Is Glaceau Vitamin Water Bad for You?
Glaceau Vitamin Water has become a very popular sports recovery drink. Athletes such as LeBron James and Adrian Peterson turn to Vitamin Water for their electrolyte fix. However, many people are questioning the health benefits being promoted by Vitamin Water. In short, people want to know if it is really good for you.
Glaceau Vitamin Water has become a very popular sports recovery drink. Athletes such as LeBron James and Adrian Peterson turn to Vitamin Water for their electrolyte fix. However, many people are questioning the health benefits being promoted by Vitamin Water. In short, people want to know if it is really good for you. While the drink is fortified with vitamins, the additional added sugar and calories have many experts questioning the health benefits of Vitamin Water.
Vitamin Water Ingredients
Vitamin Water is vapor-distilled water that has vitamins, sweetener and flavoring agents added to it. According to the official Glaceau Vitamin Water website, in addition to vapor-distilled water, Vitamin Water contains crystalline fructose, natural flavors, juice for color, calcium , magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, gum, vitamin E, ginseng extract, vitamin B3, pantothenic acid, vitamin A and vitamin B6.
Nutritional Supplement
According to MayoClinic.com, Vitamin Water is not a nutritional supplement intended to replace a multivitamin or vitamins consumed from a healthy diet. In fact, if you already eat right or supplement with a multivitamin, Vitamin Water will not provide any health benefits. According to Darrius Bikoff, a representative of Glaceau Vitamin Water, it is not meant to be a substitute for vitamins, rather a supplement to the vitamins you already consume.
Vitamin Water Compared with Regular Water
When compared with regular water, Vitamin Water appears to have more nutritional value. Since water contains little to no nutrients, the added vitamins and electrolytes in Vitamin Water appear to make it a better choice for athletic recovery. However, according to ScienceLine.org, a recent study demonstrated that the average man or woman already consumes more than the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and B12. The average man or woman also consumes three-quarters of the RDA of vitamins C, B9 and A, minimizing the need for additional vitamin supplementation.
Conclusion
While it may be marketed as a sports or energy recovery drink, Vitamin Water appears to be just another cleverly marketed product. The drink does contain a wide variety of vitamins and electrolytes, but unless severely deficient, the product does not benefit the average person. Additionally, Vitamin Water contains sugar and a substantial amount of calories. ScienceLine.org reports that each bottle of Vitamin Water contains 2 tbsp. of crystalline fructose -- a by-product of corn starch and corn syrup. So while Vitamin Water may not be bad for you, it appears to offer only minimal benefits to your health.