Is vitaminwater good for you?
- Asks Valerie from California
Christopher Intagliata • December 3, 2007
![A rainbow of flavors. [Credit: Glaceau Vitamin Water]](https://scienceline.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/downloadblog.jpeg)
A rainbow of flavors. [Credit: Glaceau Vitamin Water]
Let’s face it – water is so dull. But vitaminwater, with its kaleidoscopic pinks, peaches and violets, is like Vegas in a bottle! Vitaminwater’s shimmering hues even seduced rapper 50 Cent, the inspiration for amethyst-tinged Formula 50. But aside from using star power and flashy colors, vitaminwater’s parent company, Glaceau (owned by Coca-Cola), markets the drink by emphasizing its nutritional value. Is there any science behind the marketing though?
A vitamin-fortified drink may sound like a swell idea, but there are two caveats to keep in mind. First, most Americans aren’t vitamin-deficient, according to Marion Nestle, a nutrition professor at New York University. A government survey in 1999 showed that the median American adult man or woman already consumes more than the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and B12, and three-quarters of the RDA of vitamins C, B9 and A (including carotenes). In fact, vitamin E is the only surveyed vitamin Americans consume at less than half of the RDA – but it’s found in only a third of vitaminwater drinks.
If you want to drink your additional vitamin E, there’s a second caveat: your body may not absorb it. To understand why, it’s important to know that vitamins can be divided into two groups: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Vitamin C and the B complex group are water-soluble and can easily enter the bloodstream with water. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble. That means they can only enter the bloodstream to carry out their functions if they are dissolved in dietary fat, like that found in a meal. An Italian study published by the American Heart Association in 2001 showed that subjects who took vitamin E for two weeks on an empty stomach increased their vitamin E concentration in blood little or not at all, compared to an 84 percent increase in subjects who took the vitamin E supplement during dinner. So unless you prefer vitaminwater to wine with your meal, vitamins A and E will pass largely unused into your city’s septic system.
Even if you were to absorb all the vitamins, vitaminwater might have trouble living up to its image as a salubrious alternative to sugary soft drinks: Each bottle of vitaminwater contains 32.5 grams, or two heaping tablespoons, of crystalline fructose. Fructose is a simple sugar that sweetens many fruits, although the crystalline fructose in vitaminwater is produced from cornstarch, not fruit, by crystallizing the fructose in fructose-enriched corn syrups. As one would expect, nobody needs these extra sugars, according to Nestle, the NYU nutritionist. One research team has even indicated that the intense sweetness of sugary drinks may be addictive.
“The way that vitaminwater is marketed and positioned it’s made to look more healthful than other sugary beverages, but it’s not – it’s still just a soft drink,” said Margo G. Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “It has this aura of healthfulness that is not deserved. Adding vitamins and minerals to junk food doesn’t make it healthy.”
273 Comments
Viatamin water is just flavored water. If I wanted to have some vitamins it would be cheaper to but a 1 aday multiviatmin. I was in Myrtle Beach this weekend and these guys handed me this stuff while I was out. This stuff was coined Detox. I was like yeah right good marketing. I was drinking pretty heavy and knew that I was going to have a hangover this morning so I took the stuff and I can’t believe it but I feel really good.
This stuff is called Function, I looked it up and actual Physicians developed these drinks.
I found this one called Light Weight that only has 5 calories per serving and it is supposed to help burn calories.
I love the people who say how much exercise you would need to do to burn off a certain amount of calories.
320 push-ups for 125 calories? So I guess that cheeseburger you had for lunch is going to require some herculean display of strength to burn off.
Compared to the other high-calorie, high-fat, high-sugar junk many people put into their bodies, Vitamin Water’s impact is trivial.
As for the cancer scare, try not to be so gullible. Apples cause cancer – there, now that I’ve said it, it must be true. Be sure to spread the word.
vitamin water is great and a whole lot better than drinking soda snapple or gatorade. the only reason why VW is getting a bad rap is because gatorade is losing their athletes and market share to VW. lebron james and shaq recently signed on, and there are more to come obviously. this does not make quaker oats happy! they have had a stronghold on the market for so long, it kills them that they can’t compete. no one out there is going to compete with VW because they don’t want to spend the money for natual cane when a new drink they would need to charge 1.89 for could very well flop. VW is untouchable right now, and the only solution for the competition is dragging it through the mud by paying off their advertising clients to say VW isn’t healthy. there was a recent article in mens health (a huge gatorade client) that compared VW to a 2000 calorie milk shake. yeah ok !
