Thursday, November 6th 2008

By sarah el-hamzawi

     It is official. The latest craze in enhanced water, enticingly called VitaminWater, is now available not only in Canada, but in our very own campus. Brought to us by Glaceau (also known as Energy Brands Inc.), this beverage company is based out of New York City, and according to their website, was founded in 1996 by J. Darius Bikoff, after a water scare in the city gave him an idea to market alternatives to ordinary bottled water. Energy Brands Inc. then came up with four main product lines: SmartWater, VitaminEnergy, FruitWater, and of course, VitaminWater. History lesson aside, the major success of the Glaceau brand was largely due to VitaminWater, their most popular brand of enhanced water. Sure, the drink does taste good, but there is little doubt that its growing popularity is largely due to VitaminWater’s relentless marketing.

     Although it is not promoted, Glaceau is a subsidary of Coca-Cola, which means that before their sales even started, VitaminWater was given a huge budget for their advertising campaign and distribution guarantees. In 2004, 50 Cent bought a share of Energy Brands, stating that he wanted to be known for endorsing “healthyful beverages.” Apart from demonstrating a weak grasp of the English language, 50 Cent seemed to make a smart career move, as he set himself apart from other rappers like Busta Rhymes and P.Diddy who have associated themselves with alcoholic beverages like Hpnotiq, Courvoise, and Vodka. 

     Having such an industry heavyweight on their campaign, VitaminWater introduced their first flavour called “Formula 50,” a grape flavoured drink that refers to 50 Cent directly on its label. For this endorsement alone, 50 Cent earned a reported 400 million dollars. As for VitaminWater’s latest celebrity catch, Alicia Keys recently signed a deal and shot a series of ad campaigns in New York City. In addition to artists, VitaminWater marketers have given endorsements to athletes such as Tony Parker, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Dwight Howard, just to name a few. If you have been in the U.S. recently, it is almost impossible not to see one of VitaminWater’s billboards.

     While it’s interesting to see Glaceau’s efforts to brand VitaminWater as a drink geared to an urban, young, health-conscious clientale, most importantly we must wonder if VW even has any health benefits at all. To make this discovery, there is a little bit of research involved. The first site of inquiry is the bottle itself. Upon reading the label of the “Mega C” (also known as “Dragonfruit”) flavour, there are claims about the “potency of the nutrients in this bottle.”

     Although the labels are written tongue-in-cheek, a glance under the medicinal ingredients shows that there are some serious terms here. Niacinamide, panathenic acid, pyridoxine, and the scariest ingredient I have read, cyanocobalamin, are just some of the additives on the list. Better known as forms of vitamin B3, B6, B12, and C, it seems that VW is packed with nutrients, even if we can’t pronounce them.

     As for the non-medical ingredients, the list is far more straightforward with items like cane sugar, citric acid, natural flavour, and vegetable juice for colour. For a list of ingredients that is arguably quite healthy sounding, there is still something a little suspicious when the bottle also warns consumers to not exceed a limit of four bottles a day, and that the beverage is not suitable for those under 12 years old. This warning acts as a reminder that despite its enriched properties, VitmainWater can still be categorized as an energy drink.

     As for the nutrients, when doing any prelimary research about enhanced beverages, one can learn that even if VW is packed with all kinds of vitamins, many of them will not be absorbed by your body. To understand why, it is important to know that vitamins can be divided into two groups: water soluble and fat soluble. Vitamins C and B are water soluble and can easily enter the bloodstream, however, vitamins A, D, and E are fat soluble, which means they can only perform their function if ingested as dietary fat. Chances are your body will not be absorbing all of the nutrients that are included in your flavour of choice. In addition, VitaminWater does have a lot of sugar and is fairly high in calories, much like its soft-drink counterparts.

     Many doctors and nutritionists have argued that enhanced beverages such as VitaminWater are marketed to look healthier than other sugary drinks but are really just like a soft drink. For many, the aura of health benefits surrounding VW are undeserved, as many professionals in the medical field are saying that Glaceau is simply adding vitamins and minerals to junk food.

     Along with the amount we exercise, what we eat and drink adversely affects our long-term health. Even though so many of us are caught up in the hype of these rainbow coloured beverages, it’s important to know what we are getting ourselves into. While there is no denying the benefits of vitamins, this is only one aspect of the brands of enhanced water out there today. If you are an avid drinker of VitaminWater, do yourself a favour and become educated about its chemical and biological complexities, rather than blindly believing 50 Cent. While there is a chance that these drinks are completely harmless, we need to continue to be critical of the things we are not just buying, but putting into our bodies.

Tags: 50 Cent, Coke, Glaceau, Vitamin Water