How many of you drink vitamin water? I have been drinking the sugar free kind almost every day for a few months now, sometimes instead of taking my regular multivitamin, and I think that for those with sensitive stomachs vitamin water zero could be a good way to get some vitamins & minerals without forcing your liver to work extra to break down capsules.
Just putting this out there for anyone who is interested. The vitamin water zero I drink also has a good amount of niacin, and I think that's key to fortifying the liver. It also contains vitamin A, C, electrolytes and a bunch of other nutrients. I'm sure there are some not so great ingredients, but the list is short and overall I really like this water rather than the sugary kinds.
Regular Vitamin Water is full of sugar, which is terrible for acne. Sugar free VW is full of artificial sweeteners which are linked to a host of health issues including neurological problems (migraines) and vision disturbance. If you're interested in ingesting vitamins, eat plenty of fresh, whole foods, or take a food-based adult multivitamin. Problem solved. And it's not your liver that breaks down vitamin capsules... it's your stomach. Your liver processes the vitamins whether they are in capsule form or not.
There are also vitamin supplements that come in smaller doses designed to be taken throughout the day. Nature's Way Alive and Vitacost's storebrand imitation Viva are examples. The come in 3/day tablets or 6/day capsules. I was taking the tablets, but twice per day for a partial dose as a I eat well, especially my mid day meal. Usually. Then when the capsule form was on sale, I bought it instead and began to take it twice per day. Small dose, but it's a supplement to my good diet anyway. A just in case thing. And it makes the fairly expensive bottle last much longer.
There's also green smoothies and spirulina and such. Coconut water. Lemon & water plus a pinch of sea salt. Nettle Tea is high in minerals. Hibiscus high in vitamin C, iron, thiamine and good amounts of beta carotene and some other nutrients, plus anthocyanins and other phytonutrients. And many combinations to be made of the above. .
No need to be absolute, though. I'm offering this as an option for people who want something on the go. Besides a VERY low amount of fructose, vitamin water ZERO (I said ZERO, not the regular kind) doesn't have any other "bad" ingredients. It's sweetened with stevia and colored with potato juice.
The liver works hard to break down food and other supplements.The liver helps in digestion, regulates fat metabolism and cholesterol, and cleanses the blood, in addition to other functions.
I love Vitaminwater Zero. It's super tasty! Although, don't you remember the lawsuit a while ago against Coca Cola who owns Glaceau Vitaminwater? Heres a link to an article about the suit.
You say Stevia, I say Erythritol. Everyone should do some research and determine your own conclusion. I am not saying its harmful. It's not as natural as some might believe. Its made by Coca Cola...Just some food for thought. It's still so much healthier compared to Equal though.
Here is a PDF of Vitaminwater Zero's ingredients if anyone is interested. http://vitaminwater.com/files/vitaminwater_zero_2014_NutritionFacts.pdf
Erythritol- This is a type of sugar alcohol. However, contrary to its name, it is comprised of neither sugar nor alcohol. Some of you may already recognize the warning here when you realize that this is a sugar alcohol. Sugar alcohols are usually combined with low-cal or artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin and crystalline fructose (to name a few) and provide fewer calories than actual sugar because they are not totally absorbed by your body. This usually results in adverse symptoms such as diarrhea, headaches and stomachaches. It is also the reason why companies are supposed to label their products with a warning.
Crystalline Fructose- To the average person who is trying to eat healthier, grabbing a bottle of VitaminWater may seem like a dream come true. If anything, its just some flavored water with some extra vitamins and minerals thrown in, right? In actuality though, there is more than 6 teaspoons of sugar in one bottle. Digest that for a minute. Based on recent research, if you see a beverage containing the word fructose in it, its probably best to avoid it. Especially where crystalline fructose in VitaminWater is concerned, Dr. Mercola reveals:
I think the extremism and fanaticism with dissecting every freakin ingredient is why some people are afraid to post on the diet forum. I specifically said in my original post, THIS IS JUST AN OPTION FOR THOSE WHO NEED LIQUID VITAMINS. It's not perfect, but I'm sure if you were to dissect your own diet and lifestyle, there would be many things wrong with it too.
This is one of the things that is helping ME with vitamin deficiencies, so if you disagree, so be it. I would love to be able to have the time to cook from scratch every day and make smoothies from organic fruits every day, but I have a job and many obligations. This is a realistic alternative for me. Not for everyone. For me, and the other thousands of people consuming vitamin water. Mind you, I only drink the sugarfree kind, not the regular ones.
I think the extremism and fanaticism with dissecting every freakin ingredient is why some people are afraid to post on the diet forum. I specifically said in my original post, THIS IS JUST AN OPTION FOR THOSE WHO NEED LIQUID VITAMINS. It's not perfect, but I'm sure if you were to dissect your own diet and lifestyle, there would be many things wrong with it too.
This is one of the things that is helping ME with vitamin deficiencies, so if you disagree, so be it. I would love to be able to have the time to cook from scratch every day and make smoothies from organic fruits every day, but I have a job and many obligations. This is a realistic alternative for me. Not for everyone. For me, and the other thousands of people consuming vitamin water. Mind you, I only drink the sugarfree kind, not the regular ones.
