Health and wellness are on the minds of Baby Boomers who experience the daily effects of aging, joint pain, back pain, weight gain, and mental focus, among all else. Younger generations continually look for ways to boost their energy levels to function faster and faster in the communication overload world they created. This would explain why the “better-for-you” or functional beverage market is a $40 billion industry and expected to grow to almost $54 billion by 2010.
What do consumers choose to drink from a $40 billion functional beverage marketplace? I continually look for healthy drinks because my family has a history of diabetes. In a pre-diabetes stage, I must find drinks that help prevent the advancement of diabetes. When the “energy drinks” exploded onto the market, I enjoyed the sugar-free 180 Orange Citrus Blast energy drink from Anheuser-Busch. Now there is low-calorie energy drink, 180 Blue with Acai. I also learned about MonaVie, an organic fruit beverage with Acai. This is a comparison of the two drinks.
First, what exactly is Acai (pronounced ah-SIGH-ee)?
Acai is a blueberry-sized berry found at the top of a palm tree in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil. Dr. Nicholas Perricone, an anti-aging expert, declared the berry “the world’s number one superfood” on The Oprah Winfrey Show. In a 2006 University of Florida study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the acai berry destroyed cultured human cancer cells; specifically the berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86% of leukemia cells tested.
Brazilians have historically used the acai berry to treat digestive disorders and skin conditions, but University of Florida scientists are continuing to study the positive health effects of the acai berry. While they are encouraged by the preliminary results in their cancer-fighting tests, they want to scientifically prove the many health claims made about the acai berry. Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, says, “Acai berries are already considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants.”
The acai berry is loaded with antioxidants, healthy monosaturated fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols that help promote cardiovascular and digestive health. Dr. Perricone describes the acai berry as, “an almost perfect essential amino acid complex in conjunction with valuable trace minerals, vital to proper muscle function.” The little black-purple berry is packed with a natural complex of B vitamins, vitamins A, C, and E, omega-3 fatty acids, anthocyanin (flavored antioxidant), potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron, and most importantly, phytonutrients – age-defying compounds that are necessary to sustain an active, healthy life. The Acai berry contains the highest recorded ORAC value of any other fruit or vegetable tested to date. A high ORAC value fights against the damaging superoxide free radicals that can cause decline of joint function and mobility as we age.
180 Blue Energy Drink Review
180 Blue costs about $2.00 for an 8-ounce can in most convenience stores. It is also available in a 16-ounce can and I have heard that it is sold at bars and restaurants, although I have not purchased the drink at those venues. I had great expectations for 180 Blue since I really liked the sugar-free version of the 180 Orange. I was hoping it didn’t taste like a liquid sweet tart (as I find Red Bull’s flavor.) The drink, with only 15 calories, has a great blueberry/grape flavor that is fruitier tasting than boldly sweet, like Red Bull. The drink contains juice from the acai berry, guarana berry, blueberry juice, grape juice, caffeine and vitamins B6 and B12. Guarana is another berry from Brazil that has similar effects as caffeine. Much to my dismay, 180 Blue is loaded with added sugar and has a light carbonation, two things I try to avoid in choosing a healthy drink. It does give you a boost from the caffeine and the guarana, but for me, that boost lasted about 5 hours. I’m afraid that unless Anheuser-Busch comes out with a sugar-free version, I will not continue drinking this beverage. This year, they introduced 180 Red with Goji, but not in a sugar-free version. Goji is a Tibetan berry with a cherry flavor.
MonaVie Functional Beverage Review
MonaVie costs about $37 for a 750 ml bottle on the Internet or through a local distributor network, but you only need to drink about 2 – 4 ounces per day, so that bottle lasts around a week. I was really surprised at how good it tasted, like a smooth, fruity light wine, with no carbonation. MonaVie is not really an energy drink in the sense that within a few hours after you drink it, you get that adrenaline boost like with 180 Blue. The drink does not contain caffeine or guarana. But somehow, after a few days or maybe a week, I got a different kind of energy level, much like I got after two weeks of being on the Atkins Diet. I didn’t get those afternoon sleepy periods where I wanted to take a nap; I didn’t doze off during the 10:00 p.m. news; and I woke up more energetic in the morning. I also noticed less aches and pains in my elbows and legs while I was sitting at the computer all day. MonaVie is made with a blend of juices from 19 fruits, including the acai berry. In fact, other drinks I have looked at with acai have water listed as their first ingredient. MonaVie has the acai berry listed as the first ingredient. I have never heard of some of the fruits, but when blended together, it is really a good tasting, nutritious drink.
When I first heard of MonaVie at the Sundance Film Festival, I did some research to learn about the real health benefits of the product. I want to share in this product review, how impressed I was with the ethics of this young MonaVie company, founded in 2005. There are a few things they do that really sold my heart in an emotional way, not just a healthy way:
1. Each week, poachers illegally chop down between 5,000 and 10,000 acai palm trees simply to harvest a 12-inch section of the tree known as the heart of the palm (or “palmito”). Once these trees are destroyed, they never return. By creating a demand for the acai berry, MonaVie has given locals an economic incentive to harvest only the berries and not the heart of the palm. This not only preserves the trees and the Amazon rainforest, but it also provides a continual source of income for the locals.
2. MonaVie founded the M.O.R.E. Project, a non-profit operation that aids disadvantaged children. Last year, twelve people from the operation traveled to Brazil to provide much needed food, clothing, shelter, education, and hope to 300,000 people residing at a hillside slum village.
3. MonaVie has the following doctors on their medical advisory team:
Dr. Lyle Mason, orthopedic surgeon for the NBA Utah Jazz and president of the Society of NBA Physicians
Dr. Ralph Carson, nationally recognized expert in eating disorders and child obesity
Dr. Mike Kennedy, board member of the American Board of Bariatric Medicine and cofounder of MonaVie
Dr. Jose Allongo, fellow of the American College of Physicians
4. Jonathan Papelbon, the 2006 Boston Red Sox Pitcher of the Year and named to the American League’s All-Star team in his rookie year, became a MonaVie distributor in April 2007. There couldn’t be a stronger testimonial to the drink’s value than Papelbon saying MonaVie provides the essential nutrients he needs to stay on top of his game. He adds, “As a professional athlete, I get calls and offers for lots of things. I only do those that I believe in, and I believe in MonaVie.”
Sources:
www.bevindustry.com
www.monavie.com
www.news.ufl.edu
