Alani Nu vs Red Bull Caffeine: 200 mg vs 114 mg per 12 oz

Alani Nu has more caffeine than Red Bull: a 12 fl oz Alani Nu Cosmic Stardust can lists 200 mg, while a 12 fl oz Red Bull Energy Drink lists 114 mg, so Alani Nu carries 86 mg more per can.

Per can, Alani Nu also lists 15 calories, 0 g sugar and 180 mg of sodium, while the 12 fl oz Red Bull can lists 160 calories, 38 g sugar and 150 mg of sodium. This page sets those label figures side by side and does not declare either drink the better choice.

Key takeaways:

• Per 12 fl oz, Alani Nu lists 200 mg caffeine, 15 calories, 0 g sugar and 180 mg sodium. Red Bull lists 114 mg caffeine, 160 calories, 38 g sugar and 150 mg sodium.
• Per fluid ounce, simple division of the label figures gives about 16.7 mg caffeine and 1.25 calories for Alani Nu, and about 9.5 mg caffeine and 13.3 calories for Red Bull. Neither can prints these per-ounce values.
• Alani Nu is sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame potassium. Red Bull original uses sugar and glucose, and Red Bull Sugarfree lists sucralose and acesulfame K.
• Both labels say they are not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, or pregnant or nursing women.

Caffeine per Can: 200 mg Against 114 mg at 12 fl oz

Does Alani Nu have more caffeine than Red Bull?

Yes. Per 12 fl oz can, the Alani Nu Cosmic Stardust label lists 200 mg of caffeine, while the Red Bull 12 fl oz can lists 114 mg. That is a difference of 86 mg, or about 1.75 times the Red Bull amount.

The Alani Nu can footnote reads 'Contains: 200mg of caffeine and 0g sugar per can,' and the Alani Nu Cosmic Stardust product page states 200 mg of caffeine per serving. The label does not disclose how the 200 mg splits between guarana seed extract and added caffeine.

Which has more caffeine per ounce, Alani Nu or Red Bull?

By simple division, Alani Nu contains about 16.7 mg of caffeine per fluid ounce, and the 12 fl oz Red Bull contains about 9.5 mg per fluid ounce. The 8.4 fl oz Red Bull, which Red Bull's site lists at 80 mg, works out to the same 9.5 mg per ounce. One 12 fl oz Alani Nu can holds the caffeine of about 2.5 of the 8.4 fl oz Red Bull cans.

For context, the FDA has cited 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most adults. Two 12 fl oz Alani Nu cans total 400 mg, three 12 fl oz Red Bull cans total 342 mg, and five 8.4 fl oz Red Bull cans total 400 mg. The FDA also notes wide variation in how sensitive people are to caffeine and how quickly they clear it.

How does Alani Nu compare with Red Bull Sugarfree?

Red Bull Sugarfree lists 80 mg of caffeine per 8.4 fl oz can, or about 9.5 mg per fluid ounce, and it uses sucralose and acesulfame K as sweeteners. Its calories and sodium are not stated in the brand information used for this comparison, so they are not given here.

Sugar and Calories: 0 g Sugar Against 38 g

Does Alani or Red Bull have more sugar?

Red Bull has more sugar. The 12 fl oz Red Bull can lists 38 g total sugars and 38 g added sugars. The Alani Nu can lists 0 g total sugars and 0 g added sugars. The Alani Nu label carries a footnote on its fruit juice color that reads 'Adds a negligible amount of sugar.'

The FDA's Daily Value for added sugars is 50 g per day based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so 38 g equals 76 percent of that figure. The FDA also notes that the Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting added sugars to less than 10 percent of total daily calories. The 8.4 fl oz Red Bull lists 27 g of sugars on the brand page.

How many calories are in each can?

A 12 fl oz Alani Nu Cosmic Stardust can lists 15 calories, or about 1.25 calories per fluid ounce by simple division. A 12 fl oz Red Bull can lists 160 calories, or about 13.3 calories per fluid ounce. Total fat is 0 g on both labels. Carbohydrate is 4 g for Alani Nu and 41 g for Red Bull.

The Red Bull brand page does not give calories or sodium for the 12 fl oz can. Those 12 fl oz figures come from an Open Food Facts record that shows a can photo with a '© 1996, 2013' copyright line, so the can in hand is the best reference. Calories and sodium for the 8.4 fl oz Red Bull are not stated here.

Sodium: 180 mg Against 150 mg per 12 fl oz Can

Alani Nu lists 180 mg of sodium per 12 fl oz can, about 15 mg per fluid ounce by simple division. Red Bull lists 150 mg per 12 fl oz can, about 12.5 mg per fluid ounce. On sodium per can, the Alani Nu label shows the higher figure.

Sodium-containing ingredients appear on both lists. Alani Nu lists sodium citrate, sodium benzoate and salt, while Red Bull lists sodium bicarbonate.

