Coffee vs. Monster: Which Will Fuel Your Day Better?

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Quick Comparison: Coffee is definitely better than Monster because of its natural properties.

When asked how to manage the late-night piles of workload and staying up late, the majority will answer by either relying on coffee or an energy drink.

To pull an all-nighter, caffeinated drinks are the best choice.

Obviously, coffee is the top choice if you’re looking for something more natural and you can opt for energy drinks even though you’re in need of something with a stronger caffeine kick.

In this article, we’ll focus on comparing coffee and Monster Energy Drink. We’ll look deeper into their ingredients and weigh in the pros and cons to find out which is the better choice.

Keep reading until the end!

Is coffee better than Monster?

Yes, coffee is a better drink than Monster.

To make a quick comparison, a regular cup of black coffee contains 95 mg caffeine, while Monster has 160 mg of caffeine. Also, a cup of black coffee contains zero calories while Monster has 210 calories.

That said, coffee is definitely a better beverage than Monster!

To expand, let’s look at the ingredients/chemical composition of coffee and Monster Energy Drink.

Monster Energy Drink Ingredients

A 16 fl. oz. can of Monster contains:

  • Sugar
  • Carbonated Water
  • Glucose
  • Citric acid
  • Taurine
  • Natural Flavors
  • Sodium Citrate
  • Panax Ginseng flavour
  • L-Carnitine
  • L-Tartrate
  • Caffeine
  • Color added
  • Sorbic Acid (preservative)
  • Benzoic Acid (preservative)
  • Niacinamide
  • Sucralose
  • Salt
  • Pyridoxine hydrochloride
  • Riboflavin
  • Maltodextrin
  • Cyanocobalamin

Coffee Ingredients/Chemical Composition

The chemical constituents of coffee are as follows:

  • Water
  • Caffeine
  • Galactose
  • Sucrose
  • Lignin
  • Triglycerides
  • Chlorogenic Acids
  • Quinic Acid
  • Trigonelline

By looking at the list, one can quickly tell that coffee has a healthier chemical composition due to its natural ingredients like water, caffeine, chlorogenic acid, and so on.

As you can see, coffee is a better option than Monster.

Is it bad to drink Monster and coffee?

Drinking Monster or coffee is not that bad as long as you drink them in moderation.

Caffeine, being the main component of these two beverages is something that you should watch out for as it can pose great danger to your health if overconsumed.

Bear in mind the recommended level of caffeine intake is at 400 mg per day. Going overboard can lead to side effects such as jitters, insomnia, dizziness, dehydration, caffeine headaches, and many more.

The FDA estimate 80 to 100 mg of caffeine in a typical 8-ounce cup of coffee. Monster Energy Drink, on the other hand, contains 160 to 240 mg of caffeine per can.

Based on these figures, you can probably drink up to four cups of coffee or a can of Monster daily without feeling any discomfort.

As you can see, the amount of caffeine on these beverages vary and with minimum intake, you’ll remain on the safer side.

However, for most people, coffee remains the safer choice due to its natural source. Plus, you can make it at home and you know exactly what’s in your cuppa!

To be clear, drinking coffee or Monster is not bad for you as long as you consume these beverages responsibly!

Monster VS Coffee (Side-by-Side Comparison)

Let’s look at the main ingredients of Monster and coffee to find out exactly which one is better for drinkers.

In this section, we’ll focus on four main ingredients which are caffeine, sugar, calories, and preservatives. For easy comparison, refer to this table.

ComponentsCaffeineSugarCaloriesPreservatives
Monster Energy Drink160 to 240 mg27 to 81 g210 to 257 caloriesbenzoic acid
sorbic acid
maltodextrin
Coffee80 to 100 mgdependscan be almost zeronone
Monster VS Coffee in terms of Caffeine, Sugar, Calories, & Preservatives

Let’s skip the caffeine talk as we’ve already touched that one!

