Vitamin Water

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

Is vitamin water good for your or just a come on?

I read a couple online articles. One said that "adding vitamins to junk food doesn't make it healthy" But Vitamin water seemed to have the least sugar of all the vitamin enhanced drinks. AND the only drink without synthetic sweetner or artificial colors or flavors.

I personally LOVE the taste. But at around 2 bucks a bottle, is it just a come on? For one, they have natural flavoring BUT they are not actually juice, so there's serving of fruits or vegetable there.

Another article I read said that most people are NOT vitamin deficient, except for vitamin E which is not water soluble so must be drank with a meal. (That's fine by me) and that the vitamins in the bottle may be affected by transportation, heat etc. (well wouldn't the same apply to juice and multivitamins?)

Here's what I know. I love the taste, I prefer it over a soft drink and find it less sweet than commercial ice teas. I'm not terribly concerned about an extra 30g of sugar because I'm so active. I DO care about artificial colors, flavors and sweetners, which it has none of. I do strive to be healthy and have more than enough vitamins in the right ratios. I do drink vitamin water rather than taking multivitamins BUT I still eat the same amount of fruits and vegetables.

What do you guys think? Is it just a come on? Is there any benefit to drinking vitamin water? I'd also like to know how it compares to gatorade. Some people say gatorade is better since it has electrolites but that stuff has loads of sugar and artificial stuff in it!"  

[pinkcatminht]

as far as i'm concerned, it's glorified sugar water just like the rest of them. drink water, & if you exercise longer than 90 minutes, chocolate milk will help you replace electrolytes.
besides, it tastes like watered down cough syrup xp

 

[Testicular Diabeetus]

You are just drinking expensive Kool-Aid.
If you want a good source of vitamins then take supplements.
You can never count on companies and the way that the product has been shipped.
However it's better than soda.
I wouldn't rely on it for a good source of vitamins.

 

[A Touch of Evil]

I don't know much about vitamin water and never tried it so I can't really say much. To me, it seems much cheaper and easier to pay $7 for a large bottle of generic women's daily vitamins (and have it last over 200 days) than spending $2 a day on a bottle of that stuff. I drink loads of normal water and take one vitamin pill everyday and I feel great. In my opinion, it will work just as good, if not, better and will be cheaper.  

[Munkers]

I drink Vitamin Water Zero (stevia sweetened--zero calories) on occasion simply because it's tasty. If your goal is to up the nutrition level in your diet, it's far cheaper to take a daily multivitamin and eat more produce.

Vitamin Water is in no way, shape, or form a substitute for a multivitamin. It has excessive B-vitamins and maybe some Vitamin C depending on which flavor you drink, but it's completely lacking in Vitamin A, D, K, calcium, iron, zinc... and the list goes on.

Gatorade is another marketing ploy, in my opinion. In reality, you don't need that sort of electrolyte replacement unless you're doing extreme distance workouts or working out when it's very, very hot outside. In those cases, you're losing a lot of salt in addition to water and thus need the sodium. But you could always just drink water, use salt tablets, and eat a banana or something. Same benefits and probably healthier overall.

Long story short: If you're asking "do I actually need electrolytes when I work out?" then the answer is no. If you were in serious need of them, you'd be one hell of a seasoned athlete and would likely already have this information.  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

First off Kool-aid is loaded with artificial stuff so I would much rather pay more for my vitamin water which I actually like the taste of. I am not relying on it for vitamins because I eat a very healthy diet. Honestly this whole vitamin water addiction started because I wanted an ice tea without artificial sweetner or color or flavor or preservatives. They don't seem to make ice tea anymore so I ended up going with their other flavors and soon I liked almost all of them.  

[Iconised Ghost]

I've always thought that if it has sugar in it, it shouldnt be called "water" lol.

If you are using it as an alternative to fizzy drinks or things that have artificial flavours, colours etc fine, although it is a rather expensive alternative. Getting your vitamins from a "water" that has had them added to them isn't particularly non-artificial either though, I suppose it depends on why you are avoiding other artificial things but are happy to get vitamins in an artificial way  

[pigeonsoup]

No, vitamin water is not a good substitute for vitamins. But yes it does have -some- good stuff in it, and some is better than none. Drinking one small one at school every day made me feel a bit better. Like I wasn't always falling asleep at my desk after PE. That doesn't make it some magical drink but it's still nice to have sometimes. The thing about it is they really CAN'T pack it full of vitamins because if people who already take in enough vitamins drink it, well, there is such a thing as TOO many vitamins. They have to find the right balance between it not just being sugar water but it also not having a negative affect on people who already take vitamins. Make sense?

