Vitamin Water - For Health or For Money?

Vitamin Water

Is Vitamin Water worth your money? Glaceau Vitaminwater with added vitamins and electrolytes has become one of the most popular water beverages on the market. Oh, and its hip-packaging and quirky product names don’t seem to hurt sales either. But is paying the extra two or three bucks for this flavored water actually worth it? Probably not, according to the Washington Post: “… only people ‘dedicated’ to exercising need to replenish [electrolytes] … and then it’s necessary only if they work out vigorously for more than an hour. ; Tap water has the added benefits of being all but free, and free of calories.

Critics have bashed Vitaminwater for being a calorie trap … a bottle contains 2.5 servings, so you could easily drink 125 calories — just 15 ounces shy of the calories in a can of Coca-Cola — at once.” And as for the vitamins? Vitaminwater focuses on B vitamins and Vitamin C, which are water-soluble and not stored in your body. Hmmm…

The Truth About Vitaminwater

Litigation director Steve Gardner, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, defines Vitaminwater as “Coke’s attempt to dress up soda in a physician’s white coat. Underneath, it’s still sugar water, albeit sugar water that costs about ten bucks a gallon.” And sugar water is right! Each bottle contains over 26 grams of sugar, which is the same amount of sugar that is in a Snickers bar. Studies have proven that refined man-made fructose (which is found in Vitaminwater) significantly raises triglycerides, putting consumers at an increased risk of heart disease. Moreover, individuals who consume fructose on a regular basis are subject to increased belly fat, insulin resistance and metabolic syndromes. We don’t need more sugar in our diets!

And that’s not all. Vitaminwater contains Erythritol, a sugar alcohol. Sugar alcohol is a type of sweetener that provides fewer calories than sugar itself. Why? Because sugar alcohol is never completely absorbed by your body. As exciting as this may sound, using sugar alcohol as an alternative to sugar does have its drawbacks. Studies suggest that the use of Erythritol may actually offer an explanation to the many reports of ill after-effects from drinking Vitaminwater, such as:
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Stomachache

Getting the Vitamins You Need, Safely!

Society is gradually becoming more and more health conscious, and major corporations realize this. Last year the Coca-Cola company was sued in a class-action lawsuit that contended the Vitaminwater line was being illegally promoted as a healthy product. Millions of consumers bought Vitaminwater thinking that it would benefit their body, because that is what they were led to believe. Obviously, this article proves otherwise.

I cannot stress enough the importance of reading labels and remaining aware on topics related to health-especially those related to nutrition. The food we eat and the beverages we drink fuel our body, giving us the energy we need. If we do not provide our body with the proper fuel, our health will suffer.

For those of you who consumed Vitaminwater for its supposed health benefits, there are far better and healthier alternatives:
• Try to eat unprocessed, organic, and locally grown foods as often as possible. These foods are high and nutrients. Whole food is best!
• Take a multivitamin but stay away from synthetic forms of vitamins, such as the ones found in Vitaminwater.
• If you wish to increase your nutrient intake, fast, invest in a high quality juicer- and start juicing your own veggies
• Try greens drink and berry drinks from made from whole foods.

Remember, your health is in your hands. It is up to you to monitor what you eat and drink and make decisions that will help nourish your body not harm it.
Source: www.mercola.com and Washington Post