Celsius causes brain fog

Question

Celsius and other caffeinated drinks can lead to brain fog and fatigue.

Comments

I like your explanation of how the "come down" of caffeine can leave you drained after constant use. I have experienced this first hand with constant pre workout use, and I definitely feel more exhausted after workouts, not only because of muscle fatigue, but also due to the crash caused by the high stim pre.

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I can totally see celsius causing brain fog as it is meant to give you energy who knows what else is in the drinks other than caffein. This is a great topic and post but I believe you could've picked a better website other than live strong as it doesn't function as well for some of us users.

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I like how thorough the response was on the negative effects of the overall consumption of caffeinated drinks and how it causes brain fog. I can agree that consuming a ton of caffeine affects the overall health of a person and should find ways to reduce our intake. From personal experience, over time caffeine doesn't have the same effect. It feels that I need to consume even more to be more alert and awake during the day. Caffeine damages us mentally and physically.

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The article included makes several great points about how caffeine ingestion can have a negative-or sometimes positive-effect on a person's well being and potential symptoms it can cause, such as the main claim: brain fog. While this article does shed light on a lot of this, it specifically covers more so on the front of coffee and not energy drinks. While coffee and energy drinks both have caffeine, they also have a stark list of other ingredients that the versus doesn't have. A good handful of the sources used in the claim were older, less-relevant sources that can lower the credibility of some of the points made. Here are some articles that cover the effects of energy drinks rather than just coffee:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-energy-drinks-bad-for-you
https://justthrivehealth.com/blogs/blog/can-energy-drinks-hurt-your-brain?srsltid=AfmBOoonZsRf8xpi_8vObhUXN1ZJocd7tiYlLNVfnpHQNsRKT___JdMH
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10535526/

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The article you linked was really good it discusses how caffeine, including drinks like Celsius, can contribute to brain fog and fatigue the article highlights the Euphoria you feel when you drink caffeine and how It gives an initial boost in energy and focus, but it has many negative side effects like shakes, headaches, fatigue, migraines, etc. But one thing to also consider besides the caffeine aspect of it is how much other additives are in Celsius and how that also affects the brain

Answer 1

To fact check this claim, I first wanted to find similar sources to the one you listed. I found a blog post from thecenterforfunctionalhealth.com that lists the reasons why coffee makes brain fog worse, although it doesn't list any actual data as to why this occurs. I found another article from vogue, that lists caffeine as one of the reasons why you might have brain fog. In this section, they use a quote from a doctor, which claims “Caffeine can aggravate the symptoms of brain fog because, by using it excessively to help counteract the feeling of fatigue and lack of clarity, it can then impact your sleep, which in turn aggravates the symptoms even more,” explains Dr. McCarthy. but again, the article does not list any scientific evidence or data for this occurrence. Going back to your original article, there is a study listed from the national library of medicine, which is a government affiliated source, so it can be trusted. Although this study has no mention of caffeine being connected to brain fog, instead talks about the effects caffeine can have on sleeping habits. Because there is no real evidence to back up your original claim, this can't be declared as true or false. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3805807/

https://thecenterforfunctionalhealth.com/blog/why-coffee-can-make-brain-fog-worse/

https://www.vogue.com/article/how-to-deal-with-brain-fog#:~:text=%E2%80%9CCaffeine%20can%20aggravate%20the%20symptoms,McCarthy.

Answer 2

An article claims that energy drinks, such as Celsius, cause brain fog and fatigue in the mornings. The article also references "Vail Health," stating that they do not recommend following a nutritious diet because blood sugar swings can cause inconsistent brain fuel, resulting in brain fog.

What Vail Health Actually Says

The Vail Health website discusses brain fog as a symptom of various factors, including poor sleep, high or low blood sugar (especially in diabetic individuals), and dehydration. The site recommends lifestyle changes such as better sleep hygiene, reduced alcohol and caffeine intake, regular healthy meals, and increased water consumption to mitigate brain fog.

Nowhere on the site does Vail Health discourage following a nutritious diet. Instead, it emphasizes balanced eating as a way to prevent issues like blood sugar swings.

Caffeine, Sleep, and Brain Fog

It’s well-established that caffeine consumption, especially late in the day, can disrupt sleep patterns. Poor sleep, in turn, contributes to brain fog and fatigue. However, this is an indirect effect. The claim that energy drinks directly cause brain fog lacks evidence in the article and in the referenced materials.

