{"id":664358,"date":"2026-05-25T16:24:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T16:24:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/664358\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T16:24:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T16:24:27","slug":"is-alani-nu-bad-for-you-dietitian-reviews-ingredients-caffeine-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/664358\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Alani Nu Bad for You? Dietitian Reviews Ingredients, Caffeine Risks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Energy drinks are a rapidly growing market, as more young people skip alcohol in favor of alternative beverages<\/a> with purported health benefits. One popular brand is Alani Nu, which makes \u201cwellness and fitness products,\u201d such as energy drinks and supplements, according to its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But are Alani Nu energy drinks actually good for you? It\u2019s a question that arose after the April 2026 death of Texas 17-year-old Larissa Nicole Rodriguez. According to the medical examiner, she died from \u201can enlarged heart due to stress and large amounts of caffeine,\u201d NBC News reported<\/a>. A lawyer for the family said she drank at least one can of Alani Nu per day the year before her death.<\/p>\n

The family has since sued a local beverage distributor, which did not respond to NBC News\u2019 request for comment. The lawyer said that Rodriguez believed the drink had health benefits, alleging there were \u201cinadequate warnings about the serious cardiac risks that this product brings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked about Rodriguez\u2019s death, Celsius Inc., which owns Alani Nu, told NBC News that it does not recommend the product for children nor does it market to anyone under 18.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe take product safety seriously and believe consumers should have clear information about what they are drinking,\u201d the statement added in part.<\/p>\n

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>, 30\u201350% of adolescents report consuming energy drinks. Data from America\u2019s Poison Centers, which represents accredited poison control centers across the U.S.,<\/a> found a 24.2% increase in energy-drink-related calls for children between 2022-2023. The largest spike came from those between 6-12 years old. <\/p>\n

As many as 11.6% of schools sell energy drinks in on-campus vending machines, stores and snack bars, according to the CDC. About 75% don\u2019t have policies about selling caffeinated drinks at school, despite leading children\u2019s health groups recommending that kids either don\u2019t drink caffeine or drastically limit it.<\/p>\n

According to data collected by America\u2019s Poison Centers, children often don\u2019t know they\u2019re drinking energy drinks, or if they do, they don\u2019t realize how much caffeine is in them.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to know about Alani Nu energy drinks, whether they have health benefits and the risks, for kids and adults.<\/p>\n

What Is Alani Nu?<\/p>\n

The brand was founded in 2018 by fitness trainer Katy Hearn and her husband, Haydn Schneider. When its slim, fluorescent cans and collaborations with the likes of Kim Kardashian shot it to popularity, holding its own on shelves next to its more traditional counterparts, Celsius, a caffeinated fitness drink brand, noticed. <\/p>\n

In 2025, Celsius acquired Alani Nu<\/a> for $1.8 billion, praising the \u201cfemale-focused brand that delivers functional beverages and wellness products that are aspirational yet accessible for a growing community of Gen Z and millennial consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alani Nu\u2019s products<\/a> include pre-workout, gummy snacks, protein bars, \u201csuper greens\u201d powders, creatine, \u201cfat-burning\u201d capsules, energy powders and canned energy beverages branded for your \u201cit-girl era<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

One can of the energy drink has 200 milligrams of caffeine. The mini-can contains 100 milligrams of caffeine, and the powdered energy sticks deliver a 200-milligram dose of caffeine, according to its labels.<\/p>\n

Each of these products has no sugar and ranges between 5-15 calories.<\/p>\n

According to the Alani Nu website<\/a>, ingredients in the energy drink include carbonated water, citric acid, taurine, sodium citrate, sucralose, L-theanine, panax ginseng root extract, guarana seed extract, caffeine, B vitamins and more.<\/p>\n

Is Alani Nu Good for You?<\/p>\n

Alani Nu energy drinks contain taurine and L-theanine, amino acids that naturally occur in the body, along with guarana, a caffeinated plant, and B vitamins.<\/p>\n

B vitamins play a role in energy production, immune health and blood cell development, TODAY.com<\/a> previously reported.<\/p>\n

Some of Alani Nu\u2019s other ingredients are adaptogens, plants that may help manage physical and mental stress. They \u201chave plausible, modest benefits for alertness and energy in adults, but evidence for meaningful long\u2011term health benefits is limited, especially at the doses in a single can,\u201d registered dietitian and author Erin Palinski-Wade<\/a> tells TODAY.com. (She is not affiliated with Alani Nu or any energy brands.)<\/p>\n

