No, drinking Celsius won't make someone test positive for drugs

VERIFY has been getting a lot of questions about the popular energy drink Celsius. 

We previously confirmed a form of vitamin B12 used in Celsius is not made from sludge found at human sewage treatment plants. We also found the NCAA and the Olympics haven’t banned the drink because of its ingredients.

Several TikTok users have posted videos appearing to show the energy drink causing a positive drug test. Others posted videos questioning those claims. We put the drink to the test.

THE QUESTION

Does drinking Celsius cause a person to test positive for drugs?

THE SOURCES

• Independent VERIFY drug tests
• Celsius ingredient list
• Health Feedback, a website run by Science Feedback, a non-profit organization that provides peer-reviewed articles written and compiled by scientists or science journalists
• GoodRx Health
• Celsius spokesperson

THE ANSWER

No, drinking Celsius will not cause a person to test positive for drugs. 

WHAT WE FOUND

Consuming Celsius does not cause a positive drug test. VERIFY conducted independent tests of the drink, and tested ourselves after consuming the drink, and both came back negative. In addition, our research shows a positive drug test from ingredients in Celsius is not scientifically feasible. 

Two members of the VERIFY team purchased four cans of Celsius and tested them for drugs following similar steps shown in the viral TikTok videos. We used home drug test kits that screen for several drugs, including amphetamines, benzodiazepines, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

We poured two different flavors of Celsius – Tropical Vibe and Arctic Vibe – into the sample containers provided in the kit and waited for the results. Both test results came back negative for all drugs. 

Then, a VERIFY reporter drank two cans – the maximum recommended by Celsius – of the Live Fit peach mango flavored drink. Using a home drug test kit, she took a urine test after consuming the drinks, and those results came back negative for all drugs.

With the results of our tests, we reached out to Celsius to ask about the viral claims.

“These TikTok stories suggesting that our products themselves produce positive drug test results are utterly ridiculous and do not merit a serious response to the claims,” a Celsius spokesperson told VERIFY. 

Celsius’ main active ingredients are taurine, guarana extract, green tea leaf extract, caffeine, ginger extract and glucuronolactone, an ingredient commonly used in energy drinks that allegedly improves athletic performance. 

VERIFY analyzed research reports, studies and various other sources and found no scientific evidence that any of those ingredients could generate a positive drug test. 

The claims that energy drinks can cause a positive drug test result have been circulating online for years. In 2019 and 2020, false claims went viral online that energy drinks Red Bull and Bang tested positive for drugs. 

Now, with any type of home test such as a drug test, pregnancy test or COVID-19 test, false positives can happen due to test malfunctions or user error. False positives are not the same as a positive result. According to GoodRx Health, people should talk to a healthcare provider anytime someone suspects their drug test is a false positive. Additional tests and more comprehensive screening can be conducted.

Additionally, at-home drug tests are only meant to be used on urine or saliva samples, not the energy drinks themselves. According to Health Feedback, a website run by Science Feedback, a non-profit organization that provides peer-reviewed articles written and compiled by scientists or science journalists, the videos that claim to show energy drinks testing positive for drugs actually show a “misuse of drug tests.”

“What these videos actually showed is a misuse of drug tests, which are intended for human biological samples such as saliva and urine, not food or beverage. The tests weren’t developed to be used on energy drinks, therefore the results obtained with these samples are unreliable and cannot be taken as evidence that drugs are present in these beverages,” Health Feedback said.