Does Sprite have caffeine?
No.
Now we could stop there, but hopefully, you don’t believe everything you read at face value. And if there is no caffeine in Sprite, why does it still seem to keep us up, give us a boost of energy, and do all the things we associate with caffeine? And are all types of Sprite caffeine free?
Read on to find out.
Does Sprite Have Caffeine In It?
Unlike Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Sprite does NOT contain even trace amounts of caffeine. It was initially brought into the States in 1951 to compete with 7-Up which is also a lemon-based caffeine-free fizzy drink.
The Coca-Cola Company which owns Sprite (along with just about every other type of drink these days!) describes Sprite in this way:
‘The OG, the flavor that started it all—classic, cool, crisp lemon-lime taste that’s caffeine free with 100% natural flavors’
Coca-Cola Company
Similarly, the nutritional data confirms it. Sprite is and presumably will continue to be, a caffeine-free drink.
Does Sprite Zero Have Caffeine In It?
Following closely behind Sprite in popularity is the ‘health-conscious’ Sprite Zero Sugar which has zero sugar in it. And the good news is that Sprite Zero also has no caffeine in it.
Sprite Zero Sugar is the same iconic flavor but instead of sugar uses the artificial sweetener aspartame. While it is branded and lauded as the more healthy option 1) are soft drinks ever going to be truly healthy? Let’s be serious! and 2) studies on the health effects of artificial sweeteners in humans have been inconclusive. So yea Sprite Zero may be marginally better for you, but the difference may not be as marked as you suspect.
Are Other Types Of Sprite Caffeine-Free?
Even a cursory look at the local grocer will reveal a multitude of variations on the original Sprite. To name just a few there are Sprite Cherry, Sprite Tropical Mix, Sprite Lemonade, Sprite Lemonade Legacy, and Sprite Lemon Plus.
Are these soft drinks also caffeine free? And the answer is mostly. Almost all variations of the original Sprite maintain its caffeine-free constitution. I mean at least for some customers that is the very pull of Sprite.
However, there is one controversial exception that popped up in Australia and the Philippines in 2022, Sprite Lemon+. As far as we can tell Sprite Lemon+ is unique to Coco-Cola Australia and the Philippines. Sprite Lemon+ was introduced as a replacement for the previously popular Lift which was a lemon-based soft drink.
But unlike Lift and unlike other variations on Sprite, Sprite Lemon+ does contain caffeine. This along with its comparison to Lift has produced quite a backlash.
However, if you are based in North America then you are safe from this ominous caffeinated drink. For now anyway…
With the one exception of Sprite Lemon+, all other Sprite variations have no caffeine.
Is Sprite Good For You?
So if there is no caffeine in Sprite, does that mean it is safe to go to town on it? Well unless you are concerningly uneducated, you will know that the answer is no. As used to be said in the past ‘all things in moderation.’
While Sprite has no caffeine, it is high in sugar, in particular high fructose corn syrup. The ingredients in Sprite are listed as carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavors, sodium citrate, and sodium benzoate (a preservative). In a single can of Sprite, there are 140 calories and 38g total sugars. Needless to say, pump one of those per day for a year or two and you will probably make both the dentist and doctor rich!
Because of the sugar levels, drinking Sprite does still provide an energy boost that is similar to that experienced through caffeine. However, what goes up must come down, and so the sugar rush is usually followed by a sugar crash.
Basically every now and then a Sprite can be delicious and refreshing without the concerns surrounding caffeine intake. However, consuming it on an overly regular basis will lead to detrimental health concerns (as is true of virtually all soft drinks).
All things in moderation.
Takeaway: Does Sprite have Caffeine?
In takeaway, neither Sprite, nor Sprite Zero, nor virtually any version of Sprite (with that one exception) have any caffeine in them at all.
This delicious lemon lime soda is entirely caffeine-free in virtually all its forms. It produces similar effects to caffeine through relatively high sugar levels. However, in moderation, this classic drink is still a winner and just the refreshing drink we all crave.
