Jun 11, 2008 6:24 pm US/Eastern
Consumer Watch: Flavored Water Drinks
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Doctors recommend drinking large amounts of water on hot days to prevent dehydration. (File)
CBS
Doctors recommend drinking large amounts of water on hot days to prevent dehydration. With all the new flavored waters on the market, staying hydrated can be delicious, but some drinks may not be healthy.
Flavored water drinks have enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years for various reasons. Some of the reasons people enjoy products like 'Vitamin Water' are the taste, antioxidant content, and vitamins.
With alluring things like vitamins, energy and antioxidants, mothers are urging kids to drink up! But look at the fine print.
"Some of these drinks have so much sugar that unless your sick, have diarrhea or are running the Iron Man Triathalon, you don't need nearly as much sugar in your diet," said dietician Marlo Mittler.
With claims they will 'calm your life,' and help you 'b-relaxed,' beverage makers seem to be promoting their waters as being superior to what flows from the tap.
But health experts warn that with 25, 30, 33 grams of sugar in a bottle, they quickly eat up the bulk of your daily calorie intake.
"People are looking for other ways to get their kids to eat healthy so they're thinking why fight over broccoli, I'll just give them this drink but they are not reading the ingredients and the labels," added Mittler.
"I think it's really scary and I think the labeling is kind of deceiving because you think there's so many vitamins in here. You don't realize how much sugar is really in it, so we'll stick with water," a concerned mom told CBS station WCBS-TV in New York City.
Many bottles contain 2 servings or more. Most of the people WCBS talked to said they drink the entire bottle without knowing how much sugar it contains.
To avoid the massive sugar intake, drink regular water and take vitamin pills.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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