If you’re a caffeine lover forever searching for healthy beverages, you’ve probably heard about True North Energy Seltzer.
True North is an energy drink created to help people live healthier without ditching caffeine entirely. The drink is made with all-natural ingredients and contains vitamins and minerals.
True North is also low in calories and sugar, making it a great alternative to other energy drinks.
Key Takeaways:
True North Energy Drink is healthier than standard energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster Energy in terms of calorie and sugar content. True North Energy Seltzer is all-natural and contains no added sugar or carbohydrates, which reduces the risk of obesity and diabetes.
In this article, you will learn more about the ingredients of this energy seltzer and how it compares in taste and benefits to other drinks. You will also learn about the drawbacks of drinking True North and how you can offset them.
True North Energy Drink Ingredients: What’s Inside?
True North Energy Seltzer tastes genuinely different from most mainstream energy drinks. And that’s because the beverage’s contents are unlike those of Monster and Red Bull.
This section covers the key ingredients of True North Energy Drinks and how they differ from beverages like Redbull and Monster Energy.
Natural Flavors, A, B Group Vitamins, Zinc Gluconate, Carbonated Water, Citric Acid, Organic Panax Ginseng Extract, Organic Guarana Extract, Organic Green Tea Extract, Organic Green Coffee Caffeine, and Organic Guayusa Extract are the ingredients in True North Energy Drink.
Let’s briefly go over the contents and their relevance:
- Carbonated Water – This changes the product sub-category of True North. The level of carbonation in this beverage is unlike Red Bull and Monster Energy. It gets more center stage in terms of the flavor profile.
- Natural Flavor – This is a catchall term used to protect individual flavor elements from public disclosure. Natural flavors can be harmful or healthy. For better or worse, all energy drinks have them (some alongside artificial flavors). And we’ll never know what they are.
- Vitamin A Palmitate – Great for eye health and overall immunity, this is found in drinks like milk, which is typically considered healthy.
- Zinc Gluconate – Zinc helps the body’s digestive and metabolic activity. This ingredient is helpful to people with a Zinc deficiency and neutral for those who get enough Zinc in their diet.
- Cyanocobalamin (Vit. B12) – This brain-nourishing supplement makes sense in an energy drink formula. Other energy drinks also have it.
- Citric Acid – This is an acidity regulator responsible for the salty taste of most fizzy drinks. It is present in Red Bull and Monster Energy as well.
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vit. B6) – Vitamin B6 is also good for the brain and immunity. It is taken as a supplement by immunodeficient individuals.
- Organic Panax Ginseng Extract – Ginseng is also found in Monster Energy and Rockstar Energy (but not Red Bull). It is considered to have a nootropic effect even on its own.
- Niacinamide (Vit. B3) – This supplement is helpful for your skin. It boosts skin health and improves its appearance. It is not uncommon to find Vitamin B3 in energy drinks.
- D-calcium Pantothenate (Vit. B5) – Vitamin B5 compounds the effects of Vitamin B3, helping your skin health further. But its primary function is to help break down carbs and fats quicker.
- Organic Guarana Extract – Guarana is commonly used for an organic energy drink effect as it also boosts alertness and energy levels, albeit not on par with green coffee.
- Organic Green Tea Extract – Green tea has a slimming effect, but only if it is not consumed with sugar.
- Organic Caffeine (From Green Coffee Beans) – Most energy drinks contain synthetic caffeine. Organic caffeine is usually found in coffee and energy drinks positioned as ‘natural’ or ‘organic.’
- Ascorbic Acid (Vit. C) – This supplement boosts tissue repair across your whole body. Its effects are most evident in skin health and hair growth.
- Organic Guayusa Extract – Another Amazonian ingredient, this extract makes the drink more mood-stabilizing than a few energy drinks on the market. Guayusa helps improve mood and cognition. It is also rich in antioxidants.
True North Energy Drink Pros (the Good)
With a deep dive into the beverage’s ingredients, you have the foundational knowledge to see its advantages more objectively. So, let’s explore what’s good about True North Energy Seltzer.
All Natural
What’s great about True North is that it is 100% natural. Each ingredient is sourced from the earth or extracted from a naturally occurring ingredient. This makes True North Energy relatively healthy, though it is possible to abuse.
Responsible energy drink consumption is advisable, regardless. In contrast, Monster Energy has a brand that embraces artificiality and caffeine pumping. And that can be good in specific contexts. But regarding long-term consumption, beverages like True North are beneficial.
Good For Your Skin
As covered in the ingredients section, this beverage contains vitamins that improve skin health and tissue regeneration. It’s worth noting that almost all popular energy drinks trying to dethrone Red Bull do so by pumping it full of vitamins.
Vitamins work with consistent consumption, though. And sugary drinks do more harm than good with regular consumption.
Improves Immunity
The metabolic boost with caffeine is also aided by supplements that improve your body’s natural immunity.
The immunity boost happens with consistent consumption, and True North is a beverage one can afford to consume regularly. A majority of energy drinks are not fit for regular intake.
Caffeinates and Energizes
Since energy is the primary purpose of an energy drink, it goes without saying that True North does energize its users. But it is also worth pointing out that True North is just as caffeinated as its counterparts.
But it is sugar-free, which takes out caffeine’s oompf, especially when you’re on an empty stomach. If you’re used to getting your pump from the likes of Monster, you might not find True North as energizing.
Sugar and Carb-Free
The final benefit of True North isn’t something you cannot find in other energy drinks.