I was recently diagnosed with stomach cancer. Doctors at Johns Hopkins have made tests linking my cancer to its cause. It’s Vitaminwater. I drank approximately 20 bottles a day for two years. If anyone else knows anyone who may have got cancer from this drink, please contact me. Thanks, and god bless.
I stopped drinking tap water years ago. It sucks. Now I only drink VW. I’m still obese, but the ladies seem to dig me more. Who knows?
Vitamin Water tastes like crap.
Screw the health concerns, it tastes horrible. Where the hell is my Coca Cola?
Vitamin H-Two-O rocks my world. I drink between 12 and 15 bottles a day. I wouldn’t drink regular bottled water if you put a gun to my head, and started going all gangsta on me.
Sex gives you cancer as does Vitamin Water. True Story.
Albert, sorry to hear about your cancer. Everyone here in France knows that Vitamin Water will cause cancer, that’s why no one in Europe will drink it.
Why are Americans ready to believe anything that CocaCola (the owner of VitaminWater) tells them?
Albert, my sister recently passed away from cancer that her doctors at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston believe to be caused by VitaminWater. The stuff is very dangerous. We’re potentially looking at a generation of school-age kids who will get cancer from drinking this product. It’s all about the money for Coke.
Hey #14…. I love vitamin water, but i have to correct you on the whole 13g of sugar thing. yea thats what the bottle says, but the serving size is 2.5, so if you drink a whole 20fl oz bottle of v-water, it will come out to 32.5g of sugar. So your wrong, not the author of this article. Maybe paying attention in health class as a kid might have helped Christopher. Cheers :)
Your Welcome,
Chid
oh….my bad. I meant #12 not #14. #14 and i are on the same page….actually the exact same page. But i still want to make #12 feel good about his Health class failure…
Jesus loves you,
Chid
And by saying #12 i mean Diego, not Christopher. Diego needs help, Christopher knows what he is talkin about.
Vitamin water is yummy :)
sure it’s not the healthiest thing in the world but it’s better than drinking a soda or energy drink. Vitamin water gives you the energy you need and the vitamins you want. Though you shouldn’t stop taking actual vitamins and drinking normal water vitamin water is a great substitute for soda.
Vitamin water owns!
Why doesn’t adding vitamins and minerals to junk food make it better? Ok, I will agree, it’s not health food. But you cannot blame marketers for doing their job. Still, McDonald’s is not pumping vitamins and minerals into their food. Is it not ultimately good that there are forms of junk food for the junk food nation that are not 100% poison? We will not as a nation, any time soon, pick up the asparagus torch and burn down the omnivore junk food system. We should embrace products that appeal to the junk food palette, while still providing at least some nutrition. Sure vitamin water is junk food, but it is also a damn good cure for a hangover.
ok listen,
if vitamin water gave you cancer wouldnt they stop selling it??
and theres noo way it has as many calories and all that junk as a can of soda!
like tht 15 year old girl said, if you believe it does all this bad stuff, get over it and stop buying it! sitting here telling people why you dont like/want it does abslutley nothing, except waste your time!
Honestly. Its a drink people. Yes its falsely advertised as healthful and nutritious but what isnt these days? Coke Zero? Diet coke? “Light” drink mixes? I mean the only reason we have to stamp a diet label on everything these days is because America is fat and lazy.
VitWatr is just another thing to add to your list of “things to never let my children touch because it will give them cancer and they will die”. I dont care, ive got to die at some point. I rather die eating a pastry and drinking a beer than while running on my tredmill and eating flavorless granola bits.
I dont live off of one single food or drink item, therefore chances are the arsenic in v-water and the nutrasweat in diet coke wont cause the cancer that will ultimately kill me. if your ignorant enough to think your going to die of natural causes then i should send Chuck Norris to kick your lame ass. This is EARTH people, not UTOPIA. We’re all going to die of something, and it wont be old age.
so drink up, stay active, wear a breathing app when outdoors or in china, and be fucking happy.
Exactly DNP, most of you are blindly saying what you think without doing ANY research about this…seriously people…get informed!
