Beverages with Benefits?

November 30, 2006

A growing number of “functional beverages” — juice, tea, soft drinks and flavored water enhanced with herbs, phytonutrients and other ingredients — are being marketed with promises to improve your memory, put you in a better mood, relieve stress, give you energy and fight fat.

Do these drinks deliver on their claims?

In reality, most functional beverages have not been found to offer special health benefits for most healthy people. Among the issues: Claims aren’t proven; the amount of the added ingredient is neither standardized nor identified on the label; and their safety isn’t known.

Functional drinks also won’t overcome dysfunctional eating or living. Your best approach to health and feeling energetic remains healthful eating, regular physical activity and getting enough sleep.

Produced by ADA’s Public Relations Team