Monster energy drink with Is Monster Vegan written in the text
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Is Monster Vegan? What Are Vegan Monster Drinks?

(Last Updated On: May 2, 2023)

Monster is a popular brand of Energy Drink that has won several million hearts and is a highly consumed beverage among youths. As of now, Monster Energy drinks has a 39% of market share of the energy drink, the second highest after Red Bull.

Energy drinks are a great way to give you the needed energy you need to get back to your work besides providing high alertness, concentration, and undivided attention.  

The energy drink market is predicted to be worth $72 billion by 2024. Although children & kids frequently consume them, those between the ages of 30 and 39 have the highest daily consumption.

Those who haven’t tasted or tried Monster Energy yet look worried about queries like Is Monster vegan? and Is Monster safe?

Thus, today we decided to help people who are unsure whether Monster is vegan or not. We also investigated whether the energy drink is suitable for folks who prefer a vegan lifestyle.

With that in mind, let’s dive right in.

What Is Monster Energy?

Monster is one of the best-known energy drinks brands that are popular around the world.

Carbonated beverages marketed as “energy drinks” often contain caffeine as well as other energy-boosting ingredients such as taurine and guarana.

Majority of the energy drinks and their power comes from caffeine, the same kind of caffeine found in coffee. As for the ingredients like taurine, Tavel says that they’re simply marketing jargon.

They are widely used as a substitute for other caffeinated beverages such as coffee to provide you with an energy boost throughout the day.

Monster Energy drinks have currently available over 34 flavors spread out over 9 different styles of beverage. All Monster drinks are manufactured by Monster Beverage Corporation. 

The ingredients in Monster Energy Drinks vary depending upon the flavor, but they typically include important main ingredients such as caffeine, taurine, guarana, B vitamins, and other ingredients which are mostly available in their most flavors.

Caffeine is a stimulant that can help to improve alertness and focus. Taurine is an amino acid that can help to improve athletic performance and endurance. Guarana is a plant that contains caffeine and can help to improve alertness and focus. 

Even though Monster drinks are marked and sold as vegan, some of the ingredients make us skeptical. So, Is Monster Vegan? The answer is right below.

Is Monster Vegan And Plant-Based?

Monster Energy Juice in Line and in Right there is text
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The answer to it depends on a few factors which is why Monster drinks may or may not be vegan. But, there are some Monster drinks that are completely vegan and preferably good for people wanting to go plant-based. 

Before we let you know of the Vegan Monster drinks, let us have a look into why Monster isn’t pure vegan. 

Monster contains ingredients that may come from sources that are not completely vegan.

Natural flavors are mostly extracted from sources like spice, fruits, vegetables, edible yeast, fruit juice, and plant materials like bark, roots, and leaves. However, oftentimes non-vegan sources such as seafood, eggs, meat, dairy, or poultry are also the source of natural flavors. 

Monster doesn’t provide any clear information on the source from which natural flavors are made which makes us skeptical about Monster being vegan. 

Most Monster drinks contain some amount of taurine. According to WebMD, the main taurine sources are fish, meat, and dairy. It is another reason why Monster drinks might not be vegan and friendly for people who want plant-based. 

While reaching out to their customer service, we came to know that Monster drinks in North America are vegan while in Europe some drinks aren’t vegan. One of the non-vegan Monster drinks sold in Europe is Ultra Red.

Besides Taurine and Natural flavors, other ingredients that are part of Monster Energy are undoubtedly vegan.

Java Monster and Ultra Red are 

Now, as we said, there are some Monster Drinks that can be vegan or plant-based, such as Monster Hydro and Monster Juice. We think these products can be worthy for people following a vegan lifestyle.

How Do You Know If Monster Is Vegan?

To determine if Monster is vegan, the only thing which can help is looking for the ingredients and their sources. Even if the company claims them vegan, its ingredients say it all. 

For example, Java Monster, which is a popular one, contains milk which is a non-vegan dairy product. None of the Java Monster drinks are vegan whether it is Salted Caramel, Mean Bean, or Loca Moca. 

L-Carnitine is one of the common ingredients in Monster drinks which is animal derived. Thus, Monster fails here to show its product as truly vegan. 

The Ultra Red flavor of Monster energy drink contains Carmine in the UK and other countries. Carmine is derived from the crushing and drying bodies of cochineal beetles. So Ultra Red Monster is purely a non-vegan product.

To provide colors, Monster uses some artificial colors including yellow 5 and Red 40 which are vegan but tested in animals. Thus, it can’t be included in the list of cruelty-free products.

Lastly, to know if Monster is vegan you should consider the fact that 4 ingredients in Monster are doubtful that include Taurine, Natural Flavors, L-carnitine, and Carmine. 

Monster Ingredients: Are They Vegan?

It’s a good idea to read and look at the ingredients because Monster Energy claims to employ vegan-friendly ingredients. Some Monster Energy flavors & variants, however, are not suitable for vegans.

Monster Energy’s ingredients are similar to those found in other popular energy drinks across all of its flavors, some of them may or may not be vegan.

Monster Energy Drinks contained a variety of ingredients, including taurine, L-carnitine, and, on occasion, carmine. The following are the lists of ingredients found in Monster Energy products:

  • Carbonated water
  • Caffeine
  • Glucose
  • Sucrose
  • Citric acid
  • L-carnitine
  • Taurine
  • Panax ginseng root extract
  • Guarana seed extract 
  • Benzoic acid
  • Sorbic acid
  • Sodium Chloride
  • Sodium Citrate
  • Niacinamide
  • Inositol
  • Glucuronolactone
  • Riboflavin
  • Maltodextrin
  • Cyanocobalamin
  • Pyridoxine hydrochloride
  • Natural flavors & Colour added

Monster Energy products or variants may contain a few extra ingredients, and its ingredients and formulas are always subject to change at any time.

