Unhealthy Hoax: Vitamin Water Worst Idea Since White Bread

Although reputable health websites, such as WebMD and the Mayo Clinic, have questioned the claim that vitamin water is a healthy drink, Americans mysteriously continue to pay good money for what is essentially sugary, flavored water. The marketing success of vitamin water follows in the shadowy footsteps of other so-called health foods such as "energy" bars - processed foods with far more drawbacks than benefits.

One can only imagine the creators of the original vitamin water product meeting to hatch the idea for the next trendy "health" drink. "What if we take some plain water, add random vitamins to it, and blend in sugar and artificial flavors to make it taste good," suggests the company's top marketing guru.

Fresh out of college, the newest member of the team scratches his head. "Why would someone pay money for water with vitamins and sugar in it when they could just take a vitamin pill and drink regular water without any calories?" he asks.

While the other members of the committee roll their eyes and chuckle at the naivete of the new hire, his manager patiently pulls the newbie aside to reveal the age-old secret of processed health foods: if you say something is healthy, make it taste good and charge enough money for it, people will buy it.

Like the young child who points out the emporer is wearing no clothes, health experts have been trying to alert the public about the spurious claims of vitamin water products for several years. On the Mayo Clinic website, nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky, warned readers to be skeptical about the hype surrounding vitamin water products. "If you're trying to lose weight, the calories in vitamin water will only work against you," she wrote. "Fruits, vegetables and other whole foods are the best sources of vitamins and minerals. And it's tough to beat plain water as a healthy, no-calorie drink."

The Eat This, Not That feature on the Men's Health website even chose as its "worst healthy drink" Glaceau VitaminWater, a supposedly healthy drink that contains a whopping 33 grams of sugar. "Vitamins and water might sound like the ultimate nutritional tag team," cautioned Men's Health, "but what the label doesn't say is that a bottle of this stuff carries nearly as much sugar and calories as a can of Coke." The comparison was not coincidental; the Glaceau brand of vitamin water is owned by the Coca Cola company.

Makers of vitamin water drinks play on the public's concern for being healthy and take advantage of the fact that many people don't bother to read nutrition labels or delve beneath a product's name to determine whether that food or beverage is healthy or unhealthy.

What else is wrong with vitamin water?

In addition to its high sugar content, health advocates express these concerns about vitamin water:

Creates taste preference for flavored beverages: "One of the most important nutritional principles in childhood health is to shape young tastes. You don't want your child to grow up thinking that drinks should 'taste like Jell-O' - that every drink must be colored, flavored, or sweetened. You want her to develop a taste for plain water." -- Dr. Barry Sears answering a parent's question on parenting.com

Where's the juice? "VitaminWater contains between zero and one percent juice, despite the full names of the drinks, which include 'endurance peach mango' and 'focus kiwi strawberry.'" -- Center for Science in the Public Interest a.k.a. CSPI (which has a lawsuit pending against Vitamin Water by Coca Cola)

Does vitamin water harm teeth? New York University dental study of five sports drinks, including two vitamin water produts, showed all five contain "levels of acid that can cause tooth erosion (and) hypersensitivity." (To be fair, beverage industry spokespeople disputed the methodology of the study, which involved cutting cows' teeth in half and immersing them in either water or one of the sports drinks.) -- WebMD News

Even low calorie no-sugar versions of vitamin water do not get a free pass from many health experts, largely because of concerns related to use of artificial sweeteners. A 2008 Purdue University study published in Behavioral Neuroscience revealed that artificial sweeteners may cause people to gain weight because the sweet taste confuses the body into anticipating a certain calorie load, which results in the body wanting to increase the number of calories it consumes or expend less energy. Weight gain that results in excess body fat is linked to adverse health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Affordable and healthy alternatives to vitamin water

Instead of spending money on vitamin water, you can just take vitamin pills and wash them down with a glass of ordinary plain water. With the money saved on pricey "health" beverages, you can purchase fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables that not only contain a full spectrum of healthy vitamins, but also fiber and phytonutrients that enhance digestion and boost the immune system.

Sources:
"A Role for Sweet Taste: Calorie Predictive Relations in Energy Regulation by Rats." Susan E. Swithers and Terry L. Davidson. Behavioral Neuroscience, Vol. 122, No. 1, February 2008.
http://www.parenting.com/article/Child/Recipes--Nutrition-For-Children/Ask-Dr-Sears-Is-Vitamin-Water-Safe-for-Kids
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/news/20090403/sports-drinks-may-damage-your-teeth
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-water/an01734
http://www.parenting.com/article/Child/Recipes--Nutrition-For-Children/Ask-Dr-Sears-Is-Vitamin-Water-Safe-for-Kids