What Is Vitamin Water?
A drink known as "vitamin water" is simply water with water-soluble vitamins added. The majority of suppliers provide various vitamin water flavors that are sweetened with sugar or other kinds of natural and artificial sweeteners. Sales of vitamin water, which were first made available in the U.S. (United States) more than ten years ago, are on the rise as consumers realize how crucial vitamins are to a healthy diet and believe that the advantages of vitamin water exceed the extra calories.
How Vitamin Water Is Promoted?
Vitamin water is more often commercially advertised as a very pleasant tasty and hydrating drink that offers a lot of systemic benefits. It is important to understand that vitamin water which comprises numerous minerals and other nutrients that are beneficial for individual health may not be as healthy. Though surprising, this is because of the added caffeine, artificial sweeteners, added sugar, or preservative content in them in nearly all the global vitamin water products. Vitamin water brands have a variety of flavors or colors globally, and they may also be further categorized into first-generation, second-generation, third-generation, and fourth-generation vitamin water.
Why Are Vitamin Waters Bad for Health?
The products described may contain anywhere between 0 to 130 calories that will be listed on the back label of each bottle. There are also other varieties or multiple flavors available for vitamin water commercially in the global markets. One may get commonly acai, blueberry, or pomegranate extracts from flavored vitamin waters. Nutrition experts have decoded that though the bottle may be representing or ensuring to the consumer a sufficient amount of antioxidants (that effectively eliminates free radicals in the body), these bottles of vitamin water may also contain nearly 130 calories per single bottle with over 25 to 30 grams of added sugar in them. It would be surprising to know that this quantity of added sugar is meant to give the drink the taste and flavor. This is half as much of the sugar one can find in soft drinks or carbonated beverages and other energy drinks.
All these fruity flavors have caffeine and sugar incorporated. This means that irrespective of the brand of vitamin water, the common ingredients are caffeine, artificial sweeteners, or added sugars all of which can be deemed detrimental to systemic health especially when consumed daily. Artificial sweeteners like stevia and erythritol are often used most commonly in the manufacturing of vitamin waters. Though marketed as unique formulations for people desiring to gain daily nutrients, vitamins, or even hydration or energy, the truth is that they can be only termed better in comparison to sugary drinks, beverages, or sports drinks for being low-calorie.
What Is the Impact of Vitamin Water on Systemic Health?
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It is not advisable to consume vitamin water regularly for the reason that one bottle of this cannot substitute for the correct dose of vitamins or nutrients that an individual is deficient in. The disadvantage further is the added sweeteners or cane or crystalline sugar forms in these drinks (usually 98 percent fructose content in both cane and crystallized sugars) can cause these excess sugars in the body to be stored in fat cells of the body increasing the predisposition of a person to obesity.
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Obesity is the leading cause of mortality worldwide because it increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, thyroid, hypertension, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.
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Nutrition research also sheds light on the reduced glucose uptake and altered cellular metabolism that can create insulin resistance in obese individuals because of the storage of excess sugars as fat.
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The harmful effects according to research are very clear presently that outweigh the pros of these drinks.
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High quantities of sugar within a single bottle can result in the early onset of type 2 diabetes, especially amongst the younger population.
How to Consume Vitamin Water the Healthy Way?
Due to consumer health concerns and growth in the frequent intake of these drinks without a doctor's advice, the controversy over the widespread use of vitamin water in nutrition has intensified over the past ten years. The benefits are considered minimal by health experts because each bottle does not contain even a quarter or half of the amounts of nutrients that one gain from a single serving of fresh fruit (for example orange, lemon, dragon fruit). Most healthy adults can easily get most of these micronutrients through healthy diets. Micronutrient deficiencies (like zinc deficiency) or vitamin deficiencies, should be always reported to the healthcare provider to manage. Dietary regimens that incorporate nutrient and vitamin-rich food along with multi-vitamin supplements as recommended by the physician is the only way through which an individual can aspire for improving their systemic health because of mineral or vitamin deficiencies.
What Are the Healthy Alternatives to Vitamin Water?
Given below are some of the recommended and healthier substitutes for vitamin water:
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Green Tea: They are the popular and safe beverage to consume if one needs to undergo a healthy weight loss because it has the dual advantage of being low calorie and high in antioxidants.
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Kombucha: These are trendy Korean beverages that are mainly fermented and sweet green tea, healthy spices, or juices are added in for flavor. These drinks are high in probiotics that help feed healthy gut bacteria and aid in digestion apart from contributing essential micronutrients and vitamins in the system.
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Fruit and Vegetable Juices: There are a wide array of fresh fruits and vegetables one can choose from, but specifically, those recommended by health experts are the popular orange juice (rich in vitamin C and antioxidants), avocado fruits or juices (antiinflammatory and cardioprotective), beetroot juice (great folate and potassium source). Furthermore, any fresh fruit in between two meals can be more satisfying to the appetite and also prevent unhealthy or hunger cravings. The health benefits of these fruit or vegetable juices will be affected by the sugar peaks the beverages can induce. Therefore it is vital to keep these nutritional facts in mind when consuming them. Additionally, the glycemic index (GI) of some fruits and vegetables might be high; as a result, it is important to consult a nutritionist before including these juices into a daily diet.
Conclusion
In conclusion, vitamin water should not serve as a primary source of nutrition even though it might give people a small boost of vitamins and minerals. It is recommended to concentrate on eating a balanced diet and being properly hydrated with plain water or healthy alternatives to vitamin water like fruit and vegetable juices, green tea, and kombucha that can load the body with the much-needed nutrients and vitamins. A licensed dietician or healthcare expert can offer individualized advice on how to meet the nutritional needs.
