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“Healthy Coke” Stirring Up Bubbles
It sounds like a late night infomercial—get healthy by drinking soda! As Coke and Pepsi prepare to introduce vitamin-fortified versions of their products, the public debates the concept of “healthy soda.”
An article yesterday in The New York Times titled “Makers of Soda Try a New Pitch” looks at the impending rollout of Diet Coke Plus and Tava (by Pepsi), soft drinks that have been fortified with vitamins in an attempt to make them more appealing to an increasingly health-absorbed public.
“They will be promoted as ‘sparkling beverages,’” the article reports. “The companies are not calling them soft drinks because people are turning away from traditional soda, which has been hurt in part by publicity about its link to obesity.”
But soda—now “healthy”? Even the president of a food and beverage consulting firm calls it “a joke.”
The topic has clearly hit a nerve, at current count there are 439 comments on the Times website in response to the article. Responses run the gamut with a large number of readers crying foul, though the idea does also have its supporters.
To categorize artificial sugar water under health and welfare is indeed more than a joke. It is a symptom of the ignorance of American’s concerning a healthy diet.With the plethora of flavored “healthy” water and “Natural Foods” nostrums on the market; why not give the corporate charlatans a chance? It’s “healthy” competition!
I’m 62, I drink a sixpack of Diet-Coke every eight hours, I’ve never had any kind of disease, and I can bench press my own weight…Gimme my Vitamin C Diet-Coke!
Sure soda can be healthy, as soon as pigs get wings. All this is nothing more than pure marketing to a nation of gluttons.
Great News! My Family can drink all the soda we want and get healthy while we drink. A wonderful message to give to the many families who have no understanding of nutrition.
Heck, with the amount of diet Pepsi I purchase, perhaps I could afford another Pepsi by saving on vitamin supplements…
This just shows how desperate the soft drink companies have become. Fast food restaurants tried the same thing by introducing so-called healthy foods…If I want vitamins, I’ll eat a piece of fruit. If I want a Coke, I’ll drink a coke. Don’t insult my intelligence.
Coca-Cola is not responsible for obesity in America. You can blame that on America’s appetite and complete lack of restraint. Staying fit is your own responsibility; don’t blame the company if you can’t use their product in moderation.
Next they’ll be selling us cigarettes with vitamin D and Echinacea…
Now with all the added extras, vitamins and minerals, sodas can be more dangerous if one drinks too much. Remember the toxicity limits for some of the vitamins, Vitamin A for instance. Beware manufacturers, you may be sued later.
The only people who will believe this campaign are the people who want to believe.
Puleeze. Someone needs to strike a dagger into corporate America’s heart…it’s trying to kill us!!
America has created in the past a healthy fast food burger and a healthy fast food breakfast. There is no reason why we can’t have a healthy soft drink.
Of course the final word might be this one: “Healthy Coke? Sure, it’s possible. Take out the bad stuff and market what’s left— a nice can of water. Now THAT’s healthy!”
Posted by | Friday, March 9, 2007 at 9:28am | 10 comments
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i was 100lb overweight, pre diabetic, high blood pres., etc. my doc says; do you drink soda, ans. yes, (i work in a restaurant have unlimited access to soda), well I would like you to switch to diet soda and try to reduce intake to one or two a day. four years later i could not control my NEED for a diet soda! I was thirsty all day, making addition t rips to relieve myself all day and all night. I stopped drinking diet soda and i now feel 100% better. Water and whole juices are much better for me.
I quit drinking diet coke two years ago and lost 50lbs. I only drink water and juice.
Look around at who drinks diet coke, nuff said.
I lost 60 lbs and switching from regular to diet Mt. Dew was a big part of that. I'm in good shape now and diet sodas don't seem to keep me from getting into even better shape. I'd like to see some actual evidence from the people claiming that diet sodas are unhealthy.
Nutritionism strikes again.
Katj makes a valid point, but is the diet soda the cause or the effect? and is it actually the lifestyle that's unhealthy? is soda really to blame?
...it does seem irresponsible to market soda as a healthy nutritional supplement, BUT people should be able to see through that on their own.
If you're fooling yourself thinking you're getting enough vitamins from fortified water or soda or energy bars without also eating fresh foods, then there might be a bigger issue.
With all the fuss over Enviga, their green tea soda that's supposed to burn calories, you'd think that Coke would not want to stir up more controversy.
I'm looking forward to smoking those new Marlboro b-12s!
To those whose stopped drinking diet pop:
How long did it take for you to feel better?
I have drank Diet Pepsi since I was about 9 years old and have drank it consistently ever since. Nineteen years later I was up to around 10 cans a day. I knew it was kind of a problem, but it was so hard to stop. My husband nagged me to death about it, and I decided to try my best to quit.
I have managed to stop drinking it for two weeks now, the longest I have ever been able to quit.
As much as I would like to say I felt 100% better right away, I can't. I don't. I feel irritable and I feel like the little treat I could look forward to throughout the day is gone now (ex smokers know what I am talking about?). I don't really enjoy the kinds of foods I used to like now that I don't have a diet pop to go with them.
Former diet pop drinkers, when does this feeling go away? Does it take a couple months? I know it sounds melodramatic, but it is hard to take pleasure in a lot of the things I used to (work breaks, road trips, movies) knowing that something is missing.
Thank you.
This is definitely a trend... There is a line of sugar-free mints drops from Germany called IQ Elements that are fortified with essential vitamins and other nutrients... Each flavor has a different nutrient (Cherry Mint has Acerola vitamin C, Lemon-Green Tea Mint has real Green Tea extract and choline, the Pure Mint has Creatine, and the Orange Mint has Ginger extract)... I've tried them, and now I'm hooked... The problem is, they are hard to find. I've only seen them in NYC and DC in gourmet food markets...
But it seems that the vitamins and sugar-free formula is catching on...
I got a can of Tava In the mail today from Pepsi. I won it by entering one of their sweeps. I must say I was impressed with the flavor and the fact it had Vitamin E, Niacin, Vitamin B6, and Chromium. 55mg of Sodium. The only thing I did not like is the fact it contained Phenylalanine, and phenyllktonurics. That I word I am not familar with. All in all, not a bad tasting drink! I would switch to it, just need to know price range.