Gorilla Mind is one of the more popular nootropic supplement brands, founded by the creator of the “More Plates More Dates” YouTube channel named Derek. The brand recently launched an energy drink that’s described as “the most efficacious energy drink.”
But does Gorilla Mind Energy Drink contain ingredients proven to increase energy? Are its active ingredients effectively-dosed? Does the drink contain any unhealthy ingredients? And what was our Product Tester's experience trying it for a month?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Gorilla Mind Energy Drink to give our take on whether or not the product is likely to be effective for improving energy, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll also feature our Product Tester's honest experience trying it for a month, discuss the risk of side effects, and compare Gorilla Mind to other popular energy drinks like ZOA in terms of formulation quality to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Contains research-backed active ingredients
- Contains inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend Gorilla Mind Energy Drink
Active Ingredient Analysis
The active ingredients in Gorilla Mind Energy Drink are shown below:
At the time of updating this article, the brand has removed active ingredient doses from the Nutrition Facts label which we strongly disagree with, and which we consider a consumer safety issue.
We don't understand why a brand marketed on transparency would replace active ingredient dosage information with a prop blend, but we urge the brand to re-publish active ingredient doses.
Since all of the active ingredients are the same, we will consider them to be included at the same doses.
N-acetyl-l-tyrosine is the highest-dosed ingredient in this formulation at 1,000 milligrams (mg), but we can’t find any clinical trials proving that it increases energy, nor does Gorilla Mind cite any on the product page.
A meta-study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that tyrosine may increase cognition short-term, but the doses used in nearly every trial were vastly higher than that in Gorilla Mind Energy Drink, and tyrosine is different from the form used in this drink.
Alpha GPC is an ingredient we recommend avoiding.
This compound is clinically shown to increase stroke risk in older adults.
Caffeine is included in nearly every energy drink, and for good reason. As we documented in our review of Gorilla Mind Pre Workout, caffeine is clinically shown to reduce fatigue, increase energy and improve mental and physical performance.
The 200 mg caffeine dose in this energy drink is an effective dose equivalent to around two cups of coffee.
Uridine 5’-monophosphate is a nucleotide that may have cognitive benefits based on animal studies, but we cannot locate any human trials proving such.
L-theanine is an amino acid that’s shown to reduce stress in a medical review published in the Nutrients journal, so it’s often included in energy drinks to counteract any negative stimulant effects. It’s effectively dosed in Gorilla Mind Energy Drink.
Saffron extract has some interesting clinical backing for various health effects like body weight and depression, but we can’t find any proof that it increases energy.
Huperzine A is the final active ingredient in Gorilla Mind Energy Drink, and it’s an overhyped nootropic ingredient in our opinion.
A 2021 clinical trial examined whether this ingredient could improve cognitive function, and the study authors concluded that “Huperzine A does not enhance cognitive function during exercise despite it being marketed as a cognitive enhancer.”
Overall, we consider Gorilla Mind Energy Drink likely to be effective for improving mental and physical energy.
However, we could only find clinical backing at the given dose for two of the seven active ingredients.
Inactive Ingredient Analysis
The full Gorilla Mind Energy Drink ingredient list is shown below:
We want to highlight a few inactive ingredients that may be questionable from a health perspective.
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener found to decrease insulin sensitivity in healthy adults in a 2018 clinical trial. Insulin sensitivity affects blood sugar regulation.
Acesulfame potassium is another artificial sweetener that was shown to cause negative changes to brain function in a clinical trial published in the Physiology & Behavior journal.
This was an animal study so the results aren’t necessarily conclusive, but we still consider this a strange ingredient choice for an energy drink.
Citric acid can cause whole-body inflammation according to a medical review published in the Toxicology Reports journal.
Natural flavors is a broad categorical descriptor that fails to document the specific flavoring agents used, and as we documented in our review of another supplement containing this ingredient called Energy Renew, at least one medical review suggested that some flavoring compounds may have toxic effects.
Sodium benzoate is a synthetic preservative.
We do not currently recommend Gorilla Mind Energy Drink due to the inactive ingredients highlighted in this section, and the inclusion of Alpha GPC.
We Tested Gorilla Mind Energy Drink
One of our product testers named Joshua Martinez tried the Ultimate flavor of Gorilla Mind Energy drink for a month. Here's his experience:
Gorilla Mind Energy Drink came in a pack of around 12 cans, similar to any other energy drink value-size pack.
This energy drink, specifically the Ultimate flavor, tasted very similar to the White Ultra-Zero Monster Energy drink.
Unfortunately, this product tasted extremely fake, and the taste lingered after each sip.
I tried this both as a pre-workout and an energy booster at work.
The first couple cans felt very stimulating for both occasions, but I quickly grew a tolerance, and experienced no stimulatory effects as time went on:
I would say this energy drink fails in comparison to a Ultra-White Monster, but is more effective than Red Bull.
I didn't experience any side effects when using Gorilla Mind Energy Drink.
Overall, I would not purchase this product again, and would rate this drink 5/10.
Does it Cause Side Effects?
Since energy drinks can be stimulatory, consumers are often curious about whether they will cause side effects.
Gorilla Mind Energy Drink doesn’t appear to have been clinically tested, so we can’t say for certain whether or not the product causes side effects, but we can make an educated guess based on its ingredients.
Caffeine can cause anxiety and increase blood pressure for up to three hours according to a 2011 medical review. Individuals who have anxiety or high blood pressure may want to avoid this drink.
Artificial sweeteners may have health-related side effects such as increased cancer risk according to a 2011 medical review.
Overall, we do not consider Gorilla Mind Energy Drink likely to cause side effects in healthy individuals, but as we discussed in our Bucked Up Pre Workout review article, we consider energy drinks and pre workouts to be generally more likely to cause side effects than the average supplements because they’re stimulatory.
Gorilla Mind vs. Popular Energy Drinks
Here's how Gorilla Mind compares to other popular energy drinks in terms of formulation quality, in our opinion:
C4
Contains artificial flavors, which are clinically shown to be harmful to lung health.
However, it's free from Alpha GPC, so it's healthier.
Winner: C4
Zoa Energy Drink
Brand failed to publish the full ingredient list on their product page at the time of our last analysis, as we documented in our Zoa Energy Drink review article.
Also contains an active ingredient which is clinically shown to cause liver injury at high doses.
Winner: Gorilla Mind Energy Drink
Celsius
Only contains one artificial sweetener (rather than two), so Celsius gets the edge from a health perspective. Also free from Alpha GPC.
We consider both products to be well-formulated from a potential efficacy perspective.
Winner: Celsius
Our Clean Energy Picks
Illuminate Labs Panax Ginseng Extract is our top energy supplement.
Panax ginseng extract has been clinically shown to reduce mental fatigue and reduce physical fatigue, and our supplement is third-party tested to ensure its purity and potency.
Pique Breakfast Black Tea Sticks is our top whole food energy pick.
Black tea consumption is "associated with rapid increases in alertness and information processing capacity" according to a clinical trial, and Pique's tea is organic and comes in convenient stick packs that can be mixed into water, so a teapot or kettle are not needed.
Both of the products recommended in this section are free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.
Gorilla Mind Energy Drink Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Should improve energy
- Should reduce fatigue
- Should improve focus
- Potent formulation
- No dangerous stimulants
Cons:
- Contains artificial sweeteners
- Contains flavoring ingredients
- Contains citric acid
- Contains a synthetic preservative
- Our Product Tester found the effects underwhelming
- Doesn’t appear clinically tested
- Expensive per-serving