Additionally, the Vail Health site highlights dehydration as a major contributor to brain fog. This is an important point often overlooked in discussions about energy drinks, which can have a mild diuretic effect due to their caffeine content.

Clickbait Concerns

The article’s headline appears to overstate the connection between energy drinks and brain fog to attract clicks. While there is some truth to the idea that energy drinks, through their impact on sleep and hydration, could contribute to brain fog, the linked evidence does not conclusively support the claim that they are a direct cause.

Partially true, but misleading. Energy drinks like Celsius can indirectly contribute to brain fog and fatigue due to their caffeine content affecting sleep and potential dehydration. However, these effects are not unique to energy drinks and can occur with other sources of caffeine. The claim about Vail Health discouraging a nutritious diet is false and misrepresents the referenced material.

https://www.vailhealth.org/news/could-it-be-brain-fog

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3805807

Answer 3

While it is true and studied that too much caffeine can result in worsened brain fog, there are no articles or research to prove that Celsius, or energy drinks themselves, are specific causes of brain fog. Through my own research, I discovered that nowhere is it claimed that caffeine directly causes brain fog, but instead a reliance and over consumption can only worsen brain fog. As stated in, "Why Caffeine can Make Brain Fog Worse", published by The Center for Functional Health, "While caffeine may be good for a quick burst of energy, your health can take a hit if you are over-consuming it. Additionally, it doesn’t address the root cause of your brain fog...". While I do agree with the portion of the article that states caffeine consumption can have negative effects on sleep schedules, the overall claim that Celsius and other energy drinks directly cause brain fog is misleading and false.

https://thecenterforfunctionalhealth.com/blog/why-coffee-can-make-brain-fog-worse/

Answer 4

While searching on News Detective for a post to fact check, I saw one that caught my attention that said Celcius causes brain fog. I found this post interesting because I often drink Celcius and find myself having a hard time working on school work so I stopped drinking them. While doing research to see if this was a true fact, almost every article I opened said yes. There was one article that really went into depth about the causes behind the brain fog that might be a reaction from caffeine. The reason humans can experience brain fog is due to chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS. CFS has no known cause, cure, or no way to test for a diagnosis. Not only does caffeine cause brain fog but also “In addition to insomnia, coffee dependence could be causing a rapid heartbeat, increased anxiety and overall feelings of restlessness.” (Roche) I would say that after fact-checking the comment I found on News Detective would be correct because of scientific proof. 

Roche, Dylan. “Caffeine & Brain Fog.” LIVESTRONG.COM, www.livestrong.com/article/440331-caffeine-brain-fog/.

Answer 5

This article claims that caffeine causes brain fog. A popular brand was used in the heading to hook readers in, but was misleading. In the article it mostly talked about caffeine as a whole and not specific drinks. Brain fog is an annoying thing that a lot of people deal with, but in the article it said, “brain fog is a little hard to define because it's not an actual clinically diagnosed condition.” This article can’t be 100% truthful due to this. The brain fog that people feel related to caffeine happens on the comedown of it.

Answer 6

The article says that while caffeine can be used to make your alertness and tiredness better, a lot of consumption or bad timing can lead to disrupted sleep patterns, which could contribute to fatigue and brain fog. According to the Cleveland Clinic, energy drinks usually contain high levels of caffeine combined with sugar and other additives, which could cause random energy spikes and also crashes which makes the fatigue worse. It could turn into a cycle of trying to fight tiredness with caffeine and then having more disturbances in sleep.

A study published in Frontiers in Psychology says, "A substantial number of studies show that caffeine consumption increases alertness and decreases fatigue." This supports the idea that while caffeine is not a direct cause of brain fog, it can contribute to fatigue when consumed irresponsibly or when it disrupts sleep quality. Also, the Cleveland Clinic also talks about the six-hour window before bedtime and encourages people to not drink caffeine during this time to stop disturbances in sleep. Lots of people suffering from fatigue could be very dependent on caffeine and would consume it late into the day which contributes to their sleep problem.

It could be related to triggering a brain fog condition and fatigue for people but not a direct cause. Other factors that influence it include bad sleep schedule, dehydration, and bad lifestyles. This statement is misleading because it simplifies the relationship between caffeine and brain fog in the article.