There are many bad things in this for you but here is some simple logic…
1) Vitamin Water is better for you than it is bad for you and when used with moderation and good judgement it is great for you.
2) “Time is Money” So what is cheaper for you is bad for you and could potentially shorten your life span…but it is saving you time by being cheaper and I would rather have more time as a young person and die earlier when I am well aged.
3)YOU are going to die! Just because Vitamin Water may have some bad qualities doesn’t mean it will kill you, there are many worse and more intense things that you consume that are death-threatening.
Yes, I will die someday. I just don’t wanna die with stomach cancer caused by the VitaminWater I drink.
I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but I wanna die with a hot hooker riding me as I snort an 8-ball.
I yam hungry
De price (cost?) of a veetameen wata Kan fid me and my gay broda for two loongg weex.
Plis, Plis stop hatin each oda ova wata
insted send money to afrikka.
Vitamin Water is defenitely not healthy — but I still drink it. I just love the thought that I am getting all these vitamins with just a drink. Try the Green Tea — It’s the best.
Vitamin Water has killed two family members. My sister and my step-mother both got stomach cancer from drinking the stuff. Now, I know they drank A LOT of it (like 15-20 bottles a day), but I wish they were still alive. My sister was only 20 years old.
This is a confusing subject. Anyone should be able to agree. Now I dont know all that much about what ingredients in Vitamin Water are bad for you, but it probably has that same effect as other elements in this world, for instance, Chlorine, its in our drinking water, but not enough to kill you or to sicken you. And you most dont drink enough water to have that much of it in them.
I guess the same goes for Vitamin Water. They put a small amount of this stuff in there to make the smallest difference. I am sorry for your loss couch potato but drinking 15-20 bottles of this stuff a day probably isnt the best thing for you, thats a lot of those possibly harmful substances building up to make a bigger impact on you body. Like i said there is a little bit of chlorine in our water, but drinking that much would be like drinking a cap-full of bleach every day (thats a rough guess, dont give me any insults) If you do that every day its not going to be a pleasant outcome. But drinking some Vitamin Water here and there once in awhile, like you should with soda, you wont have enough of the bad stuff in your system to hurt you, and it will pass right though you. The same exact thing goes for soda, dont drink it like crazy, it dehydrates you and doesnt help your body or teeth any. Just drink it now and then as a little treat. I think that is what smart people do, because they know what it will do to you, and soda companies dont tell you this information because thay are taking your money and soon you get addicted and you have the power to get more, which helps them put some cash in their pockets and allows them more advertising. Now Im not ripping any of the great soda companies or water companies, because i love Vitamin Water or a can of pop now and then, i use to drink it alot, but as soon as i found out it wears away your teeth and dehydrates you, i limited myself, and water is always the majority of what you should drink. Vitamin Water is very enjoyable, and the vitmins may be good for you, but dont drink huge quantities of it. All it does is hurt you in the long run. But i think everyone should try it and enjoy it, its very tasty :)
And i like the little stories on the wrappers so i like to collect them :)
And plus people, ask an accurate scientist what is on our tap water nowadays, there is soo much crap in it, its wayy worse than putting some vitamins into some filtered water. And when i mean accurate, i mean dont go asking someone who doesnt know what they are talking about, alll they do is start rumors that spread and create a pointless cause and make people pay attention to a pointless subject. If you are super paranoid or superstitious, get a charcoal water filter, theres a bunch of good ones out there, and start filtering your tap, it saves money and they are proven that they take most of the crap in our tap water. Dont whine or cause contraversies that say “OHHH, VITAMIN WATER WILL KILL YOU! LETS GO BOYCOT COCACOLA AND SHUT THEM DOWN!” dont do that.. pointless. Drink water, especially if you wonder why you are overweight and you drink 12 cans of soda evryday, even if it is diet. Dont be dumb, and dont be annoying by whining. No one likes that.
Dont dumb down to people like that. It just proves you werent as intelligent and observant as people thought you were.
Now for you people who are reading this, dont put me down because im giving my third comment already, i think my advice should help people out there who dont know what they are doing. And personally, i like debating :)
If you disagree, i respect you for that, but be sure you know what you are saying before you go yelling at someone. Thanks.
Tap water? Thats really healthy? Have you ever seen rusted pipes? Clean pipes? Do you know if your pipes are clean? It’s might absolutely be safe sure. But are you sure it’s clean? It’s metal you know.