Sweeteners: Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium Against Red Bull's Sugar

Does Alani Nu have aspartame?

No aspartame appears in the Alani Nu Cosmic Stardust ingredient list. Its sweeteners are sucralose and acesulfame potassium. Red Bull original is sweetened with sugar and glucose and does not list sucralose or aspartame. Red Bull Sugarfree lists sucralose and acesulfame K.

According to the FDA's sweetener page, sucralose is about 600 times sweeter than table sugar and has been approved as a general-purpose sweetener since 1999, with an acceptable daily intake of 5 mg per kg of body weight. Acesulfame potassium is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, has been a general-purpose sweetener since 2003, and has an acceptable daily intake of 15 mg per kg. The labels do not disclose how much sucralose or acesulfame potassium a can contains, so this comparison does not state an intake figure.

Ingredient Lists: Vitamins, Taurine, Guarana and Preservatives Side by Side

What are the ingredients in Alani Nu vs Red Bull?

The Alani Nu Cosmic Stardust label lists: carbonated water, citric acid, taurine, sodium citrate, L-theanine, caffeine, sucralose, sodium benzoate (preservative), potassium sorbate (preservative), L-carnitine L-tartrate, acesulfame potassium, natural flavor, panax ginseng root extract, gum arabic, vegetable juice (color), niacinamide, inositol, glucuronolactone, D-calcium pantothenate, salt, pyridoxine hydrochloride, guarana seed extract, fruit juice (color), D-biotin and cyanocobalamin.

The Red Bull Energy Drink 12 oz label lists: carbonated water, sugar, glucose, citric acid, taurine, natural and artificial flavors, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium carbonate, colors, caffeine, niacinamide, pyridoxine HCl, calcium pantothenate and vitamin B12.

Does Alani Nu have taurine?

Yes. Taurine appears in the Alani Nu ingredient list, and it also appears in the Red Bull list. Neither label discloses how many milligrams of taurine a 12 fl oz can contains, so that amount is not stated here.

Alani Nu also lists vitamins with declared percentages: niacin 110 percent, vitamin B6 110 percent, vitamin B12 100 percent, biotin 100 percent and pantothenic acid 110 percent. Red Bull lists niacin at 140 percent and vitamin B12 at 120 percent, with vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid also listed. The Red Bull list names no preservative, while Alani Nu names sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate.

Whether other Alani Nu flavors use different formulas is not disclosed on the Cosmic Stardust label.

Per Can Versus Per Ounce: Doing the Math Yourself

To convert any label to a per-ounce figure, divide the number on the panel by the fluid ounces in the can. For the 12 fl oz cans in this comparison, 200 mg divided by 12 gives about 16.7 mg, and 114 mg divided by 12 gives 9.5 mg. For the 8.4 fl oz Red Bull, 80 mg divided by 8.4 also gives about 9.5 mg.

A short checklist helps when comparing any two cans:

• Confirm the can size in fl oz and mL, since the Alani Nu serving is listed as 355 mL.
• Check whether the panel reports per can or per serving, and whether a can holds more than one serving.
• Read the footnotes, including the Alani Nu caffeine and sugar footnote and its negligible sugar note.
• Compare total sugars and added sugars separately, since the Red Bull can lists 38 g for each.

Who the Labels Warn About

The Alani Nu label says it is not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant women or women who are nursing. The Red Bull label says it is not recommended for children, pregnant or nursing women, and persons sensitive to caffeine.

The FDA reports that the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against energy drinks for children and teens because of their sugar and caffeine levels. The FDA also advises people who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding to talk with a health care provider about whether they need to limit caffeine.

For a UK perspective on age limits, see England Bans Energy Drinks for Under-16s. US Labels Hide Caffeine.

What These Labels Cannot Establish

These labels cannot show how any one person will respond to caffeine or sweeteners. Label figures also cannot show how much of a sweetener or stimulant a person would take in over a day, since serving habits vary. The per-ounce numbers in this article are arithmetic rather than printed values.

This comparison draws on brand labels and product records. It does not survey the research on sucralose, acesulfame potassium or caffeine in long-term use, so questions about those findings remain open here, and the label data does not settle them for every person.

How to Check Either Can's Label Before You Buy

When you look at either can, start with the Nutrition Facts panel and the ingredient list, then compare them with the figures above. Look for these points:

• The serving size and whether the panel is per can.
• The caffeine figure in the footnotes or on the can, in mg.
• Total sugars and added sugars, which may differ.
• Sweetener names in the ingredient list, such as sucralose or acesulfame potassium.
• Warnings about children, caffeine sensitivity, pregnancy and nursing.

For more on how these drinks compare with other popular brands, see Celsius vs Alani Nu: Caffeine, Sweeteners and Ingredients and Monster vs Red Bull: Caffeine, Sweeteners and Preservatives.

To see what each ingredient on either can is and what regulators say about it, scan the label with Aurascan.