Vitaminwater Not Nearly As Good For You As You Think

A case of Coca-Cola’s vitaminwater

Vitaminwater, produced by Coca-Cola, is the drink of choice for many people because they view it as a healthy alternative to soda. In reality, vitaminwater is essentially sugar water plus synthetic nutrients, which can become pollutants when released in excessive amounts, too rapidly, or in a way that is not suitable for the environment.

After a non-profit group sued the beverage company, Coca-Cola essentially called consumers stupid for believing their product to be healhty, even after they spent billions to convince consumers that vitaminwater is a healthy choice.

Image: katicabogar

Close-up of a vitaminwater label

Here are the details: in January 2009, a non-profit public interest group called the Center for Science in the Public Interest first sued Coca-Cola for “deceptive and unsubstantiated claims on its VitaminWater line of beverages.” In July 2010 as an attempt to get the case dismissed, Coca-Cola defended itself saying that consumers would not reasonably believe that vitaminwater is a health drink.

The name vitaminwater, however, makes consumers think the drink is only water plus vitamins. On their packaging, they say “vitamins + water = all you need.”

Image: Like_the_Grand_Canyon

To market this particular drink line, Coca-Cola used celebrity endorsements from popular rapper 50 Cent and pro basketball players Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. These advertisements implied that drinking vitaminwater is a healthy way for consumers to hydrate.

In a press release, one woman said she bought the product because she thought she was doing herself a favor health-wise.