Is Vitamin Water low calorie drink or a virtual soda-like drink in disguise? Vitamin Water made the news recently. Center for Science in the Public Interest sued Coca Cola, who owns Vitamin Water over deceptive and unsubstantiated claims on its  original Vitamin Water line of beverages.

Coke has marketed it as a healthy alternative to drinking soda. Adjectives like “defense,” “rescue,” “energy,” and “endurance.” make it even more appealing to sugary soda. Phrases like: reduce the risk of chronic disease, reduce the risk of eye disease, promote healthy joints, and support optimal immune function, also reinforce this healthy image.

Vitamin Water Ingredients

Vitamin Water Zero was created to address this controversy over whether Vitamin water is good for you or has too many calories. 33 grams of sugar is present in some Vitamin Water flavors, this adds to the obesity and diabetes epidemic. The labeling and marketing go counter to the actual benefits of this drink.

Vitamin Water may prove to do more harm than good, because many of the various flavors are filled with sugar and caffeine that offsets any positive effect of vitamins. We recently posted an article about the wonders of sweeteners. One 500ml bottle of Vitamin Water had 8 teaspoons of sugar, 82ml of caffeine. The label indicates that you should not drink more than 2 bottles a day, and kids or pregnant females should not drink it.

Vitamin Water Zero

Apparently Vitamin Water is listening. In 2010, they introduced a new line of drinks for the weight-conscious market called Vitamin Water Zero that has 0 calories per eight-ounce serving. It uses sweeteners from Truvia, a high-purity extract of the stevia leaf.

Keep in mind switching to diet sodas has its downsides. A reminder that there is no free lunch.

fruitwater

In April of 2013, Coca-Cola’s Glaceau Division introduced fruitwater. Another beautiful bottle filled with colored water. The kicker is that this zero calorie carbonated drink does not contain any fruit juice and it is sweetened with the artificial sweetener, Sucralose. Somethings never change.

Coconut Water

People are now starting to drink Coconut Water instead of their normal beverage. Vita Coco is a popular brand. This drink consists of water from inside a coconut which is slightly sweet and is rich in electrolytes, especially potassium. Coconut Water does not have fat and is not coconut milk. Some sport athletes are drinking this instead of Gatorade. Coconut production supply restrictions are reducing the amount of Coconut Water. Coconuts typically have to be 14 months old before being harvested.

Alternatives to Vitamin Water – Water!

Why contribute to the $1.5 billion spent on sports drinks?  A British Medical Journal study found most claims could not be supported. In a UNC study, Electrolytes can be lost after vigorous exercise for an hour or more, but they can be replaced by a balanced diet full of fruits and veggies.

How about sticking to plain old water in a BPA free water bottle?

Be sure to read Healthy Food Options to Avoid Chemicals