Do Alanis Cause Infertility? The Energy Drink Panic May Be Legit

Energy drinks have officially entered the fertility group chat. And yes, people are asking if Alanis could mess with your ability to get pregnant. Short answer? There’s no solid evidence that Alanis directly causes infertility. But the concern isn’t coming out of nowhere, either.

Alanis sits at the crossroads of a few things we already side-eye when it comes to reproductive health: high caffeine, hormone-active ingredients, blood sugar spikes, and chronic stress on the body. None of those automatically equals infertility, but together, and especially when used daily, they can influence ovulation, hormones, and cycle regularity. That’s where the panic starts to feel… at least a little legit.

So before we write this off as another wellness scare, let’s slow down and look at what’s actually in the can, what science says about caffeine and fertility, and when an energy drink habit might be worth rethinking if you’re trying to conceive. We spoke with Dr. Jessica Ryniec, a fertility specialist, to get the facts.

Can Alanis cause infertility? Let’s break down the concern

Recently on social media, there has been a viral panic concerning energy drinks and their impact on fertility. TikToks like this one, with over 115K likes, suggest that Alani energy drinks can raise your chances of being infertile by a whopping 32%.

But before you begin to panic and throw out all the Alanis in your fridge, let’s break down the science behind this claim. For people trying to conceive, it is important to be careful about what you are putting into your body, but sometimes social media makes things seem worse for you and your fertility than they actually are. With energy drinks, it’s not just about one ingredient; it’s about the bigger picture. Fertility is complex and rarely reliant on a single factor like energy drink consumption.

What’s actually in Alani Nu energy drinks?

Before we zoom in on caffeine, it helps to look at the full ingredient list. Alani Nu isn’t just fizzy water and a buzz; it’s a mix of sweeteners, amino acids, herbs, and stimulants that all interact with your body in different ways. Some of these ingredients are well studied. Others? Not so much—and that's where the fertility questions come in. Alani Nu energy drinks contain:

• Carbonated water
• Citric acid (for flavor)
• Natural flavors
• Taurine (an amino acid with potential performance benefits)
• Erythritol (a sugar alcohol which allows the drink to be low in calories while still being sweet)
• L-Theanine (an amino acid likely added to help prevent the jitters)
• Caffeine (each can contains 200 mg)
• Sucralose (an artificial sweetener)
• Panax Ginseng Root (an herb typically used in traditional medicine said to lower cholesterol, manage blood sugar, and reduce inflammation)

The main ingredient that concerns fertility is caffeine, but according to Dr. Ryniec, “there are other components that can harm fertility, particularly for men. This includes sugars and artificial sweeteners, but many [energy drinks] come with other components like taurine, guarana, ginseng, B vitamins, amino acids, etc.” The problem is that many of these ingredients haven't been studied enough to know how they affect fertility.

Compared to other energy drinks, Alani has relatively high caffeine content per ounce, fewer calories and sugar (relying instead on artificial sweeteners), and common additives like taurine and ginseng.

Does Alani increase infertility? What the research says

For starters, there are no studies specifically on the Alani Nu brand and fertility. There are, however, studies on caffeine and its impact on fertility, as well as energy drinks and their impact on certain fertility indicators. So while we can't point to Alani-specific data, we can look at what similar drinks do—and whether those 200mg of caffeine plus a handful of under-studied additives are worth the risk when you're TTC.

A 2016 study from Reproductive Toxicology showed that male energy drink intake was associated with reduced fecundability, or the average per-cycle chance of conception for a couple actively trying to get pregnant. The study noted, however, that the number of participants consuming energy drinks was low, indicating a need for more research.

Other studies have looked at sperm quality in men who consume energy drinks. One 2021 study in Russia for Urologiia found a correlation between energy drink consumption and decreased ejaculate quality. Another study for Nutrire in 2017, performed in mice, found that the long-term consumption of energy drinks interferes negatively with sperm concentration.

There are also studies on specific ingredients in Alanis, such as taurine, and their impact on fertility. A 2023 study for Frontiers in Endocrinology examined the role of taurine in male reproduction of rats, pointing out that taurine is abundant in the male reproductive system, and suggesting that it could actually have dose-dependent protective effects on male reproductive systems.

It is important to note that most research conclusions are correlational, not causational, meaning that they can’t say for sure that energy drinks caused the outcomes of the studies. While there are still significant gaps in research in this area, given what we do know about the high caffeine content of energy drinks like Alani Nu, it is advisable to avoid them when trying to conceive.

The caffeine factor

One can of Alani Nu contains 200 mg of caffeine per serving. Dr. Ryniec, along with many other studies, recommends that those trying to conceive limit their daily caffeine intake to about 200-300mg of caffeine per day, so just one Alani hits your caffeine limit for the day.

