuccino has many antioxidants and helps to protect us against many cancers. Also, energy drinks are concentrated in B vitamins which are great for your skin and overall health. If you consume both of them in moderation there isn’t any damage that happens.

But energy drinks are making young people get hooked on them, making you dependent on them and susceptible to many complications. These drinks have intense amounts of sugar that instantly elevate your blood sugar level, giving you a sugar high or as scientifically known; hyperglycemia.

This gives you instant energy while increasing your heartbeat which isn’t great for your heart’s wellbeing.

Also, the high levels of caffeine found in many energy drinks aren’t the best way to get instant energy. Excessive caffeine can have some irreversible effects on your body.  

Also, once these effects wear off within an hour or two, you will feel a sugar crash that will make you feel lethargic and irritated. Furthermore, caffeine overdosing from energy drinks has been associated with irregular heartbeats and health hazards in young people.

Type 2 diabetes, kidney problems, and dental disorders have also been reported with caffeine overdose. Therefore, experts warn students to stay away from these drinks especially while preparing for exams.

Here is the chart for popular energy drinks and their caffeine content.

Energy Drinks 12 oz canCaffeine Content
Red Bull102 mg
Monster122 mg
Bang300 mg
Mother75.6 mg
Rockstar160 mg
a guy drinking a can of energy drink

What Is The Taste Of Each Drink?

Cappuccino and energy drinks both are sweet in flavor. But they also come in various flavors. Like cappuccino has caramel, vanilla, pumpkin, and many more flavors. And energy drinks have watermelon, tropical fruits, coconut, and berry.

Most energy drinks are sweet in taste with a hint of tartness. Energy drinks are notorious for having a sour taste with tons of sweetness. To some people, energy drinks also taste quite metallic and have a watered-down cough syrup taste as well.

But these are all associated without having any artificial flavors. Energy drinks come in plenty of flavors like coconut, tropical fruits, green apple, many berries like strawberry and blueberry, and watermelon which are quite delicious. So, if you want to give it try you can choose any flavored energy drink can.

If we talk about cappuccino, it is also sweet naturally, all thanks to steamed milk. But it has a bolder taste but is not strong. The steamed milk gives it a frothy and rich texture and creamy mouthfeel.

People who like a balanced flavor of coffee with less bitterness enjoy cappuccinos. But you also have many flavors that you can have as an add-on for a cappuccino. Some of these flavors include vanilla, cinnamon, caramel, toffee nut, peppermint, raspberry, and hazelnut. So, like energy drinks, you can enjoy a cappuccino as well in your favorite flavor.

I talk more about cappuccino in this other article I wrote. You can check it out if you’re interested.

My Two Cents

There’s nothing wrong with energy drinks every once in a while, in a moderate quantity. And if you are a sole drinker of coffee, keep in mind that don’t overdose. In comparing the two I feel that cappuccino is much better than any energy drink.

But it’s up to you what choice you want to make according to your preference and health. Both drinks have their advantages and disadvantages. But we learned a lot more about each drink as we went through it.

Regardless of your tolerance and health condition, the explanations in the above sections are mostly intended to get you to understand which drink will boost your body the most effectively.

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