Water – it’s one of the basic necessities for life. Just three little atoms are all that’s needed to keep you alive. Why mess with something as simple as water?
The answer is just as simple: water doesn’t taste like anything.
That’s why people who order water at restaurants always crave lemons and sugar, and it’s why Glac’eacute;au’s Vitaminwater is so popular.
With multiple flavors offering varying degrees of vitamins per serving, Vitaminwater has certainly found a niche in the market. It’s a drink that’s not just good, but good for you.
Bottles advertise exotic names such as ‘xxx,’ which boasts the antioxidant power of three fruits (acai, blueberry and pomegranate), ‘power-c,’ which is enhanced by the flavor of dragonfruit, and ‘formula 50,’ inspired by rapper 50 Cent, who owns 10 percent of the company.
You’d be hard pressed to taste artificial flavor in these drinks. Fruit extracts, not juice, are used to add vitamins and antioxidants to ‘xxx,’ and ‘power-c’ lists dragonfruit juice concentrate as the last ingredient on its label.
The main draw of Vitaminwater, though, is the promise of vitamins in each serving.
An eight fluid ounce serving of ‘xxx’ provides 100 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C, as well as 10 percent of four different types of vitamin B.
The lemonade-flavored ‘multi-v’ also lives up to its billing, providing 100 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C and 25 percent of seven other vitamins and nutrients in each serving.
It all sounds great, and the intentions of Vitaminwater’s creators may have been pure, but drinking Vitaminwater is almost the same as drinking Coca-Cola.
For most flavors of Vitaminwater, the sugar content in each eight fluid ounce serving is about 13 grams. This translates into more than 30 grams of sugar per 20 fluid ounce bottle ‘- about the same as a can of Coke.
There’s also the issue of calories.
Water has no calories on its own, which makes it the choice drink during exercise and workouts. Vitaminwater carries 50 calories per serving, which is 125 calories per bottle and is again similar to drinking a can of Coca-Cola.
And as great as it is to have so many vitamins in a bottle of water, research shows that too much vitamin intake could be bad for you.
Dietician Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic said excessive amounts of vitamin C could lead to nausea, diarrhea and kidney stones. Suddenly 250 percent of the daily value of vitamin C in a bottle of ‘xxx’ doesn’t sound so great.
These numbers aren’t anything to be afraid of, though. One hundred fifty calories is minimal for most athletes, and most of the vitamins included are physically beneficial.
Besides, where else – other than maybe a glass of orange juice, which tastes much better, or a bowl of cereal, which contains more vitamins and nutrients than water can hold – can you find the fuel you need to get through the day?
The mentality that drinking a bottle of Vitaminwater makes you healthy is a misconception. If anything, Vitaminwater amounts to a fancier version of Gatorade, and feels a bit pricey at $2 per bottle in vending machines around UH.
With that in mind, Vitaminwater should be treated as more of a supplement than anything else, providing vitamins in a package that would otherwise be overlooked. It’s something like Centrum Silver – for younger people.
