There is no question that “new” is exciting. We all love the way a new outfit makes us feel, we love trying a new restaurant, and we excitedly anticipate the new season of our favorite prime time shows. And when it comes to food, who doesn’t love to try new stuff? As a nutrition and food enthusiast, I personally turn grocery shopping into an experience. I check out all the latest products in the name of “research”!
(It’s so bad that my husband refuses to go with me anymore because it can easily be a 2-hour ordeal.) But I’ve noticed a trend lately of new “health” beverage products that go a little too far by making it difficult for consumers to find out “what’s really in this?”. Here’s three new products that have me scratching my head. After some digging, I was able to find some information.
Advertised as a “hot” beverage to keep your cool, Zrii appears to be “all that” in a bottle with the amalaki (Indian gooseberry).
Harnessing the healing and medicinal properties of Amalaki fruit and other potent ayurvedic herbs, this new nutritional drink is said to aid digestion and detoxification, while rejuvenating the body, when consumed on a daily basis. The edible fruit from the Amalaki tree, also known as the Indian gooseberry, has been highly valued by Tibetan healers and Indian herbalists for centuries, due to its disease-fighting, vitality-enhancing and anti-aging properties. In its purest form, Amalaki has a sour/bitter and astringent taste, but Zrii (perhaps because it includes other ingredients such as Ginger, Jujube, Haritaki, and Turmeric) has a pleasantly tart, berry flavor. While antioxidant-rich Amalaki extracts are available in pill and powder form, Zrii carries a weighty endorsement from the (Deepak) Chopra Center for Wellbeing.
Unfortunately, I could not find the nutrition facts that discloses all the ingredients. I was able to find some nutrition information on the website. That’s a sign right there. If you can’t quickly and easily find full disclosure about what’s in the product (nutrition facts label and ingredients list) you should wonder what they have to hide. After some hunting in the FAQ section, I found that the primary or “base” juices are
- Apple juice
- Pear juice
- Pomegranate juice
Hmmm… so how much of each of these juices are in the beverage compared to the other ingredients? Are the other ingredients in concentrated enough levels to produce the effect advertised? And why is this not on the nutrition information page? These are important questions because these juices are relatively inexpensive so what exactly are you paying for with Zrii - the pretty packaging and marketing allure?
I’m just not convinced this product is as “hot” as the marketing would have you believe. If you would like to read more about Zrii’s possible shortcomings, read this interesting review by Mark Adams at Natural News. Now, if you still want to try it, go for it. At least now you know a little more about what is really in it.
Next up is AquaSlim. Here’s what the marketers claim…
Made with calcium-enriched spring water and appetite-curbing “plant extracts”, this new dietary supplement from Metabolife claims to aid in weight loss and fitness maintenance goals when consumed before meals, three times a day. According to the website, the active ingredient, Super CitriMax®, works to “suppress appetite without the use of stimulants,” while the calcium-infused spring water hydrates and strengthen bones.
I appreciate that the website had a supplement facts page. You know exactly what is in it… err… sort of. They aren’t very upfront about what exactly is contained in the SuperCitriMax. But if you take it as directed you are getting about 2500mg of the stuff. After some research, I found a patent for potassium hydroxycitrate as an appetite suppressant, which also happens to be in the drink. Upon further investigation, it became clear that there is a lot of hydroxycitric acid (HCA) and the calcium hydroxycitrate and potassium hydroxycitrate are just “salts” of the hydroxycitric acid. That means you are ingesting 1100 mg per bottle and 3,330 mg per day if taken as directed. Is that too much? Well, it appears there is no clinical evidence that shows HCA is effective as an appetite suppressant in humans. So, as it goes… if it seems too good to be true it probably is. I would venture to guess the people interested in trying this product are already health-conscious. I think that focusing on an exercise program and a balanced diet would do much more benefit than this drink, honestly.
I did find one new beverage that I couldn’t help but give a thumbs up to… it’s the new red espresso - a red tea (rooibios) made with an espresso machine. It is caffeine-free and piled with antioxidants. Here’s a bonus: there are no “ingredients”. It’s just tea prepared to a consistency for espresso or latte beverages. I can’t wait to try this.
Bottom line is to recognize that new is exciting. Some of the appeal of products is their “new factor”. Make sure you know what is in any food or beverage you are consuming, especially dietary supplements. They aren’t regulated and safety standards don’t exist. It pays to be a skeptic. You be the judge if it is worth the try.
Advertised as a “hot” beverage to keep your cool, Zrii appears to be “all that” in a bottle with the amalaki (Indian gooseberry).
Unfortunately, I could not find the nutrition facts that discloses all the ingredients. I was able to find some nutrition information on the website. That’s a sign right there. If you can’t quickly and easily find full disclosure about what’s in the product (nutrition facts label and ingredients list) you should wonder what they have to hide. After some hunting in the FAQ section, I found that the primary or “base” juices are
Hmmm… so how much of each of these juices are in the beverage compared to the other ingredients? Are the other ingredients in concentrated enough levels to produce the effect advertised? And why is this not on the nutrition information page? These are important questions because these juices are relatively inexpensive so what exactly are you paying for with Zrii - the pretty packaging and marketing allure?
I’m just not convinced this product is as “hot” as the marketing would have you believe. If you would like to read more about Zrii’s possible shortcomings, read this interesting review by Mark Adams at Natural News. Now, if you still want to try it, go for it. At least now you know a little more about what is really in it.
Next up is AquaSlim. Here’s what the marketers claim…
I appreciate that the website had a supplement facts page. You know exactly what is in it… err… sort of. They aren’t very upfront about what exactly is contained in the SuperCitriMax. But if you take it as directed you are getting about 2500mg of the stuff. After some research, I found a patent for potassium hydroxycitrate as an appetite suppressant, which also happens to be in the drink. Upon further investigation, it became clear that there is a lot of hydroxycitric acid (HCA) and the calcium hydroxycitrate and potassium hydroxycitrate are just “salts” of the hydroxycitric acid. That means you are ingesting 1100 mg per bottle and 3,330 mg per day if taken as directed. Is that too much? Well, it appears there is no clinical evidence that shows HCA is effective as an appetite suppressant in humans. So, as it goes… if it seems too good to be true it probably is. I would venture to guess the people interested in trying this product are already health-conscious. I think that focusing on an exercise program and a balanced diet would do much more benefit than this drink, honestly.
I did find one new beverage that I couldn’t help but give a thumbs up to… it’s the new red espresso - a red tea (rooibios) made with an espresso machine. It is caffeine-free and piled with antioxidants. Here’s a bonus: there are no “ingredients”. It’s just tea prepared to a consistency for espresso or latte beverages. I can’t wait to try this.
Bottom line is to recognize that new is exciting. Some of the appeal of products is their “new factor”. Make sure you know what is in any food or beverage you are consuming, especially dietary supplements. They aren’t regulated and safety standards don’t exist. It pays to be a skeptic. You be the judge if it is worth the try.