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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Know What You're Drinking and Use with CAUTION, March 25, 2010
This review is from: Celsius Calorie Burner, Green Tea Raspberry Acai, 12-Ounce Cans (Pack of 24) (Grocery)
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Celsius drinks claim to be "negative-caloric", which is to say that you actually burn calories by drinking it. Hmmm. . . Sound too good to be true? Well, of course it is. It's low-calorie because it's made with Sucralose (Splenda to the average consumer) and it promotes weight loss because its a combination stimulant (taurine) and diuretic - so basically, it works on your body like any over-the-counter diet pill. That said, the Raspberry Acai flavor does taste pretty good, but it will be up to the individual to decide whether or not any potential benefit justifies the downside.
Unlike many other reviewers, I actually liked the taste - I thought that it was a smooth blend of green tea and berry flavor. However, there is just enough of that artificial tang at the end to tip you off that it's sweetened with Splenda. But the absence of any fizz or overly harsh flavors made it easy to drink - which is good because it comes in full-size cans and leaves you feeling pretty full (i.e. just shy of bloated) afterward.
So is it any energy drink or a diet aid? It's a little of both. Most of the crucial ingredients are lumped together into a single line item (i.e. their secret, proprietary mix), but taurine is listed and the caffeine content is obvious. I found that while Celsius could beat back an afternoon energy swoon, it didn't really make me any more alert or focused - just instantly awake, albeit in semi-zombie form. This effect came on quickly and did last for a couple of hours at least.
Now for the bad news - the "crash" effect that a lot of these drinks try to pin on their competitors was overwhelming with Celsius. As a little bit of background, I'm a grown adult in good health and am very caffeine-tolerant. However, during my testing of this product, I made the mistake of drinking two cans about three hours apart and ended up unable avoid my first all-nighter since college. I was completely awake and pretty functional throughout, although I wouldn't have operated any heavy machinery at the time. But by the morning, I was suffering headaches, muscle twitches and even a flutter in my chest. I'm completely sure that this was all temporary side effects of the outrageous amount of stimulants and not permanently harmful, but it was still enough to make me wary from that point on.
So, the bottom line is this - if you're looking to occasionally avoid getting sleepy mid-afternoon at the office, or if you need to stay up late once in a while, Celsius may be an option for you to try. As a prolonged weight-loss regimen, I wouldn't take on the potential health risks in order to grab at some too-good-to-be-true advertising come-on. There's still only one way to lost weight and keep it off, and it ain't fun and it ain't quick, but it works: eat better, eat less and exercise more!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Beverage That Burns Calories? Is it Too Good to be True?, April 17, 2010
This review is from: Celsius Calorie Burner, Green Tea Raspberry Acai, 12-Ounce Cans (Pack of 24) (Grocery)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Celsius Raspberry Acai Green Tea beverage is a decent- flavored beverage loaded with nutrition, with minimal calories, low sodium, and none of the bad qualities that make so many other beverages so unappealing. Oh, and one other thing: The manufacturer claims that consuming this beverage will help you burn extra calories. This product is decent in flavor, with the light taste of green tea backed with a small amount of raspberry and some medicinal properties. It is non- cabonated, smooth, and as easy to consume as a glass of water.
The key difference between this and your average green tea beverage is the calorie- burning claim. The manufacturer claims that this beverage helps you burn about one- hundred calories per can and when you consider that there are only about ten calories in each serving, it would therefore mean that consuming this beverage will actually result in negative calories. This almost sounds too good to be true, but a quick examination of the ingredients makes it easier to understand why this is possible. This product contains added stimulants in the form of caffeine and taurine. These stimulants will give your metabolism a boost, and this extra metabolism will likely lead to added caloric loss. The manufacturer is cautious when it makes this claim, pointing out that results are best when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise. I can see how this drink could contribute to some extra caloric expenditure, due to the added boost of energy, but like the manufacturer claims, it takes more than ingesting stimulants to lose weight. You still need to control your eating habits and exercise for maximum effect.
The added stimulants could discourage some people from trying this beverage, but another potential turn- off is the price. Purchasing a couple of cases of this product would be almost as expensive as buying an inexpensive piece of exercise equipment. Unless I was seriously into losing weight and wanted any little bit of help I could get, I am not so sure this product would be worth the money.
Still, when all things are considered, Celsius Raspberry Acai Green Tea is a good beverage that is worth trying. The nutrition is much better than that found in most beverages and the taste, while it does have an artificial sweetener finish, is pleasant nonetheless. I'm a little cautious about consuming anything that contains multiple stimulants and increases my heart rate, but this is still a good product; better than the vast majority of beverages on the market and certainly worth trying if you're looking for a liquid fitness companion.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Relatively healthy caffeine delivery system, April 13, 2010
This review is from: Celsius Calorie Burner, Green Tea Raspberry Acai, 12-Ounce Cans (Pack of 24) (Grocery)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
If someone tells you they drink this because they like the taste, they may not be telling the truth. I shared these with quite a few people, and the taste was never one of the good things people said about it. That doesn't mean that there aren't any good things about it, though.
It contains some vitamins and minerals. A test at a university found that volunteers saw some improvements in body composition. It claims to burn 100 calories per can, and who can say it doesn't?
It assures us that it works best (in its claims to increase muscle and lessen fat) with diet and exercise, and I'm sure that's true. None of the guinea pigs in my house noticed any effects, positive or negative, though we drank it before exercise as instructed.
Here's what it does for sure: it gives you a kick of caffeine. If you prefer a sweet, cold drink to coffee or tea, then this is probably better for you than colas. If you start or end your day with a doughnut and coffee to get the caffeine/sweets combo, then this could be a more wholesome choice. And if you believe in it enough, it could encourage you to work out harder or longer, because faith can do wonders, and there are benefits to increasing exercise.
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