And frankly the main purpose for them in my opinion is to break the stupid soda habit this country has. A soda a day is NOT good for you. A vitamin water a day is sweet, won't make you hella bloated, and at least has SOME good stuff in it. It's mostly just there to trade in for the crap drinks when you want to kill the junk habit.  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

laurenwithoutsound

No, vitamin water is not a good substitute for vitamins. But yes it does have -some- good stuff in it, and some is better than none. Drinking one small one at school every day made me feel a bit better. Like I wasn't always falling asleep at my desk after PE. That doesn't make it some magical drink but it's still nice to have sometimes. The thing about it is they really CAN'T pack it full of vitamins because if people who already take in enough vitamins drink it, well, there is such a thing as TOO many vitamins. They have to find the right balance between it not just being sugar water but it also not having a negative affect on people who already take vitamins. Make sense?

And frankly the main purpose for them in my opinion is to break the stupid soda habit this country has. A soda a day is NOT good for you. A vitamin water a day is sweet, won't make you hella bloated, and at least has SOME good stuff in it. It's mostly just there to trade in for the crap drinks when you want to kill the junk habit.

I like your sig by the way. I agree. On your post and your sig lol. The vitamin waters specify not drinking more than 4 bottles a day. Yes 1 a day is a small amount of vitamins, 15% daily value for example, but if you get 100% daily value of fat soluble vitamins drink more than 1 bottle AND get plenty of vitamins in your diet, you could potentially overdo it. I don't give up eating certain fruits because they ONLY contain small amounts of vitamins, I know at the end of the day it will add up. And ya, having vitamins added to it might not be the most natural way of going at it. But in terms of a drink with flavor to have with a meal, I think it's a good choice. Considering I don't drink soft drinks, or energy drinks. Sometimes I just don't feel like having water with my meal.  

[Cabron the Swan]

It's what I buy when I'm craving soda or fruit drinks, but it's more so I can feel good about the choices I'm making and less because I actually believe it will provide health benefits. I've always believed that the most important thing to a healthy lifestyle is a positive attitude, so if you believe it is doing you good, it is.

Before you consider it a waste of money, think about how much money you waste on other things and ask yourself if the occasional $2 is really significant. I mean, that's less than bus fare here. If you enjoy it, and if you choose it over more sugary options, more power to you.

I probably would not assume, however, that a product marketed indiscriminately to the general public is a proper replacement for a multivitamin chosen to fill the holes in your specific diet.

 

[Testicular Diabeetus]

Gabrielle_AnimalLuver

First off Kool-aid is loaded with artificial stuff so I would much rather pay more for my vitamin water which I actually like the taste of. I am not relying on it for vitamins because I eat a very healthy diet. Honestly this whole vitamin water addiction started because I wanted an ice tea without artificial sweetner or color or flavor or preservatives. They don't seem to make ice tea anymore so I ended up going with their other flavors and soon I liked almost all of them.

I was using Kool-Aid as a Philosophical metaphor.
Is it good for you, I guess. But it shouldn't be used as a substitute for vitamins. I drink it on occasion.
I prefer plain Jane water though.

 

[Dressia]

Now, contrary to what everyone is saying, Vitamin water does have vitamins in it. I am not going to say its better than water, BUT

If you have an urge for a sweet drink, this is a GREAT choice, because it still has a good amount of water and vitamins in it, and electrolytes. It does actually help, but when you can, drinking water is the best. smile  

[Munkers]

Dressia

Now, contrary to what everyone is saying, Vitamin water does have vitamins in it.

I don't see anyone who made that claim. The only thing that was said is that Vitamin Water is not nutritionally complete and shouldn't be used as a substitute for a multivitamin.  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

Dressia

Now, contrary to what everyone is saying, Vitamin water does have vitamins in it. I am not going to say its better than water, BUT

If you have an urge for a sweet drink, this is a GREAT choice, because it still has a good amount of water and vitamins in it, and electrolytes. It does actually help, but when you can, drinking water is the best. smile

I drink water constantly throughout the day. Plus I RARELY drink coffee or alcohol unlike most people who have a coffee a day which can really dehydrate you.

I drink like 2-3 bottles of water per day and one vitamin water a couple days a week or less.

@Everyone, I didn't mean to imply that I drink Vitamin Water as a subsitute for multivitamins. WHat I meant was simply that I DON'T take multivitamins. I'm not worried about deficiencies but a lil extra here and there always makes me feel like I'm doing good for myself.