While these ingredients are generally considered safe on their own, the average healthy adult would likely have to ingest multiple servings in order to reap any health benefits, she says. And given the energy drink\u2019s caffeine content, that could be harmful, she adds. Alani Nu recommends that children, those with caffeine sensitivity, pregnant people and those who are nursing avoid this product, noting too the FDA\u2019s 400 milligram limit for daily caffeine intake.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible you could feel less stressed or fatigued from one serving, according to Palinski-Wade, though there are no clinical studies to support this. Nor is there sufficient data about how these ingredients interact when combined, she adds. <\/p>\n

Alani Nu did not immediately respond to TODAY.com\u2019s request for comment about claims that Alani Nu energy drinks have health benefits.<\/p>\n

\"AlaniAlani Nu was founded in 2018 and acquired for more than $1 billion in 2025.Amazon<\/p>\n

Another prominent ingredient on Alani Nu\u2019s label is caffeine.<\/p>\n

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration<\/a>, caffeine intake up to about 400 milligrams per day is acceptable for most adults. This amount is not \u201cgenerally associated with adverse effects,\u201d Palinksi-Wade adds.<\/p>\n

One full-sized can of Alani Nu contains about half this amount, and the company\u2019s website specifies that \u201cdaily caffeine consumption should be limited to approximately 400mg per day from all sources.\u201d<\/p>\n

For comparison, the average cup of coffee has between 113-247 milligrams of caffeine, green tea has 37 milligrams, black tea has 71 milligrams and caffeinated soft drinks have between 23-83 milligrams, according to the FDA.<\/p>\n

Alani Nu also contains sucralose, which the FDA considers safe to consume in moderation. However, some research<\/a> has linked consuming large amounts of sucralose to greater risk of heart disease and negative impact on the gut microbiome.<\/p>\n

Is Alani Nu Safe to Drink Daily?<\/p>\n

While Alani Nu\u2019s serving sizes fit within the federally recommended intake levels of caffeine, it still might not be safe for daily consumption for some people, Palinksi-Wade says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn individuals with health conditions, such as cardiac conditions, having excess caffeine or other ingredients in energy drinks may increase the risk of an adverse reaction,\u201d says Palinksi-Wade, so an energy drink a day might not be safe. <\/p>\n

Those with caffeine sensitivity, which can impact how well you tolerate its stimulating effects, according to the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>, might not be able to handle an energy drink per day either.<\/p>\n

The Alani Nu website states that its energy drinks are not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant women or women who are nursing.<\/p>\n

Talk to a health care provider if you regularly consume energy drinks, such as Alani Nu.<\/p>\n

Is Alani Nu Safe for Teens?<\/p>\n

Age changes things. <\/p>\n

The American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a> (AAP) says children and teens shouldn\u2019t drink caffeine at all.<\/p>\n

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry<\/a> (AACAP) says children and teens should not drink energy drinks, and caffeine should be avoided altogether for those under 12. For kids 12-18, caffeine should be limited to 100 milligrams a day.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor younger children, caffeine is not recommended,\u201d Palisnki-Wade agrees.<\/p>\n

The health risks of consuming energy drinks for children and teens, according to the CDC and AAP, include:<\/p>\n

DehydrationHeart problemsAnxietyInsomnia and disrupted sleepHyperactivityCaffeine addiction, which can lead to headaches, irritability and fatigue when the effects wear off<\/p>\n

Alani Nu states on its website and labels that its products are not for children.<\/p>\n

What a Registered Dietitian Recommends You Drink Instead of Energy Drinks<\/p>\n

Few people, young people especially, need a hefty dose of caffeine, says Palinski-Wade. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s better for health to focus on adequate hydration, good quality rest, and meals with complex carbs, protein<\/a> and healthy fats<\/a> for steady energy. \u201cAdding moderate physical activity daily can also help to boost overall energy levels,\u201d adds Palinksi-Wade.<\/p>\n

Parents should focus on hydrating their children with milk and water, the AAP advises.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Energy drinks are a rapidly growing market, as more young people skip alcohol in favor of alternative beverages…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":664359,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[97,269],"class_list":["post-664358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-health","tag-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=664358"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664358\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/664359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=664358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=664358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=664358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}