Most energy drinks have sugar-free versions, and True North is different in that it has no sugar in its main product, while other brands have ‘sugar-free’ versions of their main, sugary product.
True North metabolizes sugar, carbs, and fat that you already have in your body.
True North Energy Drink Cons (the Bad)
In this section, we will look at the cons of True North compared to other energy drinks. We will also consider three specific drawbacks present across all energy drinks.
Caffeinates and Energizes
The first disadvantage of True North Energy Seltzer is a functional one. Unlike Red Bull, this beverage is supposed to energize the consumer but without sugar.
The fact that it can improve skin health and immunity isn’t as relevant to an energy drink consumer’s main interest, so the zero-calorie content is worth pointing out.
True North has 120mg of caffeine in a 12-ounce can, which is higher than Red Bull’s 12-ounce can’s 110 mg caffeine serving. But since caffeine promotes the breakdown of sugar for energy, if you are fasting, you won’t get as much of a kick out of True North.
Doesn’t Have a Mass-Friendly Taste
Seltzers have gained enough momentum to have mass appeal, but energy seltzers have a long way to go.
People are just getting used to how energy drinks taste, and True North can taste different at first swig. Check the review later in this post for more on that.
Can Promote Acid Reflux
All energy drinks promote acid reflux because they contain acidic content. Aside from energy water, they are all carbonated, which can irritate an empty stomach.
Regular consumption of fizzy drinks can erode the stomach lining making it more sensitive to digestive acids.
Acid reflux is a real concern for people who plan to consume True North on an empty stomach with any degree of regularity.
Has Unknown Ingredients
True North has ingredients that aren’t disclosed. They are labeled “natural flavors” and aren’t individually listed (to protect the formula).
This isn’t a unique phenomenon.
Most energy drinks hide a part of their formula. But it is worth knowing that we are unaware of everything in this beverage.
Can Be Abused
Like all caffeinated beverages, one can overconsume True North Energy Seltzer. Given that it has more caffeine than Red Bull, you can easily overdose on this beverage by having multiple cans in one sitting.
Avoid having more than two cans of True North if you plan to maintain caffeine independence. And under no circumstances should you have more than three cans of True North Energy.
Difference Between True North and Pure North
Pure North Energy Drink is True North Energy Seltzer made for the Canadian market. The same corporation owns it and has the same ingredients and nutritional makeup.
The reason for a different name might be a legal thing because Pure North isn’t any purer than True North.
Among noteworthy differences are:
- Pure North is available in fewer flavors.
- Pure North doesn’t have dedicated marketing.
- Pure North isn’t usually consigned to stores that stock True North.
True North vs. Red Bull
Red Bull is the first energy drink of its kind, and True North is a pioneer among Energy Seltzers. This makes for an interesting, albeit unfair, comparison.
Red Bull has the liberty to use artificial flavors and sugar, while True North works with its self-imposed limitations of being calorie-free and sugar-free.
Red Bull tastes good, while True North tastes good to people who like seltzers. True North has more caffeine than Red Bull by a margin of 10 mg but has no sugar.
This makes it less energizing but also less fattening. Red Bull has fewer vitamins and supplements than True North.
How Does It Taste?
Let’s get this out of the way: True North has a strong taste. Just because it doesn’t contain sugar doesn’t mean it is not sweet! I can confidently say that it is almost sweet because of the strong presence of flavoring agents.
Red Bull and traditional energy drinks have a far more adaptable taste.
How Effective Is It?
True North is definitely not best on an empty stomach.
But if you’ve eaten anything within the 5 hours preceding, its caffeine will metabolize the sugar in your system, and you’ll feel just as pumped as you would with a Sugar-free Red Bull.
With less sugar in your system, True North will make you feel alert and energetic, albeit not as much as you would with a classic Monster. On the upside, there is no sugar crash with this sugar-free water seltzer.
What Flavors Does True North Energy Offer?
True North Energy has the following flavors:
- Cucumber Lime
- Peach Pear
- Watermelon
- Lemonade
- Mandarin Yuzu
- Grapefruit
Most True North flavors are fruity with a tropical bend. This is perhaps to maintain its energy seltzer identity.
In contrast, Red Bull flavors are more juice-like (Blueberry, Cherry), and Monster flavors are all over the map…some are even reminiscent of milkshakes.
How Do Other Seltzer Energy Drinks Compare?
Energy seltzers are relatively new to the scene, so I thought it might be helpful to introduce you to a few other brands and how they compare to True North:
| Energy Seltzer | How it compares to True North |
| Perrier Energize | Has 35 calories more than True North |
| Arti Sparkling Water | Exact same nutritional and calorie makeup as True North |
| GURU Sparkling Water | 20mg less caffeine per can |
| Yerbae Sparkling Water | 20mg less caffeine in each can |
| Caribou BOUsted Sparkling Water | 45 mg less caffeine in each can |
| Bubbl’r Sparkling Water | Has five more and 51 mg less caffeine than True North |
FAQ
There is no alcohol in True North Energy Drink because it is not a hard seltzer. Hard seltzers (not all seltzers) contain alcohol. True North is an energy seltzer which means it is bubbly energy water.
True North Energy Drink is made in Clinton Township, Michigan. It is manufactured and shipped all over the US and is even exported privately to other countries.
Monster Beverage Company makes True North Energy Seltzer. This shouldn’t be confused with TrueNorth nut cluster snacks made by B&G Foods or “True North Energy,” an energy company in the petroleum space co-owned by Shell plc.