The headline is clever, but it doesn’t have enough detail. Caffeine itself does not cause brain fog and fatigue. But caffeine can disturb sleep patterns, which could promote fogginess and fatigue. Timing and the use of caffeine could help break the cycle of fatigue and brain fogginess that confuses many.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3198027/

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-energy-drinks-bad-for-you

Answer 7

The clickbait fact-check title, used to grab attention, exaggerates the reality of brain fog. The article mentioned provides well-examined articles but spun the information to focus on Celsius. The articles note that caffeinated drinks can cause a decrease in sleep, which could then factor into brain fog. However, this does not directly link caffeinated drinks to brain fog. Many different variables play into brain fog, and it cannot be pinned solely on caffeine consumption. Dr. Lipton in Vail Health, a source from the article, names a few things that can cause brain fog such as high blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, prolonged stress, and environmental toxins. Christopher Drake mentions that caffeine taken 6 hours before bedtime had important disruptive effects on sleep. Whilst this demonstrates that caffeine in general can indirectly cause brain fog, there is no mention of targeting the specific caffeinated beverage Celsius.

https://www.vailhealth.org/news/could-it-be-brain-fog

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3805807/

Answer 8

Your claim that energy drink give you brain fog is a normative statement. In the opening paragraph it stated "it gives you a rush of satisfaction knowing the caffeine is going to help you perk up and stay at the top of your game throughout the day. That's how it works, right? Maybe. If you have caffeine-induced brain fog, then maybe not.” I feel that if this statement were true were would have to be some health warning sign on these types of drinks. Now what I can agree with is that too much caffeine is never good for you and can cause an unclear state of mind later down the line of your life the more you drink it.

source https://www.livestrong.com/article/440331-caffeine-brain-fog/

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-reasons-why-the-right-amount-of-coffee-is-good-for-you

Answer 9

This article makes a statement that caffeine has a correlation with caffeine and worsening brain fog symptoms. The article says "While caffeine may be good for a quick burst of energy, your health can take a hit if you are over-consuming it" (The Center for Functional Health, 2025). The main point that the article makes is that over-consumption is where people begin to feel increased symptoms, so there is not necessarily a lead to say that any caffeine causes brain fog. With that being said, Celsius has a larger amount of caffeine then a cup of coffee, so one could argue that it is more likely for someone to experience brain fog is they consume energy drinks such as celsius and other name brands. At the end of the day, people see more issues when they rely on caffeine on a day-to-day basis, so not relying on it and consuming it at a lower and safer rate is one way you can benefit from caffeine without damaging your brain and mental wellness. 

https://thecenterforfunctionalhealth.com/blog/why-coffee-can-make-brain-fog-worse/

Answer 10

The claim references an article titled “Caffeine and Brain Fog,” reviewed by Lindsey Elizabeth Cortes (Pfau), MS, RD, CSSD, who is a registered dietitian and board certified specialist in sports dietetics with over 10 years of experience in elite sport nutrition and performance. Lindsey owns Rise Up Nutrition, helping athletes overcome eating disorders to perform better. Lindsey also works with Division 1 college athletes at and contracts with the US Military and elite special forces units. I think the fact that this article was reviewed by a dietitian, and the other credentials she has makes this article legit. To confirm whether trusted sources agree with the Livestrong article, I found an article called “Energy Drinks and the Neurophysiological Impact of Caffeine.” by PMC PubMed Central National Library of medicine. This source, as a peer-reviewed publication posted on a government website, is highly reliable. Since its a government article I am more likely to trust it. I compared the article reviewed by Lindsey Elizabeth Cortes and the government article and found similarities. They both explore how caffeine impacts cognitive performance and overall well-being. They both say that caffeine can have unintended negative consequences like brain fog, fatigue, and dependency. Both address how caffeine affects the brain and body, mentioning side effects like jitters, restlessness, and impaired cognitive function when overused. Both articles recommend re-evaluating caffeine consumption and considering alternative ways to maintain energy and focus, such as reducing intake, getting adequate sleep, and engaging in physical activity. Both articles address how overuse of caffeine can negatively affect health and cognitive function, with the first article mentioning dependence and reduced effectiveness and the second detailing symptoms like brain fog and fatigue. The overlap supports the validity of the second article’s insights. The Livestrong article references a 2013 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, which found that consuming 400 milligrams of caffeine up to six hours before bedtime can significantly disrupt sleep, causing restlessness and contributing to sleep deprivation. The government article backs up this finding, saying that poor sleep caused by caffeine overuse can contribute to symptoms like brain fog. By tracing the claim back to the original study, it’s clear the Livestrong article relies on well-established research, enhancing its reliability. Using the SIFT method I verified that the claim about Celsius causes brain fog is supported by credible evidence. The Livestrong article even cites a specific study to back its claims, aligning with findings from the government article.