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Sipping Vitamins through a Straw: Does It Work?

Submitted by Stella Morgan on November 30, 1999

There are various juices, flavored water, sodas and teas that are fortified with nutrients available on the shelves of the superstores. But the question which arises is these nutrient-fortified drinks can really make a difference in a person’s health.

Vitaminwater
Various multinational companies make huge and bold claims that their drinks are enriched with a particular vitamin which will help to increase endurance and enhance performance. With the help of certain amino acids in the drink you would be able to focus clearly in a better way. Some drinks might claim that their nutrient enriched products will help a person to manage his weight.

As 2 out of 3 American is overweight, these gimmicks along with the marketing strategies are an easy way to attract their attention. However most of the nutritionist believes that these nutrient enhanced drinks may add more calories to the consumers diet which are really not needed.

Before paying a hefty price to the retailer for these nutrient fortified drinks, one should check first that if these drinks can really make a difference to a person’s health.

Although these drinks provide various vitamins and minerals, there is little scientific evidence available whether these drinks can really help to improve a person’s health.

Healthier options
An important point to ponder on is, when we can get these nutrients in natural form why go for these drinks. Typically a healthy breakfast including whole breakfast cereals, skimmed milk and a fruit will provide much more vitamins, minerals and fiber than what we get from this vitamin water. Moreover these enriched vitamins and minerals in the drinks are in much smaller quantity that does not make a major difference in improving the health of a person.

For example fiber which is important for various physiological functions in the body becomes chunky in liquids giving a typical after taste.

Beverage companies and some of the nutritionist believe that vitamin C and B-complex vitamins which are water soluble can be easily used the drinks and can even be easily absorbed in the digestive track. However in case of fat soluble vitamins, the absorption of these nutrients would largely depend on the amount of fat present in the digestive track.

Risk of overdose on vitamins is unlikely in these drinks as water soluble vitamins can be excreted from the body and fat soluble vitamin has the ability to get stored in the body. However take care of the herbs which are added in the drinks as there is much less scientific evidence available for their safety.

Remember that these drinks are not designed as the main source of vitamins and minerals, which you can easily get in sufficient amounts from a balanced diet including fresh fruits and vegetables.