LOL I have a job, too. I make enough vegetable juice at night to last me through the day. I can't fathom why people think cooking for themselves/making food for themselves is so hard/time consuming. Nobody needs liquid vitamins if they are eating actual food. I no longer even take supplements except maybe the Alive food-based multi if I'm feeling run down or if I'm traveling and not able to get the best food. My diet/lifestyle actually has to be perfect or my face will look like crap. My face is a barometer of how healthy my lifestyle is. If I'm eating weird additives, pesticides, sugar, cured meats, dairy, and not exercising and getting my 30 minutes of sun a day, I can guarantee that my skin will look truly awful. Vitamin Water is nothing but watered down chemical vitamins, flavorings and a clever marketing campaign. I'm glad you're happy to guzzle it down, but I'd rather drink beet juice with chia seeds in it, since I know for sure what's in it and can pronounce all the ingredients kthxbye...
Especially where crystalline fructose in VitaminWater is concerned, Dr. Mercola reveals:Use a reliable source. You have lost all credibility.
Crystalline fructose is a processed sweetener derived from corn that is almost entirely fructose. It can also be made from sucrose (table sugar) by splitting the fructose and glucose molecules. Crystalline fructose consists of at least 98% pure fructose, any remainder being water and trace minerals. It is used as a sweetener in the likes of beverages and yogurts, where it substitutes for high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and table sugar. Crystalline fructose is estimated to be about 20 percent sweeter than table sugar,[1] and 5% sweeter than HFCS.[2]
Imma go all science up in this shiz
I guarantee you that most people with serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies cannot possibly get all their nutrients from food. Some supplementation is needed for severe cases.
Also, let's dissect the multi you take, which has things like: stearic acid and magnesium stearate...just because it's "vegetable" it doesn't mean it's not stearate nonetheless. So it's impossible to escape processed foods and chemicals on a daily basis. It's even impossible to inhale pure air indoors or outdoors.
And by the way, the beet juice you recommend would harm people who have histamine problems...beets raise histamines in blood and can cause allergic responses, especially if someone drinks a whole glass in one go, or several ones. Just sayin', since you criticized what I recommended here, I can just as easily find flaws with your diet. Which is the point...what works for you (or me), won't work for everyone. As I originally said, vitamin water is an option for busy people on the go...only the ZERO version, not the other stuff.
I guarantee you that most people with serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies cannot possibly get all their nutrients from food. Some supplementation is needed for severe cases.
Also, let's dissect the multi you take, which has things like: stearic acid and magnesium stearate...just because it's "vegetable" it doesn't mean it's not stearate nonetheless. So it's impossible to escape processed foods and chemicals on a daily basis. It's even impossible to inhale pure air indoors or outdoors.
And by the way, the beet juice you recommend would harm people who have histamine problems...beets raise histamines in blood and can cause allergic responses, especially if someone drinks a whole glass in one go, or several ones. Just sayin', since you criticized what I recommended here, I can just as easily find flaws with your diet. Which is the point...what works for you (or me), won't work for everyone. As I originally said, vitamin water is an option for busy people on the go...only the ZERO version, not the other stuff.
Just because someone is sensitive to beet juice doesn't mean it's a "flaw" in my diet. There are people who are allergic to shellfish, which I eat with impunity due to living on the gulf coast and not being sensitive to it, myself. People should avoid their food sensitivities. Duh. That's a given.
I don't like taking supplements because I know they're processed by nature... how else would you get all those things into one tiny pill? That's why they're reserved for emergencies when I'm sick or not able to eat properly. There are few supplements without questionable ingredients. In fact, people should avoid supplements entirely unless their situation is truly dire and they don't have access to decent food. So....essentially you just shot down your argument for drinking VW by telling me something I already know: that supplements almost always have weird additives and chemicals in them.
I disagree that because there are chemicals and toxins everywhere that I should just give up and eat/drink whatever because it's unavoidable. That's a dumb argument. Darn straight I'm going to do my best, and the best way to avoid toxic crap is to not eat/drink it in the first place.
If I didn't hate how massive the bottled drink industry has become and the way people seem to have forgotten they don't have to get everything they drink in tiny bottles, can eat fruit rather than buy juice, etc, I'd say this is a good market for a business for which I have better ideas, such as the hibiscus tea, about the best drink on the planet few people seem to know about it. Just don't make it so damn strong and you don't have to load it up with sugar.
Just saw an infographic about the staggering amount of petroleum used to make the bottles for the U.S. market alone...
If I didn't hate how massive the bottled drink industry has become and the way people seem to have forgotten they don't have to get everything they drink in tiny bottles, can eat fruit rather than buy juice, etc, I'd say this is a good market for a business for which I have better ideas, such as the hibiscus tea, about the best drink on the planet few people seem to know about it. Just don't make it so damn strong and you don't have to load it up with sugar.
Just saw an infographic about the staggering amount of petroleum used to make the bottles for the U.S. market alone...
Yes, that's true...but still, it's a potentially good idea to get vitamins in liquid form (provided they get delivered effectively). Basically, I tried this because of the niacin in it...I didn't want to take niacin in capsule form, so I think this slowly helps. Of course I don't like all of the ingredients in it, but at least the sugar content is not high and the vitamins it provides are in decent %s.
The better way would be to get a customized liquid multi from a pharmacy...there are some specialized pharmacies that actually customize multivitamins depending on deficiency tests, and sometimes they make them in liquid form. But it's very expensive and it's hard to find those pharmacies.