Wanna go lick some metal?
i was addicted to vitamin water until recently i found out i was supporting a drug dealer 50 cent the rapper is the one that produced vitamin water
if im not correct on my conclusion please someone tell me because i love vitamin water
I didn’t realize it but Vitaminwater can contain caffine.
The Energy Tropical Citrus flavor of Vitaminwater contains caffeine (42mg per bottle).
Limit your intake to 200-300 mg of caffeine per day.
My name is Dr. Larold Barnaby Jones, and I work in the Medical Oncology Department at the We Gots Us Hella Much Cancer Institute for the cancerly impaired.
In the course of my studies here at the W.G.U.H.M.C.I , I have come across a total of 7 million different patients afflicted with the Cancer Virus. It is my strong belief that Vitamin Water HELLA causes hella much cancer 4ever.
When I began this study, I was 4 years old, and I had started consuming as many as 38 bottles of Vitamin Water daily. Today, I am a gigantic lump of cancer, with one arm, and a mouth, and eyes, and a tongue.
I love vitamin water, and I advocate the consumption of this delicious cancer causing drink. I have even gone as far as to change the shower system in my house to pump out pure vitamin water, available in every vitamin water flavor. It is delicious, and it cleans the body perfectly.
Vitamin Water 4ever dog.
-Dr. Larold Barnaby Jones.
Ok you can’t compare Vitamin Water to anything really. Its its own drink. To be flavored it has to have sugar ! if there was no sugar it would not sell. if they could make it taste good and as healthy as it is now they would do it ! there not “trying” to make anyone drink an unhealthy drink. It’s the persons choice to drink it by the way. I personally love it its not too sugary and its not all that watered down. right in between the lines. AND FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT CALORIES . well, thats your own fault.
stop eating so much. or eat healthy. maybe then you won’t have a problem with Vitamin water. I exercise and play sports. I weight lift. so therefore i can consume almost anything i want. + a fast metabolism which is a help. I understand some people have slow metabolisms but you can always WORKOUT. you dont have to stay on the couch and watch TV or play XBOX360.
I drink vitamine water cause I just simply like it. Cancerous or not.. I dont care. You only live once. Just live your feekin live as if it were your last wierdo!! who’s to say that all the other things that you eat or drink isnt’t the the contrubutor to giving you cancer or maybe its just in your genepool have cancer. There is no scientific evidence that Vitamin water causes cancer. Just like the cell phones– that is all a myth.
My mom was just diagnosed with stomach cancer. Her doctor, a respected oncologist and researcher, believes it to be related to the consumption of VitaminWater. Studies in Europe have shown that VitaminWater stays in your system much longer than other liquids–including water, soda, coffee, and alcoholic beverages. It has, therefore, the potential to change cells, which is what it has been documented to do.
The bottom-line; this drink is big money-maker for Coke, and they could give a rat’s behind how many people, like my mom, are now on chemo.
I stopped drinking vitamin water because the advice of a fit trainer. My gut increased in size so I went back on the vitamin water. I figure if I live ’till 75 or 80, that’s enough.
I LOVE VITAMIN WATER!!
you can have it once in awhile. it has 50 calories sooo once in awhile is okay. I don’t drink energy drinks because my mom said their bad for you but I wouldn’t mind trying it :D
anyone agrees?
I LUV VITAMIN WATER!
I love the dragonfruit one I don’t like energy. it taste weird duhhh its citrus LOL rofl
My friend gaiadin, deitron, and zakadin challenged me to a vitamin water drinkoff. We got vitaminized and were able to fly several miles before the power up wore off. We very nearly broke our power ring collection record. Kudos vitamin water.
Natrually, since the the drink does a have actuall vitamins in the drink, of course it will stay in your system longer. It would be the same as taking vitamin pills or medication. Why drink it or take a pill if you it just flushes through you. If that were the case What would be the purpose of taking the vitamine or medication. It would not serve its purspose. I have not found any such evidence of a European studie that vitamin water causes cancer. You would have to drink them excessively as in the example in one of the postings of a person who drank 15 bottles a day.. Thats just obsessive an overkill. That is a definate OCD symptom.
Get real. Anything and everything that you eat and drink has the same potential of killing you. Maybe not cancer but some other life changing illness or trauma.