Some of the ingredients on the Monster Energy ingredients list are somewhat not for vegans.

Although L-carnitine, Niacinamide, and Riboflavin are commonly found in meat, it is now widely known that these nutrients can also be found in other plant-based foods, so consumers should be less concerned.

Carbonated water, sucrose, glucose, citric acid, natural flavors, sodium citrate, panax ginseng root extract, caffeine, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, sodium chloride, glucuronolactone, inositol, guarana seed extract, pyridoxine hydrochloride, and maltodextrin are all organic and derived from plants. 

Also, Sucrose and cyanocobalamin in Monster Energy are both synthetic.

1. Natural flavors & Colour added

As you know that Monster Energy contains added color and natural flavors. Colors in food and beverages are not always a bad thing. Although most artificial colors are made without the use of animal products, this is not always the case. 

Many artificial colors, including Red 40 and Yellow 5, are often subjected to animal testing. Natural flavors can be difficult to define because the term encompasses a wide range of components. 

Many plant elements, according to the FDA, can contribute to natural flavors, including spices, fruits, fruit juice, vegetables, vegetable juice, edible yeast, herbs, bark, bud, roots, and leaves. But, they can, however, be derived from dairy, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, or fermentation. 

So, from above it is clearly visible that Natural flavors may come from animal or plant-based sources, and, the Natural flavors in Monster Energy might come from any of the sources indicated above.

Some ingredients may or may not be vegan, depending on the flavor. Monster claims to utilize no animal byproducts, although they are also not vegan-certified. 

In addition to this, even if there are no indications of animal products in the ingredients list, cross-condonation on their product lines is possible.

2. Taurine

Taurine is another ingredient found in Monster Energy products and is the most usually connected with being an animal by-product because this is backed up by the rumor that Red Bull includes taurine. 

According to rumor, taurine is generated from bull semen. This is Because it’s in the name of it, Taurine must come from bulls, right?

Contrary to popular rumor, Taurine accounts for less than 0.1% of the human body. It is widely found in a variety of animal species. The rumor completely disregards the existence of synthetic Taurine. Monster makes use of this synthetic version of Taurine.

Why use synthetic taurine only? Any corporation or business can use synthetic taurine because it is much more affordable/cheaper to use for the business plus it is free of any animal byproducts as a result.

Is Monster Safe?

Monster Energy and other energy drinks have several drawbacks that should be carefully considered before you decide to drink them on a daily basis.

The caffeine content of an 8-ounce (240-ml) serving of Monster Energy drinks is comparable to that of a cup of coffee.

Caffeine consumption up to 400 mg per day is generally harmless. However, consuming more than two 16-ounce (480 ml) cans of Monster or four 8-ounce (240 ml) servings of energy drinks each day may result in side effects such as headaches or insomnia (1, 2).

Additionally, more research is needed to fully understand the risks and benefits of consuming higher amounts of other energy-boosting components like taurine in Monster Energy drinks (3).

Excessive consumption of energy drinks has been linked to abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, and – in rare cases – death, particularly in younger people (9,10,11).

Energy drinks are high in sugar, which has been related to type 2 diabetes, obesity, and dental problems. To ensure optimum health, added sugars, including those found in energy drinks, should not exceed 5% of your daily caloric intake (4, 5, 6, 7).

Just like Red Bull, Monster Energy drinks have 28 grams of sugar in 8.4-ounce (248 ml) cans. Even one of these energy drinks per day can lead to an excessive intake of added sugar, which is bad for your overall health. (8)

Energy drinks should be avoided by children, pregnant women, those with heart disorders, and anyone who is caffeine sensitive.

In fact, the vast majority of people should avoid energy drinks or limit their intake. Instead, you may consider some other healthy options such as coffee or tea.

Summary: Energy drinks like Monster and Red Bull are loaded with sugar, and consuming too many of these can cause difficulties from too much caffeine. These beverages should not be consumed by children, pregnant women, persons with cardiac conditions, or those who are sensitive to caffeine.

Why is Monster Not Advertised For Vegan? Summary

For many reasons, we can’t keep Monster on the list of vegan energy drinks. There are several reasons behind it. 

Even though Monster says its product is vegan, it isn’t vegan-certified, meaning the company is not sure about the claims. 

Monster looks vegan in most parts, which is why it can be considered by people who are not strictly vegan but vegan-friendly. However, for someone who is a strict vegan, Monster might not suit them.

The two lines of Monster drinks which are Java Monster and Monster Ultra should be strictly not considered if you are a vegan. The Ultra Red may contain ingredients derived from processed bugs and drinks of Java Monster are not dairy-free. 

Also, the source of natural flavors used in Monster isn’t stated, which gives it a possibility to have been obtained from non-vegan sources like meat, fish, or dairy. 

Monster doesn’t advertise being vegan because clearly, that’s not what most of their audience are looking for. Their target customers are ones who need an active lifestyle and high energy. 

Without being advertised as vegan, they are still doing great in their field and are ahead of most Energy Drink brands like Bang Energy, Ghost, and others.

So, Is Monster vegan? Monster is vegan-friendly but it may or may not be vegan due to the use of some non-vegan ingredients. Also, promoting themselves as vegan doesn’t seem like a cool idea to them.

About the Author

Purushottam is the founder and content writer at Health On Planet, a place where regular health enthusiasts visit to get honest reviews about the supplement. He has been reviewing popular dietary supplements with his years of expertise in the wellness industry. You can always trust his expertise on supplements to help you make informed choices.

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