Wondering Is Gatorade Vegan? Let’s See The Answer!
Nothing beats a refreshing energy drink after a long day at the gym.
It almost makes you feel like you have your life back.
Regular gym-goers will always bring a bottle of their favorite energy drink with them.
Gatorade is at the top of the list, having maintained its position in every supermarket across the globe over the years.
Many are now concerned about whether the vegan sports drink is available.
Is Gatorade vegan friendly?
Let’s continue to read!
What’s Gatorade?
Gatorade, a popular sports drink, is well-known to everyone.
Gatorade’s origin story is something most people don’t know.
Gatorade was first created by a University of Florida coach in 1965.
He asked for a team of physicians to treat heat-related illnesses common to athletes.
This was due to a loss of fluids, electrolytes, and carbohydrates through sweat.
After their research, the doctors developed Gatorade, a drink that is only for athletes.
Is Gatorade Vegan?
Yes! According to the ingredients, Gatorade’s original version is vegan.
It does contain artificial flavors, sugar, and artificial colors that some vegans consider non-vegan.
Gatorade has Different Flavors & Variations.
Since its original introduction, the world-famous sports beverage has been available in many flavors and variations.
Is Gatorade Vegan Friendly Or Not?
It may be hard to tell which Gatorade flavor is vegan.
This is because different flavors can contain ingredients different from the original.
What color is the original Gatorade, and what other flavors are it?
Let’s take a look at 7 variations of Gatorade currently on the market to understand the situation:
Original Thirst Quencher contains sucrose and natural flavoring/coloring components.
Flow Thirst Quench contains sugar, natural flavors, yellow 5 (natural colors), and blue 1(artificial colors).
Fierce Thirst Quencher contains sugar, artificial and a natural flavor, blue 1 & red 40
Frost Thirst Quencher contains sugar, natural flavors, and blue 1
G2 Low Sugar Thirst Quencher contains sugar, artificial flavor, red 40, and blue 1.
Zero Thirst Quencher contains natural flavor, sugar (made from sucrose), and yellow 6 (“artificial color”).
Organic Thirst Quencher is made with organic cane sugar and natural organic flavor (both are vegan).
The following section explains exactly what problem each ingredient causes to better understand whether Gatorade is vegan.
Potential Non-Vegan Gatorade Ingredients
Gatorade sports drink recipes may contain ingredients that are not vegan.
Cane Sugar
Non-organic white sugar is often processed with bone char (ground-up animal bones).
Some vegans might not be happy with this.
This is done to give the sugar a lighter shade during the filtration process.
These animal byproducts don’t end up in final products.
Still, they have been in contact with animals can be enough to cause certain vegans not to eat this ingredient.
Refined sugar can be white sugar derived from sugarcane or beet sugar derived from beets.
It is not always vegan-friendly, but organic cane sugar is better.
You can contact the parent company PepsiCo for more information about sugar filtration.
Flavors
Natural flavors can be obtained from either animal products or a plant base.
Natural flavors can be obtained from many sources, including eggs, seafood, dairy products, fermented foods, fruit or juice, vegetables, fruits, vegetable juices, plant material, meat, and edible yeast.
Natural flavor can sometimes be as fake as it sounds.
It’s a good idea to contact the company directly to find out the source of the additive, especially if it’s a vegan.
Artificial Colors
Red40
This synthetic food dye is used to give foods a red hue.
It’s made from petroleum and coal tar.
It is also used in cosmetics and in certain medications.
This chemical contains no animal products or crushed red bugs, but some vegans are still opposed to its use.
This chemical damages the DNA of male and female rats when it is injected.
The testing can cause the death of many animals.
Some people think animal testing could be replaced by more precise and economically viable alternatives.
One option is to use human tissue donated from surgery or to test human skin restructured in place of rabbits.
For example, the rabbit irritation tests only work 60% of the time, compared to the 90% with rabbits.
This vegan dye contains compounds that can cause cancer and hyperactivity or allergic reactions among children.
Yellow
This yellow food dye ingredient is made from petroleum.
It’s also vegan-friendly.
It is also used in processed foods, candy, medications, and body care products to yellowish colors.
Neurotoxic food colorings have been found to increase irritability in people and lead to depression.
Vegans are not supportive of animal testing with this ingredient, even though it does not contain animal derivatives or animal-sourced ingredients.
Yellow 6
Yellow 6 is another synthetic food dye that has been approved by the FDA to color food, drugs, and cosmetics.
Red 1
This artificial food dye is used to make food products blue.
It is made from oil and was first synthesized in the late 1800.
France and Norway have banned this ingredient altogether because of its association with brain cancer.
It can be found in dog food, candy, sports drinks, and processed foods.
Is Gatorade Gluten-Free?
Yes.
They are certified kosher, meaning they have no contact with bone charcoal.
Is Gatorade Good For Health?
Gatorade and other sports drinks can pose a risk to your health if consumed in excess.
An article in Medical News Today states that because it has a high amount of sugars, it can increase the risk of certain conditions such as weight gain or type 2 diabetes.
This drink may be beneficial for athletes who exercise intensely, but it has pros and cons.
Gatorade (or other drinks) should be consumed moderately.
Vegan sports drinks
Suppose you are unsure whether to continue drinking Gatorade after reading the above.
In that case, we recommend the following gluten-free sports drinks sold under the vegan brand.
- NOOMA Organic Electrolyte Water
- Water from the True Nopal Cactus
- LyteShow Electrolyte Concentrate For Rapid Rehydration
- UltimaReplenisher Electrolyte powder
- Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix
Final Thoughts
Is Gatorade vegan?
The answer is subjective.
Gatorade and its flavors and variations are not made from animals.
It does contain some ingredients that can cause confusion and lingering thoughts.
Vegans may be against sugar, artificial flavors, or artificial colors in Gatorade products.
It can be difficult to track these substances’ source and processing methods.
It all depends on your veganism.
These ingredients aren’t animal-derived, so they won’t be a problem for some.
Others would find it unacceptable.