Sugar in Monster and Coffee

A can of Monster contains 27 to 81 grams of sugar. The latter is way too much considering the recommended intake of sugar per day is at 24 grams for women and 36 grams for most men.

81 grams is way too much and if you plan on drinking Monster daily, you’ll eventually develop obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, inflammation, and fatty liver disease.

On the flip side, you can take your coffee plain and without sugar. The sugar content of coffee depends on how it is made and you can control how much milk or sugar you can put in when you’re making it at home.

And that means, coffee wins, sugar-wise!

Calories in Monster and Coffee

A cup of plain coffee contains almost zero calories while Monster calories range from 210 to 257 depending on the size of the can!

Coffee is a low-calorie drink – with only 2 calories in a cup of black coffee. However, that will change if you start adding milk and sugar to the mix.

For reference, here’s a table showing different coffee drinks with their caloric count after adding sugar and milk.

Coffee DrinksCalories
Dalgona370
Cafe Mocha230 to 260
Irish Coffee200
Cappucino140 to 190
Flat White120
Café au Lait90 to 115
Greek Frappe60 to 100
Cortado 60
Americano15 to 30
Espresso 8.6
Ristretto5
Black Coffee2
Coffee Drinks and their Caloric Count

With this table, we can clearly see how the sugar content of your favorite coffee goes up after putting the addons on the mix. I strongly suggest going for a plain black coffee to reap the benefits of the drink.

Now here comes Monster with calorie content up to 257!

That’s not too bad and even less than the amount of calories you’ll get from your favorite Dalgona coffee.

Experts recommend an intake of 2000 calories for women and 2500 calories for men daily but that depends on certain factors such as age, weight, metabolism, and level of physical activity.

With that said, Monster is within the calorie limit! Still, be mindful of your calorie intake throughout the day if you’re already drinking Monster.

So, for this round, still, I’m giving another point to coffee because it is a low-calorie drink. I just need to control the amount of milk and sugar added to the mix to achieve a cup of low-caloric beverage.

Preservatives in Monster and Coffee

Monster Energy Drink contains benzoic acid, maltodextrin, and sorbic acid which are all used as preservatives to extend the shelf life of the beverage.

Of course, we are all aware of the fact that preservatives are harmful to our health. When consumed long-term, preservatives can cause asthma, allergy, neurological damage, hypersensitivity, cancer, and other diseases.

So, you better keep that in mind whenever you choose to eat or drink anything that may contain preservatives!

As for coffee, some of it may contain preservatives too especially those in packets. But you may opt to make a fresh brew at home for health and safety reasons.

Here’s a quick healthy recipe you can try perfect for your morning cuppa:

Healthy Morning Coffee Recipe

Yet again, coffee is the real winner for this round!

Is Monster Energy Drink worse than coffee?

In my opinion, Monster is less preferred than coffee despite the massive caffeine other people might prefer.

Monster is high in sugar and contains preservatives that can jeopardize your health when overconsumed.

Some of the conditions associated with high sugar and consumption of preservatives on food and beverages include obesity, diabetes, cancer, hypersensitivity, neurological damage, and fatty liver disease.

So, apart from coffee, these are other healthy drink choices for you:

  • water
  • fresh juice
  • milk
  • homemade smoothies
  • tea

Another perfect choice for you is the Coffee Leaf Tea! It is a traditional tea that has been used for many years for healthy purposes. Go on, give it a try and let us know what you think!

The Verdict (Coffee or Monster?)

For this quick comparison, I’d say coffee is the better option for many reasons.

Coffee comes from a natural source with healthy components such as caffeine and antioxidants which are good for the body.

Also, it is a low-calorie drink, if you don’t go too crazy on the additives! You don’t have to worry about weight gain even if you drink coffee regularly.

And yes, you control everything that goes into your cup! You can rest assured that you are drinking a coffee without worrying about the side effects.

Even though coffee seems to be the perfect drink for all, you shouldn’t overindulge to avoid the nasty side effects!