vitamin water -- gimmick or what?

[jenna]

so, i'm drinking the grape one right now. it tastes all right. i'm just wondering if it's actually any good vitamin-wise.

sometimes i don't want to just drink water - i want some flavor to it, you know? would i just be better off drinking my regular tap water and adding some flavor stuff to it?

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Hmmm... just thinking out loud as I don't have ingredients in front of me...not sure how it's sweetened and if there's any sodium - those could be an issue.

Are the colors and flavors artificial or naturally based? Guess that's not addressing the vitimins exactly...
Obviously it has a few more calories than *just* water, I know it does have some trace minerals and electrolytes that we don't always get in an "average" diet, but I think that's assuming you eat the Standard American fare. The labels have to list the vitamins and such accurately, I know each type has slightly different ingredients. You'd probably get those vitamins in a glass or fruit juice or a smoothie (which isn't the same I realize).

I sorta think they're just colored and expensive water with a few vitamins thrown in, I guess I usually think plain water is always going to be better but I don't have any strong facts to back that up.

I don't think there's any harm in one every now and then - if it gets you consuming more liquids especially.

[rabid_child]

They do have vitamins in them, but I don't think it's really ideal as a source of nutrients. It's got like 150 calories and tons of sugar per bottle (which is better than artificial sweetener, IMO, but that doesn't make it good to drink lots of sugar). That said, I do love their lemon tea flavor, and it's decaf, which is hard to find in an iced tea. I drink one maybe once a month though, and drink tap water or hot tea the rest of the time. I'll buy one when I haven't been feeling well and know that I've not been drinking enough since it's got electrolytes and is yummy. Encourages me to rehydrate, which then gets me back on track with my usual plain water.

Hint waters are a nice light flavored noncarbonated water. They are sugar free, sort of like flavored selzer, but flat. Vitamin Water used to make unsweetened Fruit Water which I loved, and then they added sugar to it and I don't like it anymore. Hint is the closest thing I've found to unsweetened Fruit water.

You could also look for Iced Tea Bags. Celestial Seasonings makes them in a few different flavors (peach, raspberry, and lemon, I think). You just pour cold water over it and wait 5-10 minutes. They're pretty yummy and don't need sweetening (though a little agave is nice in them sometimes too).

[jenna]

ok, going off this grape one - it's called formula 50 (50% daily dose) of vitamins.

ingredients: vapor distilled, deionized, and/or reverse osmosis water, cane sugar, crystalline fructose, natural flavor, citric acid, ascorbic acid (vit. C), vit. E acetate, fruit and vegetable juice (color), magnesium lactate (electrolyte), calcium lactate (electrolyte), niacin (B3), monopotassium phosphate (electrolyte), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), cyanocobalamin (B12), folic acid.

it's 8fl. oz.

calories: 50
sodium: 0mg
total fat: 0g
total carbs: 13g
sugar: 13g
protein: 0g


so it'd be good a drink to have after exercising or something like that, like a gatorade but better?

[rabid_child]

There are 50% in the 8 oz? I've only seen them in 20 oz bottles, and usually the "per serving" amount doesn't reach the vitamin claims, just the "per bottle" amount.

[jenna]

oh, whoops. i read it wrong. yeah, it's a 20oz. it was talking about the per serving amount.

[rabid_child]

oh, whoops. i read it wrong. yeah, it's a 20oz. it was talking about the per serving amount.

Which makes it 150 calories per bottle and as much sugar as a can of coke.

I still think its fine on occasion (as would be a can of coke).

[cloudcovering]

^ Well, it's actually 125 calories per bottle, but yeah.

It's sort of a gimmick, but a tasty gimmick. You could always just drink your beverage of choice and then take a multi vitamin.

[rabid_child]

^ Well, it's actually 125 calories per bottle, but yeah.

It's sort of a gimmick, but a tasty gimmick. You could always just drink your beverage of choice and then take a multi vitamin.

Ha! yea it is. I multiplied by 3 instead of 2.5. Forgive me, the cat woke me at 5 am. :brood:

[cloudcovering]

Ha! yea it is. I multiplied by 3 instead of 2.5. Forgive me, the cat woke me at 5 am. :brood:

LOL, i totally understand. My cat is the same way...

[greensgood]

the plastic bottle that it comes in is worse than all the sugars it contains, no need to drink this "water", especially because of the environmental impact.

[fadeaway1289]

My sister is addicted to the grape one as well. I'm not a fan of them but some of the flavors do sound pretty good.

[bigdufstuff]

Vitamin water is more or less gatorade marketed at yuppies.

[Shamandura]

Are those manufactured by Coke? I was watching some morning show several months ago and they were mentioned as having little if any effect supplement wise.