While I do enjoy vitamin water now and again, vitamin water doesn’t actually provide you with really any of the vitamins that you need daily. Vitamins are either water soluble or fat soluble, and most of them are absorbed into your body through foods that you eat.
Although it would be false advertising to say that a product has vitamins when it doesn’t, this product just simply goes right through you. The vitamins in this drink are not absorbed in your body fat, they leave your body when you pee. It serves no nutritional purpose whatsoever. Its really just a gimmick, a good sell.
I’m not really sure about the cancer aspect, but I’m pretty sure that over comsumption of anything will kill you/give you cancer/whatever… ever hear the saying “too much of a good thing….”?
Or better yet, “if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is”?? A tasty water packed full of vitamins and minerals….yea, sounds a little too good to be true. If this water really could supply your body with almost enough nutrients for the day, you’d be able to clear out most of all foods in your diet….and you wouldn’t do that,right?
My best advice, limit the waters…don’t depend on them for actual nutrition….eat colorful fruits and vegetables…exercise….hydrate….take a daily multi vitamin.
Btw, what’s with everyone saying this stuff is “watered down”?? Isn’t it marketed as water…?
That’s all.
To whoever recommended Basix, thank you. I found some at a nutrition store in Scottsdale called Hi-Health. I am hooked, best water I’ve ever had.
VITAMIN WATER IS SOOOOO BAD FOR YOU IT WAS LISTED NUMBER ONE ON THE WORST ENERGY DRINKS. DO NOT DRINK IT.
Vitamin water advertises based on how much less sugar it has than ProPel, but it is still packed with sweeteners. Yeesh.
A friend of mine hooked me up with these little twist tubes that you add to 16oz of water. less than 25% of the sweetener in a Vitamin Water. I believe they are organic/natural as well.
http://dblumenthal1.qhealthbeauty.com/search/default.aspx?Ntt=twist%20tube
Hope this helps.
i luv the focus(kiwi-strawberry) kind it iz deliciouz!! :)
to bad it iz bad for meeh!!!
i love vitamin water!!!
I think that vitamin water is good for you.
It has lots of healthy vitamins and its not just
dull water. VITAMIN WATER, DRINK IT!!!!!
HolyMoly! VitaminWater gives me CANCER?!
OhMyGod! I’m gonna die.
Wow, I should definately stop drinking it. xP
OOOO…i left a coment hahahah
No but what about the you know how i can be dead and why………………jesus
ok sooo anyways i’ve read most of these comments but my question is:
Is Vitamin Water really bad for you???!!
i drink a bottle like everyday and i wont stop until i hear it from a doctor or a health person
i love viatim water. my favoriote kind is triple x which will look like XXX on the can. and i cant rememer the name of the other one i think it is like blueberry or rasberry something like that. whoever inviented viatimin water is awesome. ilyyy
guys… this is a retard3d thread. seriously.90% of posts are “OMF ILY VW. I DONT CARE ABOUT YOUR CALORIES YOU JUST TASTE SO GR8”
This is suposedly a disscussion on the practicality of this product. not “omg” “my and my girlfriends love vitamen water” “This product tadtes sooo gud ppl. you should try it.” “i’ve heard it could give you cancer, but i don’t believe something that tastes this good could give you caner.”
Now. Allow me to clarify some things.
Crystaline Fructose IS Corn syrup. they are the SAME thing. This is the artificial sweeter, a form of sugar. No fruit extracts, corn syrup. This contains small amounts of Arsenic and Lead, among other heavy metals.For those who do not know what heavy metals are… I’m not going to explain.
Vitamin water contains roughly roughly half the sugar of soft drinks. It is very expensive for “water”. As in very expensive. For those who want to use it as a sports drink, there is no bottles larger than 20oz (560ml) around. The most economical way to buy it is well… in 24 bottle boxes for $48US. None of you have addressed the point of fat soluable vitamins. -.-
ZZzzz
Yes it tastes good. GJ for noticing that. Its also related to cancer, diabetes. There are studies that have shown that an increasing amount of young adults are suffering strokes related to the excessive amounts of Crystaline Fructose in sports drinks. So yes ignorance is bliss. If you look at courtneys post, 149, you will see my point…. period. In my expirence the majority of ppl who drink VS are chicks my age, 16, who are like, OMG my prich parents buy me VW every day. It tastes sooo goood and the XXX flavour has sexy blurbs, which made me buy it.