Healthy Drinks That Aren't So Healthy 

Getting healthy is big money and everyone is trying to promote their products as "healthy" -whether they are or not.  However, some major players are realizing they can't get away with their questionable claims.

Just this week, two major lawsuits have made headlines against  two of the biggest beverage powerhouses, Coca-Cola with its Vitaminwater and PepsiCo with their not-so "all natural juice" Naked Juice.

A health-advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest and consumers from California and New York have accused Coca-Cola Co. of using deceptive labeling on Vitaminwater beverages, including claims that they reduce risks of eye disease and boost the immune system.  

Vitaminwater is marketed as healthy.  While they  have added a few vitamins, the problem is that it has so much sugar (labeled as crystalline fructose cane sugar) that it negates anything good.  When I say a lot, there is 32 grams of sugar per bottle or 8 teaspoons of sugar.  That's about the equivalent amount of sugar in 2 Twinkies.   "Vitamins plus water= all you need."  They forgot to mention the "plus sugar"  that can make you fat, contributes to diabetes, obesity, heart disease and stroke.  That lawsuit was just  given the go ahead by a U.S. Magistrate judge to proceed as a class action lawsuit. 

Another major beverage player, PepsiCo also just recently settled a class action lawsuit for $9 million.  The plaintiff alleged that Naked Juices were hiding GMO and synthetic ingredients, including zinc oxide, ascorbic acid, and calcium pantothenate, which is produced from formaldehyde. Its label claims the juice to be "all natural." 

Any active enzymes benefits from the fruit are long dead from its short life. Naked Juice also has between 26 grams and 30 grams of sugar.  Even though the sugar may be derived from fruit, your body still recognizes it as the 7 to 8 teaspoons of sugar it is.  Sorry, folks, but the sugar in this so-called healthy drink becomes stored as fat and can lead to diabetes, obesity, heart disease and stroke.  It may be a "better" type of sugar, but it's only a tick above drinking a can of soda. 

Always be sure to read your labels, check out the sugar content and don't be fooled by slick advertising and flashy marketing.  Always look back to the types of beverages our ancestors consumed.  The best kind of juice is freshly blended or juiced at home or from a juice bar with vegetables and fruit only.  The best kind of water is the single ingredient kind.   

If you have any issues you would like to discuss, please feel free to contact me for a free initial consultation so you can Let Us HEALTH You.

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