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 shown in research trials to improve energy or is this just a marketing claim? Are the active ingredients effectively dosed? Does the drink contain any questionable additive ingredients? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Gorilla Mind Energy Drink?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the ingredients in Gorilla Mind Energy Drink based on medical studies to give our take on whether the product is likely to be effective for improving energy, or if it’s a waste of money.
We’ll also feature Gorilla Mind Energy Drink customer reviews.
Gorilla Mind Energy Drink contains a large number of ingredients, so we’ll break our ingredient analysis into two sections: Energy Matrix and inactive ingredients.
Ingredient Analysis – Energy Matrix
The ingredients in the “Energy Matrix,” which are the active ingredients in this drink, are shown above.
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 was shown to improve mood as well as physical and mental performance in a 2015 clinical trial. The dose used in the trial (200 mg) was lower than the dose in Gorilla Mind Energy Drink (400 mg) so we consider this ingredient effectively dosed.
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 to be likely 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.
But does this drink contain any questionable inactive ingredients? We’ll review in the next section.
Ingredient Analysis – Inactive Ingredients
The entire ingredient list in Gorilla Mind Energy Drink is shown above.
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 additive ingredients highlighted in this section.
But how do real users rate and describe the effects of Gorilla Mind Energy Drink? We’ll review in the next section.
Real People Try Gorilla Mind Energy Drink
A YouTube creator named Cooper Duran reviewed the taste of all four flavors of Gorilla Mind Energy Drink:
A YouTube creator named "CaffeineMan" reviewed the recently-released energy shots:
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 otherwise 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.
Derek Explains Gorilla Mind Energy Drink Formulation
The founder of Gorilla Mind explained the formulation of the brand’s energy drink in an incredibly-detailed, hour-plus long video on YouTube with over 100,000 views:
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 entirely free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.
Pros and Cons of Gorilla Mind Energy Drink
Here are the pros and cons of Gorilla Mind Energy Drink in our opinion:
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
- Doesn’t appear clinically tested
- Expensive per-serving
