Vitaminwater: the name itself conjures up an image of a healthsome beverage full of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, clever names and colorful beverages are not often indicators of a nutritious product, especially not when that product is made by the Coca-Cola Company. So, is vitaminwater good for you? The answers as to why it isn’t might surprise you.
Is Vitaminwater good for you?
The simple answer is, not really. Our first clue that something was amiss should have been the taste. Vitaminwater is both delicious and sweet, clear indicators that it has more in common with other Coca-Cola products than a vitamin-enriched and sugarless tea. And make no mistake, vitaminwater is thoroughly enriched with vitamins and minerals. It just happens to contain too many of said vitamins, as well as a boatload of added sugars.
Vitaminwater is loaded with sugar.
Considering vitaminwater is made by the Coca-Cola Company, it should come as no surprise that regular vitaminwater contains approximately 32 grams of sugar. According to Healthline, this is about 50 percent less than a regular Coke. It also contains about 120 calories per serving. Of course, claiming that your health drink is about half as bad for a person as a soft drink isn’t really saying much.
According to Healthline, most of the sugar found in vitaminwater comes from crystalline fructose, a purified form of fructose that can apparently cause a host of health issues if consumed in excess. This is only in the U.S., though. Most other countries flavor their vitaminwater with sucrose or cane sugar.
There are too many vitamins in Vitaminwater.
You heard us correctly. According to EcoWatch, vitaminwater contains a number of vitamins and micronutrients that most people are already getting more than enough of. Vitaminwater comes in a slew of flavors and all of them contain vitamin B, vitamin C. Some contain smaller amounts of vitamins A and E, as well as potassium, magnesium, manganese, chromium, and zinc.
The thing is, the average person’s diet is rarely lacking in vitamins B and C. Vitaminwater contains 50 to 120 percent of a person’s daily value of vitamin B, and 50 to 150 percent of a person’s recommended daily value of vitamin C. These aren’t harmful amounts, mind you, as those vitamins are water-soluble and any excess vitamins are usually washed out of the body with a person’s urine.
Drinking too much Vitaminwater can harm your body.
According to Healthline, increased supplemental use of vitamins A and E has actually been associated with an increased risk of premature death. A single vitaminwater on its own doesn’t contain any excess percentage of these vitamins, but if you start drinking the stuff daily, you could begin to reach those excessive levels.
Add to that the increased sugar and caloric intake that a vitaminwater provides, and you might find your weight or your blood sugar levels also beginning to reach unsafe levels. A little bit of vitaminwater can be a refreshing, sweet treat on a hot day. It might even provide a caloric boost of vitamin-infused energy, but it should most definitely be used in moderation.
The main issue is that drinking a super sugary beverage to “get one’s vitamins” is never a good idea — no matter how well-advertised or delicious that beverage might be. A better plan would be to reach for foods high in vitamins like fruits and vegetables.
Is Vitaminwater As Good for You As the Name Implies? [Green Matters]