Antioxidant Drinks: What Do They Do, How Healthy Are They?

In 2016 we heard the news that Dr Pepper Snapple Group had acquired antioxidant drinks firm Bai Brands for $1.7 billion. As long-time exponents of antioxidants, we can’t say we were surprised. Health drinks are becoming ever more popular, a consequence of customers becoming ever more savvy. It was a matter of time before companies like Dr Pepper got in on the act.

Of course, Dr Pepper wasn’t the first beverage conglomerate to divert its attention from the sugary drinks that were its stock-in-trade.

Dr P’s big rival PepsiCo recently bought over KeVita, a manufacturer of fermented probiotic and kombucha beverages, in a deal worth $200 million.

Artificial sweeteners are considered anathema by many hip, health-conscious modern consumers, who instead have a yen for natural antioxidant drinks.

Global brands now recognise the value in enticing such enlightened individuals and are diversifying their interests accordingly.

The health issues linked to sugar consumption are well documented, so it’s refreshing to see so many people shun fizzy drinks in favour of nourishing and nutritious alternatives.

Antioxidant drinks, green smoothies, plant protein shakes, alkaline water – these new-age options are cleaner, fresher and altogether superior to the popular soft drinks of bygone years.

Governments have had their say in the discussion: the Soft Drinks Industry Levy was announced as part of the 2016 Budget.

It came on the back of calls from multiple health organisations, including the British Medical Association and the Royal Society for Public Health, to highlight health in the national consciousness.

Aimed at tackling childhood obesity, the ‘sugar tax’ made soft drinks companies pay a charge for selling products with added sugar.

The argument was that many sodas contained no intrinsic nutritional value (there are nine teaspoons of sugar in one 330ml can of regular cola) and could rather simply be formulated to contain less sugar.

Other countries, including France, Hungary and Finland, have taken similar measures, their interventions applauded by the World Health Organisation.

The powers-that-be at Dr Pepper have acknowledged the popularity of antioxidant drinks: but what exactly makes them so special?

Antioxidants, which can be found in a variety of common fruits and vegetables, have been known to bolster the immune system, improve circulation and proper nerve function and protect the body from damage caused by free radicals.

Many studies have put antioxidants under the microscope (quite literally), particularly as they pertain to common health conditions, so it’s certainly worth delving deeper into the literature.

Antioxidant nutrients include vitamins, minerals and flavonoids.

If you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, as well as nuts, beans and legumes, the chances are that you’ll be getting a good number of antioxidants already. But which fruits, and which vegetables, and how many?

High levels of antioxidants are most commonly found in vibrantly-coloured foods – raspberries, strawberries, cranberries; apples, red cabbage, russet potatoes.

One super-easy way to ensure you don’t miss out on the health-promoting effects of antioxidants is by consuming Spectrum Vibrance.

Clinically formulated by Vibrant Health, the green food company behind plant-based supplements like Green Vibrance and Maximum Vibrance, it is a generous blend of nature’s most colourful fruits and vegetables – 36, to be precise.

From freeze-dried blueberries to certified organic cabbage leaf and goji berry juice, Spectrum Vibrance supplies a profusion of nutrient- and antioxidant-rich whole foods and extracts, including many lush and exotic varieties that are generally tricky to come by.

These fruits and vegetables are not just teeming with antioxidants but vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, too.

Polyphenols, which offer protection against pathogens and oxidative damage, and carotenoids, which provide steely resistance to cellular damage, also feature prominently in Spectrum Vibrance.

The nutrient density of this ever-evolving fruit and vegetable supplement is virtually unmatched in modern diets, which are all too often lacking in key phytonutrients. A single serving delivers concentrated nutrition equivalent to 4.5 servings of yellow, red, green and blue fruits and vegetables.

As stated at the outset, healthy drinks are all the rage at the moment. But why buy an expensive sports bottle when you can blend your own energy-boosting beverage at leisure, whenever you want?

Spectrum Vibrance can be added to juice or water, stirred into a protein shake or blended in a smoothie. Eating your five-a-day has never been so easy – or enjoyable.

Polyphenols, which offer protection against pathogens and oxidative damage, and carotenoids, which provide steely resistance to cellular damage, feature prominently in Spectrum Vibrance.

The nutrient density of this ever-evolving fruit and vegetable supplement is virtually unmatched in modern diets, which are all too often lacking in key phytonutrients. A single serving delivers concentrated nutrition equivalent to 4.5 servings of yellow, red, green and blue fruits and vegetables.