Quick Answer: Yes, Game Fuel is gluten free!
Every consumer has different needs and diets and a truly great drink is versatile. Whether it’s sugar-free, cholesterol-free, or gluten-free, the mark of a great energy drink is versatility.
Today, let’s take a closer look at Mountain Dew Game Fuel, an energy drink manufactured by PepsiCo.
Let’s find out if it really is gluten-free and safe to consume when you’re on a gluten-free diet.
If you want to learn more about Game Fuel and its gluten-free properties, keep reading!
Let’s start with a brief discussion of what is considered a gluten-free diet.
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What Is a Gluten-Free Diet?
A gluten-free diet means consuming food and beverages without gluten—the protein commonly found in wheat, barley, and rye.
A strict gluten-free diet is the only solution to manage the symptoms of celiac disease and gluten-sensitivity.
Celiac disease is a severe form of gluten intolerance that affects one in 133 Americans. It is an autoimmune disease that treats gluten as a foreign substance that enters the body.
As you can see, the only workaround to celiac disease is to refrain from eating glutinous food that could trigger its symptoms.
The Food and Drug Administration encourages food and beverage manufacturers to put gluten-free labels on their products.
According to the criteria set by the FDA, labels like “gluten-free,” “no gluten,” “free of gluten,” or “without gluten” must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten.
In minimal amounts, the FDA found that gluten won’t trigger an abnormal response in the digestive system of people with celiac disease. This means that as long as the amount of gluten doesn’t exceed the limit, it won’t be harmful to people sensitive to gluten.
While checking the labels, bear in mind that wheat-free is different from gluten-free.
Yes, wheat contains gluten. However, there may be other ingredients like barley in the product that also contains gluten.
So, a wheat-free product may not necessarily be always gluten-free.
If there is no direct label on the packaging, I highly recommend you look for the allergen information.
Most manufacturers also include an allergen label about wheat, barley, and common food ingredients with gluten.
But if there’s no allergen information, you can manually check the ingredients below to confirm if it’s gluten-free or not.
Products with Gluten
If you spot any of these common ingredients, it means the product contains gluten.
- wheat
- barley
- rye
- malt
- brewer’s yeast
- oats (unless specifically labeled gluten-free)
Nowadays, even people without celiac disease subscribe to a gluten-free diet because of its many health benefits.
But is it really worth it to go all through the trouble of maintaining a gluten-free diet? Let’s find out.
What Are the Benefits of a Gluten-Free Diet?
A gluten-free diet reduces digestive problems for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. It may also help with weight loss, but you might suffer from nutrient deficiency.
Because most foods with gluten are rich in calories, maintaining a gluten-free diet is believed to help reduce your weight.
If you’re on a gluten diet, you will not be able to eat most baked goods, cereals, and pasta, which has wheat as its main ingredient.
Aside from this, other health benefits include:
- energy boost
- better gut health
- improved mood
If there are benefits in a gluten-free diet there are also accompanying risks in maintaining a gluten-free diet.
Among others, these are:
- nutritional deficiencies
- lack of fiber
- lack of other essential nutrients and vitamins
While a gluten-free diet is believed to help reduce weight, the downside is that you won’t have a balanced diet and the nutrients that come with it.
If you have a medical condition, a gluten-free diet is a must. But if you’re just trying to lose weight, there are other options you can try which will not significantly impact your health.
Is Mountain Dew Game Fuel Gluten-Free?
Mountain Dew Game Fuel is gluten-free. This energy drink does not contain wheat, barley, and other ingredients that are harmful to gluten-sensitive people or those with celiac disease.
For your convenience, I have listed down the different ingredients of Game Fuel:
- Carbonated Water
- High Fructose Corn Syrup- artificial sweetener from corn syrup
- White Grape Juice Concentrate
- Concentrated Orange Juice
- Citric Acid
- Sodium Polyphosphates (to Protect Flavor)
- Natural Flavor
- L-theanine– essential amino acid known to improve mental performance
- Sodium Benzoate (preserves Freshness)
- Caffeine
- Gum Arabic- preservative
- Acesulfame Potassium– artificial sweetener with zero calories
- Sucralose– artificial sugar substitute with zero calories
- Calcium Disodium Edta (to Protect Flavor)
- Glycerol Ester Of Rosin
- Niacinamide- a type of vitamin B good for skin health
- Yellow 5
- Panax Ginseng Root Extract– supplements with properties to improve mental focus
- Calcium Pantothenate
- Yerba Mate Extract– a supplement that boosts mental performance
- Beta Carotene (vitamin A)- good for metabolism and eye health
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (vitamin B6)- good for the central nervous system
- Blue 1- preservative
I included a brief definition of some of the ingredients for you to get an idea of what they bring into the energy drink formulation.
Overall, I can say that Game Fuel is an average energy drink with 90 mg of caffeine per regular can
It’s enriched with different vitamins and supplements like vitamin A, vitamins B3, B5, and B6.
As an energy drink for video gamers, Game Fuel is also packed with Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Yerba Mate Extract, and L-theanine, the latter of which is known to boost mental performance.
All of these ingredients are a great combination to help you sustain your energy levels during long hours of video gaming!
