With so many drinks to choose from, it can be hard to pick the right one. Some people avoid Rubicon because they think it’s too sugary. But is it really that bad? Let’s take a closer look.
Rubicon is a fruit juice drink available in still and sparkling versions. Flavours include mango, passion fruit and lychee. While Rubicon contains added sugar, sweeteners and flavourings, it’s made with handpicked fruit and real fruit juice, and it provides vitamin C.
There are other Rubicon lines too, like Rubicon Spring (flavoured spring water with fruit juice, sweetener and vitamins) and Rubicon Raw Energy (carbonated mixed fruit juice and flavour energy drink with added caffeine, vitamins, sugar and sweetener).
All Rubicon drinks contain water, sugar and fruit juice, though the amount and type of fruit juice varies. For example, Rubicon Mango Still has about 19% mango purée, while the Mango Sparkling has about 8%. Passion Fruit Still contains 13% passion fruit juice from concentrate, compared with 4% in the sparkling version. Rubicon Raw Energy also includes caffeine, which the others do not.
Sugar is one of the main ingredients in Rubicon. Too much sugar can cause weight gain, tooth decay and other health issues. The NHS advises a maximum of 30 grams of sugar per day. A 330 ml can of Rubicon Sparkling Mango has 15 grams of sugar — half that daily limit. A 500 ml can of Rubicon Raw Energy contains 23 grams of sugar, which is close to the limit. It’s worth keeping these amounts in mind when planning your daily sugar intake.
Some Rubicon drinks use artificial sweeteners like sucralose and acesulfame K. Some studies have suggested links between artificial sweeteners and cancer or issues like weight gain and diabetes, but more research is needed. Rubicon drinks also include stabilisers and preservatives to extend shelf life — some people may be sensitive to these and could experience stomach upsets. Certain artificial flavourings have also been linked to cancer in animal studies.
The Raw Energy drink contains 80 mg of caffeine. Caffeine can cause jitters, anxiety and trouble sleeping in some people. The recommended limit is about 400 mg of caffeine per day, so one can of Raw Energy is well within that limit, but those sensitive to caffeine may want to avoid it.
Nutritionally, Rubicon still drinks (mango, passionfruit, lychee) and at least one sparkling variety have around 20 kcal per 100 ml, less than 0.5 g fat per 100 ml, and 4.4–4.5 g sugar per 100 ml — roughly one teaspoon. Protein and salt are very low (under 0.5 g per 100 ml). Still drinks typically provide about 30 mg of vitamin C per serving.
Compared to sugary sodas and some other fruit juices, Rubicon can be a better choice: lower in calories and a source of vitamin C. But they still contain significant sugar, and some varieties use artificial sweeteners and preservatives. Moderation is key. If you have concerns about any ingredients, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before drinking them.