Vitamin water is being advertised as a healthy way to stay hydrated, especially if you have an active lifestyle. The product has been called “sugar water” by many physicians who disagree it’s any healthier than regular water. So… is vitamin water good or bad?
The list of complaints about vitamin water is certainly bigger than its list of benefits and the number of calories in one bottle is very close to the ones in a can of Coke. The fact that a single water bottle contains up to 33g of sugar is bad enough, but it’s fructose, not the much more natural pure cane sugar.
So, beyond the 6 teaspoons of sugars found in each bottle of vitamin water, is it bad for you? Fructose, including crystalline fructose, have been connected to higher fat levels, insulin resistance and even metabolic syndrome. Is it better than soda? Most experts agree that it contains less harmful sugars than regular soda, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a healthy way to stay hydrated.
Are Vitamin Waters Good for You?
Most vitamin waters contain water-soluble vitamins, like C and B vitamins, which aren’t stored in the human body, but no vitamins A and E. If your diet has severe restrictions, you may be missing these important vitamins. Drinking some vitamin water may fill you with these vitamins, but drinking a lot doesn’t increase their effect, since any excess is simply flushed out through urine.
How Many Calories Does Vitamin Water Have?
One of the biggest reasons why vitamin waters are considered bad for you by many specialists is their high calorie count. Unlike water, which contains 0 calories, one bottle of vitamin water can pack up to 125 calories, while a regular can of Coke has 140 calories.
Is Too Much Vitamin A Bad for You?
If you’re drinking vitamin water to replenish your body’s requirement of vitamin A, you’re not helping it too much, according to experts.
Fortunately, even if you’re taking daily vitamin supplements, cases of too much vitamin A are very rare. Symptoms may inlcude dizziness, nausea and blurred vision. If you’re struggling with a deficit of vitamin A, follow the advice of a medical specialist instead of trying to fix it yourself with supplements.
Is Vitamin E Bad for You?
Vitamin E toxicity is becoming more frequent when people take this supplement for an extend period of time. When you’re ingesting it as part of food, vitamin E is safe, but taking too many supplements can lead to abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, headaches, double vision and muscle weakness. A new study also shows that high daily doses of vitamin E (400 IU) can increase the risk of prostate cancer among men by 17%.
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