Is Mountain Dew Kickstart Gluten-Free?
Mountain Dew Kickstart is also gluten-free. It does not contain any traces or derivatives of wheat.
Like Game Fuel, Mountain Dew Kickstart is another beverage manufactured by PepsiCo.
The main difference, however, is that Kickstart has its own category and is not an marketed as an energy drink.
According to the manufacturer of the drink, Kickstart is a combination of “caffeine, dew, and soda.”
While both beverages contain 90 mg of caffeine, Game Fuel contains various vitamins and supplements to support brain function and improve energy levels.
For your reference, here is a quick list of the ingredients of Mountain Dew Kickstart:
- Carbonated Water
- High fructose corn syrup
- White grape juice concentrate
- Citric acid
- Sodium polyphosphates (preservative)
- Natural flavor
- Potassium sorbate (preservative)
- Caffeine
- Potassium citrate
- Potassium chloride
- Gum Arabic
- Acesulfame potassium (artificial sweetener)
- Sucralose (artificial sweetener)
- Red 40 (coloring)
- Calcium disodium EDTA
- Sucrose acetate isobutyrate
- Salt
- Blue 1 (coloring)
To learn more about gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, watch this helpful video.
Is Game Fuel Bad for You?
To cut to the chase, energy drinks aren’t the healthiest but Game Fuel is definitely a better option.
It is gentle on both sugar and caffeine, and the calorie content is also manageable which is a huge plus point for Game Fuel.
The caffeine content in Game Fuel is similar to that of a cup of coffee. That amount gives me just the right kick and I don’t feel any jittery sensations.
Game Fuel is stuffed with ingredients like L-Theanine. Yerba Mate Extract, Caffeine, Gum Arabic, Ginseng, and other vitamins. This group of ingredients works well in providing you with an energy boost that can help improve your performance.
That being said, Game Fuel Energy Drink is not bad at all as long as you don’t exceed a single can per day.
Is Game Fuel great for weight loss?
Game Fuel is not great for weight loss. Game Fuel is not marketed specifically for weight loss. Energy drinks, including Game Fuel, can contain high amounts of caffeine and sugar, which can have negative effects on health if consumed in excess, and eventually weight gain.
Weight loss is primarily a result calorie deficit, where you burn more calories than you consume through diet and exercise. If you are trying to lose weight, it’s important to maintain a balanced and nutritious diet, and to limit your intake of high-calorie and high-sugar drinks, including energy drinks
Is Game Fuel okay for Keto diet?
Game Fuel is not okay for a Keto diet. A ketogenic diet is a low-carb diet that aims to get the body into a state of ketosis. In order to achieve this, it’s important to limit carbohydrate intake and consume primarily healthy fats and proteins.
Game Fuel contains high amounts of sugar, which can prevent you from achieving the desired effects of the diet. It’s best to limit or avoid high-sugar and high-carbohydrate drinks while following a ketogenic diet since it ruins the process and possible outcomes.
Is Game Fuel safe?
Game Fuel, like other energy drinks, contains caffeine and other ingredients that can have various effects on individuals. When consumed responsibly and in moderation, Game Fuel is generally considered safe for most healthy adults. However, it’s essential to be aware of the potential risks associated with energy drinks.
Excessive consumption of caffeine can lead to negative side effects like jitteriness, increased heart rate, and difficulty sleeping. Individuals who are sensitive to caffeine or have certain health conditions should exercise caution and may want to limit or avoid energy drinks altogether.
Are all energy drinks gluten-free?
Not all energy drinks are gluten-free. Some energy drinks may contain ingredients or additives that contain gluten, such as certain flavorings, sweeteners, or stabilizers. For example, some energy drinks may contain malt flavorings derived from barley, which contains gluten.
Additionally, certain additives or thickeners used in energy drinks might also contain gluten. As a result, individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity need to exercise caution and carefully examine the ingredient list or product label of any energy drink they consider consuming.
Which Energy Drinks Are Gluten-Free?
To help you with your diet, here is a list of other gluten-free energy drinks that you can consume.
- 5-Hour Energy
- Monster
- NOS
- Red Bull
- AMP
- Bang
- Reign
- Game Fuel
- Celsius
Always consume these drinks in moderation. They may be gluten-free, but some of these beverages contain high amounts of sugar, which are bad for your health.
According to the American Heart Association, it is safe to consume no more than 24 grams of sugar or 100 calories per day for women and 36 grams of sugar or 150 calories per day for men.
Following this limit, we are only allowed to consume just one can of these energy drinks a day to remain within the recommended allotment of sugar consumption.
Summary
As a takeaway, Game Fuel is definitely a gluten-free energy drink.
It is safe to consume for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
Based on the nutritional information and ingredients list, this drink is free from gluten products or traces of wheat.
While looking for gluten-free beverages, take note that wheat-free is different from gluten-free labels.
This is because there may be other ingredients that contains gluten, like rye and barley, in the product.
Let me end by restating that Game Fuel is a great energy drink for amateur and professional gamers.
Aside from the ample caffeine content, Game Fuel contains different supplements that will enhance focus and brain function to up your performance during long hours of gaming!
What are you waiting for? Try this gluten-free energy drink today!