Caffeine adds up fast—from your morning coffee, that afternoon chocolate, even your soda at lunch. So spending your entire daily limit on one energy drink means you'll need to watch everything else you consume for the rest of the day.

Can I drink Alani during pregnancy?

High-caffeine energy drinks are generally not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding (this is also highlighted in the nutritional facts on a can of Alani).

Most major medical organizations, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, recommend keeping caffeine under 200mg per day while pregnant. Consuming more than this can:

• Increase the risk of miscarriage
• Restrict fetal growth, causing babies to be born smaller
• Increase the risk of stillbirth with very high intake
• Possibly affect fetal brain development

Alani ingredients other than caffeine can also be harmful while pregnant. Additives like taurine and ginseng are understudied as they relate to pregnancies, and therefore are safest to avoid while pregnant.

But don't worry! Just because you may have to kick the Alani habit while you're pregnant doesn't mean you're out of options. There are lots of safer alternatives that can feed your craving for Alani. Teas like black tea and green tea still contain caffeine but are much gentler than an Alani. VitaminWater and Gatorades can provide that sweetness, and sparkling waters can satisfy your need for bubbles.

Energy drinks and your reproductive health: The big picture

Energy drinks don't exist in a vacuum. If you're reaching for them regularly, there might be other things going on—like sleep deprivation, chronic stress, or inconsistent nutrition—that can also affect fertility. Kicking the energy drink habit while trying to conceive definitely won't hurt, but unless you zoom out and look at the bigger picture, you could be missing important factors impacting your fertility. Remember, fertility is rarely reliant on a single factor.

According to Dr. Ryniec, confounding lifestyle factors like these are another important limitation of existing research, and why results are not conclusive. It is hard to detangle these factors from the energy drink consumption itself in observational studies.

Our culture has normalized extreme caffeine consumption to allow for high performance in work and life, but this is not always healthy. Chronic use of stimulants like caffeine can mask underlying health issues. When thinking about fertility, it can be helpful to take a step back and address the root causes of low energy, rather than band-aiding them with caffeine. This can help reduce your reliance on caffeine and energy drinks, and help you manage lifestyle factors that also impact your fertility.

Alani alternatives when you’re TTC or pregnant

Luckily, there are lots of great alternatives to Alanis that contain less caffeine and none of the additives that could potentially be impacting your fertility. And they can help fulfill the same cravings that you turn to those colorful cans for!

If you need caffeine, try a more gentle option, such as decaf coffee or black/green tea. A matcha latte is a great option — ½ teaspoon of matcha contains only 35 mg of caffeine.

For something sweet with the feel of an energy drink, try a VitaminWater Zero, which contains no caffeine and pregnancy-safe sweeteners, a Bai drink, which contains very little caffeine, or a Gatorade. These provide great hydration and can be especially helpful with nausea in early pregnancy.

There are also some more natural options that can help with fatigue or blood sugar stability, like sparkling water with a splash of citrus juice, coconut water, which is naturally hydrating and gentle on the stomach, protein shakes and smoothies, or ginger tea.

For carbonation cravings, flavored sparkling waters are a great option. Olipop or Poppi sodas work too—just keep in mind they're fiber-forward, so moderation is key.

Herbal teas are another great option, but do your research. Some safe options are ginger, peppermint, rooibos, and lemon balm. Avoid teas with licorice root or any tea with stimulants or unknown herbs.

Should you ditch your Alani if you’re TTC?

While Alanis are not definitively proven to cause infertility, the high caffeine content and under-researched additives are concerning enough to warrant caution. Dr. Ryniec recommends that people trying to conceive eliminate energy drinks and try more natural or lower-caffeine alternatives.

It's also important to understand that if you are not actively trying to conceive, drinking Alanis most likely won’t impact your future fertility. And if you are trying to conceive now, fear not that energy drink addiction back in college. It shouldn’t impact your chances of getting pregnant now.

For those pregnant or breastfeeding, it's not safe to drink Alanis, and for those trying to conceive, it's probably smart to stop as well, or at least cut your consumption down significantly.

Individual health circumstances matter. What’s fine for one person may not be for another, so it's important to discuss things like your energy drink consumption with a healthcare professional, like a fertility specialist, when you're trying to conceive. In the end, you're the one who gets to decide what's right for your body, but you need all the facts to make the best decision for you.

Optimizing fertility is about the full lifestyle picture, not perfection. While you probably shouldn’t be drinking an Alani every day while TTC, having a few sips every once in a while isn’t going to kill your chances of getting pregnant. And if you do find yourself reliant on energy drinks, it can be helpful to your fertility to understand why and address some of the lifestyle factors that may be causing your low energy in the first place.