Glaceau - Vitamin Water Review

If you've gone to the supermarket or even the larger chain drugstores (think Walgreen's or CVS Pharmacy) recently, you've probably noticed that in addition to the venerable Evian or even store-brand bottled water, there are now vitamin-enhanced varieties with added fruit flavors trying to vie for the health-conscious - or trend-following - consumer's attention and money.

There are, of course, various companies that are offering vitamin-enhanced water with some added flavor; Fruit20, for instance, aims at the calorie-conscious consumer, touting its hydration and nutritional benefits with this comment:

"(O)ur enhanced products have tasty fruit flavors and no calories, making it easy to quench your thirst, and get essential vitamins and minerals-without adding too many extra calories."

Normally, I don't concern myself about such things.  I am, and always have been, a rather slender fellow (a trait I inherited from my maternal grandfather), and though I don't eat too many vegetables, I do think I eat rather sensibly and supplement my diet with one bottle of Ensure or Ensure Plus per day.  I also drink Coca-Cola (regular, not Diet Coke), tap water, chocolate milk, and/or fruit juice.

In other words, I'm not exactly the poster boy (or poster man) for bottled water, either "plain" or vitamin-enhanced or fruit-flavored or both.

 On the other hand, my older sister is somewhat obsessed with diet-related products or anything that is, essentially, tasty, somewhat nutritious, yet calorie-free.  Her motto, if she ever came up with one, would probably be No diet too faddish, no fat-free, low-calorie product not worthy of sampling.   There's something not quite right about this fixation, since she's actually almost tomboyishly thin.  I suppose Twiggy Lawson influenced my sister's body image a mite too much, and now she's really into this new "vitaminwater" stuff.

 Glaceau's vitaminwater: According to the Glaceau web site, the makers of vitaminwater have been around since 1996; the founder apparently couldn't find a bottled water that he found palatable, so he figured "What the heck...I'll just make my own."  And with the help of a PR maven identified only as "Mike from Queens," the founder, known simply as Darius, began to produce several "enhanced water products, including smartwater, vitaminenergy, and fruitwater in addition to vitaminwater. (For those readers who absolutely must know, the whole story, without the comical spin, can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitaminwater#vitaminwater, as well as a whole list of the vitaminwater flavors, the ingredients, and all that good stuff.)

Why I Tried This: A few weeks ago, my sister dropped by to visit my mom and me, and on the way here she, as she's accustomed to doing, decided to stop at a nearby CVS Pharmacy and buy several bottles of "enhanced water" by Coca-Cola-owned Glaceau.  She brought three, one for each of us, but Mom, who doesn't share my sister's extreme views on diets and calorie-counting, said she didn't want to try any.  I wasn't too keen on it either, but I also wasn't too keen on causing a family dispute, so I diplomatically accepted the one which looked more appealing - the vitaminwater power-c (dragonfruit).

vitaminwater power-c is specially formulated with nutrients that enable the body to exert physical power by contributing to structural integrity of the musculoskeletal system, and by supporting optimal generation and utilization of energy from food.

What I say: Whether or not vitaminwater power-c can actually promote better health, I can't say for sure.  Considering the long and very detailed ingredients' list on the label - as well as the sales pitch on the Glaceau website (http://www.vitaminwater.com/), it's theoretically possible that substituting your favorite carbonated soft drinks with vitaminwater would be a significant improvement, especially if you are really, really, really concerned about those pesky calories but don't want to be limited to taking a multi-vitamin pill once a day and then making do with "ordinary" water (be it from a tap or a bottle).

The Basics: Glaceau's vitaminwater power-c, like its 14 other flavors, comes in a 20 fluid-ounce (591 mL) plastic bottle and can be identified visually by its red-and-white label. The bottle, like most of its kind, is ergonomically designed to be easily carried by people "on the go" and has a resealable top, which allows you to take it with you to work, on a hike, or wherever you need to carry it along (except, I think, an airliner).  It's at its best when it's chilled, but that pretty much goes without saying.

 The Taste: Except when the odd hurricane comes bounding into the Miami area and does some major damage, I don't usually drink bottled water; I work mostly from home (except when pet-sitting), so when I drink H2O it's usually tap water in a glass with some ice...no need to go out to Publix or Winn-Dixie and buy non-hurricane supplies bottled water.  So I can't really say how Glaceau's vitaminwater would compare with, say, Evian or Perrier.

 I can, however, say that if given the choice of drinking Kool-Aid or vitaminwater, I much prefer Kool-Aid.  Granted, the Glaceau product might actually be better in the health benefits department, but I really wasn't too impressed by the taste of vitaminwater. 

It wasn't unpleasant, mind you: I can think of a myriad of truly nutritious foods that have less appeal for my taste buds (Brussels sprouts and broccoli come easily to mind).  But although the dragonfruit flavor was palatable enough to consider for a life-or-death situation in which vitaminwater might be useful, it tastes like somewhat watered down, um.... berry Kool-Aid. It also has a mildly bitter aftertaste, but thankfully that didn't linger.

 The Cost: Granted, I didn't buy this bottle of vitaminwater, but I do know it's not exactly the least expensive liquid refreshment available.   A single bottle of vitaminwater power-c costs $3.00 and up, and a box of 24 bottles can range from $48.00 at CoffeeForLess.com to $70 at Amazon.com (before shipping and handling are factored in).  Not too bad, if you have the money, but it does seem a bit pricey, especially if a bottle of One-a-Day multivitamins and tap water are just as easily available.

 Final Thought:  While I will not give Glaceau's vitaminwater the dreaded "Thumb Down" Not Recommended rating, I won't exactly give it an enthusiastic endorsement - I'll leave that job to such luminaries as Tony Parker and Carrie Underwood.  I found it palatable enough to drink in an emergency situation, and I'm even willing to say it's fine for those who are careful about calories and want to have vitamin-enhanced water after a workout or doing yard work.

 It's just not for me.